yAGE TWELVE n ' THE ASHE VILLEQAZETTE NEWS, Tuesday, December 13, 1910.
Hansel and Gretel
CHAPTER HI.
WHEN the children had finished
their prayer, they sank' back
upon the moss and were soon
asleep, their arms about one
another. It was not long, however,
before a light began to show through
the mists which still covered part ot
the open space where the children
were. This light seemed to come from
heaven, and the mists gradually gath
ered and made steps, as the light grew
brighter and brighter. Down these
steps, stretching away up into the sky
so far that they reached heaven, came
fourteen angels, walking in pairs.
They were all dressed in beautiful gar
ments of different colors and their
faces weie shining.
At last daylight appeared again. A
bird twittered sharply in the glade
where the children slept Gradually
the eastern sky grew rosy and then
turned to a pale yellow as the sun
appeared. A few rays of sunshine
sh"ne throngh the tree tops and made
patches of light about Hansel and
Gretel.
"Where am 17" said Gretel, sleepily.
"Am I awake? Is this a dream ?"
She held out her hands, looking up
Into the branches and then, suddenly,
caught sight of Hansel, still asleep.
Hansel opened his eyes, yawned and
stretched himself. fc
He went toward the back of the
glado, where the mists which hung
about the Ilsen Stone were gradually
vanishing under the rays of the morn
ing sun. Even as Hansel approached,
the last trace of mist disappeared, and
in place of the pine trees, which had
been there on the previous evening,
stood the Crunching Munching House,
glittering in the rays of the rising sun.
At a little distance to the left was a
large baker's oven, and, on the other
side, a huge cage with iron bars, the
whole surrounded by a fence made of
life-sized gingerbread girls and boys.
The house itself was all made of cake
and good things that little girls and
boys like to eat ,
When the children saw this wonder,
ful house and smelt the delicious smell
of dainties which came from there,
they stood still in amazement. Then
Hansel started to go forward, but
Gretel threw her arms about him, cry
ing: "Stay where you are, stay where
you are!"
But Hansel was so charmed that he
scarcely heeded Gretel's words. "See
how the house seems to smile upon
us," aud he added eagerly, "the angels
have brought us here!"
Hansel's suggestion was too tempt
ing for Gretel to resist, so each one
taking the other's hand, the two chil
dren cried:
"Yes, let's nibble like two little
gnawing mice."
The children hopped a few steps
nearer and then waited to see if they
could hear any sound. As all was
silent they stole forward on tiptoe.
After waiting a moment, Hansel cau
tiously broke a little piece of cake off
the right hand comer ot the house.
As he did so there came a shrill voice
from within:
"Nibble, nibble, little mouse,
Who nibbles at my little house?"
Hansel, in terror, let the cake fall
to the ground, but Gretel, with a
Maysie's Measles
By GELETT BURGESS
Illustration by HARRY LINNELf.
MAYSIE!" "Yes, ma." "What are
you doing?" "Paper dolls."
Maysie did not look up. "Well,
I want you to pick up those
chips and block around by the ell,
now." "But It's vacation!"
"Never mind ; and you must' do sqme
practicing to-day, too."
"Oh, dear; they's only two weeks
left I should think I might have some
time to play In!"
"Put up your dolls, now, and get In
the chips!"
Before the apron was filled, and
while Maysie was still mumbling the
formula to herself, Lucy herself ap
peared, coming down the road. Mayjte
trilled to her.
"Come on and help!" cried Maysie.
Lucy leaned over the fence, but did
not corns nearer.
"I dassent," she said. "Helen's got
the measles."
"What of it?" said Maysie approach
ing. Lucy withdrew. "You better look
out they .s catching!"
"Have jrou got 'em?"
"No; but ma s1d not r go near
anybody till I was sure I wasn't go'.ng
to be took sick, too. They won't let
me go near her "
"What's she doing?"
"Playing with Bar bands."
Maysie laughed, and came nearer,
"roofa, I ala't afraid!" she boasted.
But Lucy was conscientious, snd not
a little proud of the danger sbs car
ried. She withdrew with dignity.
"I might be took sick any time," sh
said. "Then grou'd be sorry. I have
to be outdoors all the timt In the fresh
sr."
'Too bad It's vacation, ain't It?" said
Maysie. "Anybody can play outdoors
now."
"You ain't playing, are you?" said
Lucy, with sarcasm.
It reminded Maysie bitterly of her
I got to practice.
I PE i lm-y, bow do you
v "xcoes ew war mot ooass. Aud Kor a mon
-v r-
woman's wit, answered In a frightened
voice: "The wind."
Hansel followed Gretel's example
and said, just as timidly: "The wind."
Then, together, the children said:
"The child of heaven."
Gretel picked up the piece of cake
and tasted it."
"Hm-m!" she cried.
Then Hansel asked, looking at Gre
tel enviously: "How does it taste?"
"There, try it," answered Gretel, giv
ing him a bite of her cake.
"Ah-h!" said Hansel, laying his
hand on his breast in delight and clos
ing his eyes.
"Ah-h!'' said Gretel likewise.
Then both the children cried in
glee:
jjj
"WHERE AM I?" SAID GRETEL SLEEPILY.
"O wonderful cookies! each one I eat
makes me eager for more. I feel as if
I were already In heaven.''
