PERSONS IN THE PLAY - HAeNSEL, GRETEL, MOTHER, FATHER, THE GINGERBREAD WITCH, SANDMAN, CHILDREN

SCENE I. - In the Cottage

Haensel. I wish mother would come home! I’m cold and hungry. I’m tired of bread. I want some milk and sugar.

Gretel. Hush, Haensel; don’t be cross!

Haensel. If we only had something good to eat: eggs, and butter and meat. Oh, dear!

Gretel. Dear Haensel, if you will stop crying, I’ll tell you a secret.

Haensel. Oh, what is it? Something nice?

Gretel. Yes, indeed. Look in this jug! It is full of milk. Mother will make us a pudding for supper.

Haensel. Goody, goody! How thick the cream is! Let me taste it.

Gretel. Aren’t you ashamed, you naughty boy! Take your finger out of the cream. We must go back to work. When mother comes she will be cross if you have not finished the broom.

Haensel. I’ll not work any more. I want to dance.

Gretel. So do I. I like to dance better than to work. Come, let us dance and sing.

Brother, come and dance with me,
Both my hands I offer thee;
Right foot first,
Left foot then,
Round about and back again.

Haensel. I can’t dance. Show me what I ought to do.

Gretel. Look at me. Do this.

With your foot you tap, tap, tap!
With your hands you clap, clap, clap!
Right foot first,
Left foot then,
Round about and back again.

Haensel (dancing).

With your hands you clap, clap, clap!
With your foot you tap, tap, tap!
Right foot first,
Left foot then,
Round about and back again.

Gretel. That is fine, brotherkin! Soon you will dance as well as I. Come, try again.

With your head you nick, nick, nick!
With your fingers click, click, click!
Right foot first,
Left foot then,
Round about and back again.

Haensel.

O Gretel dear, O sister dear,
Come dance and sing with me.

Gretel.

O Haensel dear, O brother dear,
Come dance and sing with me.
Tra, la, la, tra, la, la,
La, la, la, la, tra, la, la.

[Knocks down the milk.]

Mother (enters). What is all this noise?

Gretel. ’Twas Haensel. He wanted -

Haensel. ’Twas Gretel. She said I -

Mother. Hush, you noisy children! What work have you done? Gretel, your stocking is not done yet; and where are your brooms, you lazy Hans? You have knocked over the milk too! What shall we have for supper? Lazy folks can’t stay in my house. Take the basket and go to the woods for strawberries. And don’t dare to come back without them! Off with you! and be quick too!

[The children go out. Mother sits weeping.]

Oh! I am so tired and hungry. Nothing in the house to eat. What shall I do for the poor hungry children - Oh, dear, what can I do!

[Goes to sleep, crying.]

Father (enters, singing).

Hillo, hilloo, hillo, hilloo,
Little mother, where are you?

Mother (looking up). Who is singing and making so much noise?

Father. I called you, for I am hungry and want my supper.

Mother. Your supper! with nothing in the house to eat and nothing to drink.

Father. Let us see. Open your eyes and look in my basket. Cheer up, mother!

Mother. What do I see? Ham and butter and flour and sausage! Where did you get all these good things, father?

Father. Hurrah, won’t we have a merry time, won’t we have a happy time? I sold so many brooms at the fair that I could buy you all these good things and some tea besides.

Mother. Tea! how good it smells and how glad I am! Now I will cook the supper.

Father. But where are the children? Haensel! Gretel! Where are they?

Mother. Oh, the bad children! They did no work and they were singing and dancing and spilled the milk, so I sent them to the woods to pick some strawberries for supper.

Father. Laughing and dancing! Why should you be angry? Where have they gone?

Mother. To the mountain.

Father. To the mountain! the home of the witch!

Mother. What do you mean? The witch?

Father. Yes, the old witch of the mountain turns all children to gingerbread and then she eats them.

Mother. Eats them! Oh, my children, my pretty little children! Come, we must find them! Haensel, Gretel, where are you?

[Runs out.]

Father. I will go with you, mother. Don’t cry! we will surely find them.

[Goes out.]

SCENE II. - In the Forest

HAeNSEL, GRETEL

Gretel. See, my wreath is nearly done.

Haensel. And the basket is filled with strawberries. Won’t mother be pleased? We will have them for supper.

Gretel. Let me put the wreath on you!

Haensel. No, no! boys don’t wear wreaths. Put it on your own head. You shall be queen of the woods.

Gretel. Then I must have a nosegay, too.

Haensel. Now you have a scepter and a crown. You shall have some strawberries, too. Don’t they taste good?

Gretel. Let me feed you.

Haensel. And I’ll feed you. Don’t be greedy!

Gretel. Oh, Haensel, the berries are all gone. What naughty children we are! We must pick some more now for mother.

Haensel. I don’t care, I was so hungry. But it is too late to pick strawberries now. Let us go home.

Gretel. Let us hurry; it is dark and I’m afraid.

Haensel. Pooh, I’m not afraid. But I can’t see the way. Gretel, we’re lost!

Gretel. What was that?

Haensel. What?

Gretel. That shining there in the dark!

Haensel. Pshaw, don’t be afraid! That is a birch tree in its silver dress.

Gretel. There, see! a lantern is coming this way.

Haensel. That is a will-of-the-wisp with its little candle.

Gretel. I’m frightened, I’m frightened! I wish I were home!

Haensel. Gretelkin, stick close to me! I’ll take care of you.

Gretel. See! what is that little man in gray?

Haensel. I see him, too. I wonder who he is!

Sandman (comes).

With my little bag of sand
By every child’s bedside I stand.
Then little tired eyelids close,
And little limbs have sweet repose.
Then from the starry sphere above
The angels come with peace and love.
Then slumber, children, slumber,
For happy dreams are sent you
Through the hours you sleep.

[Goes away.]

Haensel. I’m sleepy. Let us go to sleep.

Gretel. Let us say our prayers first.

Both.

When at night I go to sleep
Fourteen angels watch do keep:
Two my head are guarding,
Two my feet are guiding,
Two are on my right hand,
Two are on my left hand,
Two who warmly cover,
Two who o’er me hover,
Two to whom ’tis given
To guide my steps to Heaven.

Gretel. Good night, dear brother.

Haensel. Good night, dear sister. Don’t be afraid. I’ll take care of you.

[They sleep.]

SCENE III. - In the Wood - Morning

Haensel. Wake up, dear little sister! The birds are singing and it is time to get up!

Gretel. I’m awake, dear brother. Come, let us hurry home.

Haensel. Here is a path! Oh, Gretel, look at the pretty house!

Gretel. A cottage all made of chocolate creams!

Haensel. The house seems to smile!

Gretel. It looks good enough to eat.

Haensel. Let’s nibble it!

[A voice within the house.]

Nibble, nibble, manikin!
Who’s nibbling at my housekin?

Haensel. Oh, did you hear?

Gretel. It’s the wind!

Haensel. Never mind, let us eat the cake. I’m hungry. Take a bite! Isn’t it good?

Gretel. Yes, and look at the candy! What a funny fence this is! It looks like little boys and girls made of gingerbread with sugar trimmings. I wonder who lives in this house?

[The Gingerbread Woman comes out of the house and speaks.]

You’ve come to visit me, that is sweet,
You charming children, so good to eat!

Haensel. Who are you, ugly one? Let me go!

Gretel. Take your arms away from me!

The Gingerbread Witch. Come into my house, little children! You may have sugarplums and peaches and cherries and candies and everything nice that little folks like!

Haensel. No, I won’t! I don’t want to go into your house. I want to go home!

Gretel. I don’t like you, Mrs. Gingerbread! You aren’t nice like my mother. I want to go home to my own mother!

The Gingerbread Witch. Come, dear little Gretel. You must go in with me. We’ll leave Haensel in this little house outside. He must get fatter, so we will give him many good things to eat. Get in, Haensel. I must lock you in!

Haensel. What are you going to do with me?

The Gingerbread Witch. I’ll fatten you up nicely and then you will see! Now I’ll go inside for some sugarplums. You wait here, Gretel, until I come back. Hocus, pocus, malus locus! now you can’t move!

[Goes in.]

Haensel. Listen, Gretel! Watch the old witch and see everything she does to me. Hush, she’s coming back!

The Gingerbread Witch. Now, Hans, eat this raisin. It will make you fat! Now, Gretel, you have stood still long enough.

Hocus, pocus, elder bush!
Rigid body loosen, hush!

Then, Gretel, you must come with me, but Hans cannot move until he gets nice and fat like you. Run in, little daughter, and get some more nuts and raisins for him. I like plump little bodies like yours!

[Gretel goes in.]

Haensel. Please let me out, Mrs. Gingerbread.

The Gingerbread Witch. When you are fatter. Now I must look to my fire. It is burning well, and the oven will soon be hot enough to bake my dinner. When I change my gingerbread I’ll pop little Gretel in and shut the door.

[Gretel comes in very quietly and goes to Hans.]

Gretel.

Hocus, pocus, elder bush!
Rigid body loosen, hush!

The Gingerbread Witch. What are you saying?

Gretel. Oh, nothing, - only, -

The Gingerbread Witch. Only what?

Gretel. Only, much good may it do to Hans!

The Gingerbread Witch. Poor Hans is too thin, but I hope the raisins and nuts will be good for him. But, you, my plump little Gretel, are just fat enough - come, peep in the oven and see if the gingerbread is ready!

Haensel (softly).

Sister dear, have a care;
She means to hurt you, so beware!

Gretel (shyly). I don’t understand what I am to do!

The Gingerbread Witch. Do? Why, open the oven door!

Haensel. Sister dear, now take care!

Gretel. I’m such a goose, I don’t understand.

The Gingerbread Witch. Do as I say, it’s only play! This is the way.

[Opens the door and looks in oven. Hans and Gretel run and push her in.]

Children sing. One little push, bang goes the door, clang! Now, let us be happy, dancing so merrily. Hurrah! Hurrah!

Haensel. Why, see the children, Gretel. The fence is moving! The gingerbread children are real children, but their eyes are shut!

The Children. We are saved! We are saved!

Gretel. Who are you? Why do you keep your eyes shut? You’re sleeping and yet you are talking!

The Children. O touch us, we pray, that we may awake!

Haensel. The witch has changed them into gingerbread children. I know what to do. Let us say what the witch said to you, and what you said to me!

Haensel and Gretel.

Hocus, pocus, elder bush!
Rigid body loosen, hush!

The Children. (Opening their eyes and running toward Haensel and Gretel.) We thank you, we thank you both!

Gretel. Oh, I am so glad!

The Children. The spell is broken and we are free. The witch can do us no more harm. Come, let us shout for glee!

Haensel.

Come, children all, and form a ring,
Join hands together, while we sing.

Gretel. Oh, Haensel dear, I wish father and mother were here!

Haensel. Look, Gretel! There they are!

[Father and Mother enter.]

Father. Why, mother, the children are here! Come, my dear Haensel and Gretel! How glad I am we have found you safe and well!

Haensel. Oh, father, we must tell you all about the Gingerbread Witch!

Mother. My dear children, were you frightened?

Gretel. Yes, mother, I was. But, mother, Haensel comforted me, and we said our prayers and went to sleep.

Mother. The good angels watched over you and brought you back! Come, let us go to the village and take all these dear children to their mothers. Won’t they be surprised and happy to see their dear children again?

Father. Come, children!