"Oh," said Hansel, "how good this
tastes! It's almost too pood to eat."
"Perhaps a confectioner lives here,"
said Gretel.
"HI, confectioner!" called Hansel
headaches, and your nose runs just It .e
you got a cold. I feel kind of funny
In my nose already."
"It's mean to have to be sick In va
cation." said Maysie.
"It's mean any time. It's horrid.
Helen is crying all the time. She got
'em from Nan Bryant Ma says 1
ought to have had 'em when I was
fivt . rid you ever have 'em, Maysie?"
"I don't remember. I guess not Do
they hurt?"
"It's awful. You ought to heard
Helen V
"Perhaps I better go in," said Maysie,
abruptly. "Ma'll be waiting for these
chips, and I got to practice. I hope
you haven t got em yet
Lucy walked off, evincing great Im
portance, and Maysie immediately went
to her mother and related the news
iter mother only smiled. Maysie was
surprised to have her show so little
interest.
"Go and practice now for a half an
hour.
"But It's vacation?"
"That's no reason why you should
forget all you e learned."
That night at supper time, her
mother showed that the news had not
bean so unimportant as Maysie had
thought
. -pa," uid ner mother, "Helen
Brown's down with the measles."
"I suppose they's going to be s spell
of It amongst the children round here,"
Maysle's mother went on.
" 'Twon't do any great harm," said
laystp's father.
"If they'd only all have It before
school commences, It might do a sight
o' good."
"Well, we've all had It, alnt wr
"Why, dont you know Maysie
never bsd tbs measles?" Maysle's
mother poised her fork la midair on
the way to her mouth
"Mwbbe she's too old for It now,
then "
"Why o' court she ain't! Grown
up folks ketch it, even, sometimes!"
at neither spoke: then.
delightedly. "Look out; a mouse will
soon make a hole in your house."
Hansel here broke a large piece of
cake off the wall. The voice from in
side again repeated' the same question
as before:
"Nibble, nibble, little mouse,
Who nibbles at my little house?"
Hansel and Gretel then called to
gether: "The wind, the wind; the
child of heaven."
As they said this, the upper half of
the door of the Crunching Munching
House opened, and the awful old
ogress of a witch, ot whom Hansel's
father had spoken the day before, put
out her head. The children were so
busy over their feast of dainties that
they did not notice the evil, wrinkled
face leering at them.
Gretel said tauntingly to Hansel:
"Walt, you nibbling little mouse, the
cat will soon come out of the little
house."
Hansel answered rather gruffly:
"Oh, go on nibbling and leave me in
peace."
Gretel grabbed a piece of cake out
of Hansels hand, crying: Not so
quickly. Sir Wind!"
Hansel promptly took the piece of
cake away from her crying: "Child of
heaven, I take what I find."
after thinking awhile she remarked
meditatively, "If Maysle's goin' to have
the measles, I wiBh'd sh'd ketch 'em
right now. It 11 be awfully Inconve
nient to have to nurse her In Septem
ber, just when I want to put up those
crab apples and wild grapes."
"Oh sho'! She ain't a-going to hive
em. Keep her out in the air and
she'll be all right. Don't go to work
and borrow trouble!"
That's ., st it. I'd like to borrow
a little and have it off my mind!
Maysle's bound to come down with the
measles when school begins, anyway.
1 tell you what I'm going to do, Eli
jah; I'm going to send her over to
the Brown's and jest naturally have it
over with before school opens. The
she'll be out of the way and I can do
my work."
Maysie, who had been listening in
wonder, now set up an emphatic pro
test. "But I don't want to have the
' Good ereoiag, Mrs Brows i I've ossss
The children then burst out laugh
ing. During this last scene the door of
the witch's house opened and the
rtjk - 8 fftfllR II T i II
THERE STOOD THE CRUNCHING, MUNCHING HOR8E.
witch herself came out, carrying in
her hand a rope with a noose at one
end of it. She stole cautiously up be
hind the children, who never heard
her, and threw the noose quickly over
Hansel's head, pulling the rope tight
and holding the laughing boy a pris
oner. "He-he, he-he, he-he-he!" laughed
the witch, when she saw Hansel's
Plight
The two children stood looking at
her, frightened and amazed.
Hansel, in tenor, struggled to free
himself, crying: "Let me go! Who
are you?"
Hansel's struggles were vain and the
witch did not bother to answer his
question. Instead, she went up to-
Gretel and patted the little girl's pink
cheek with her rough, ill-shaped hand.
"Dear little angel," she said. "And
yon, my little sugar clown. You came
here to find me, did you? That's fine!
Dear children; so plump and round!"
The witch again broke into peals of
laughter and a wicked light shone In
her eyes.
"Who are you, you ugly woman?"
measles!" Bhe walled. "I don't want
to be took sick at all!"
"Oh, everybody's got to have the
measles. You won't be a big girl till
you have 'em," said her mother.
"Don't you want to ever grow up?"
"Not that way," said Maysie. .
"It's the ou!y way they is that 1
know of. It gets . rid of your bad
blood, and you'll be all the better for
it You sea." nlffi
Mi.j-!c'3 father grinned. "You'll
like it," he adtled.
To Maysie this sounded sinister. The
project alarmed her. She felt as she
always had when the subject of a
loose tooth wis riationed. She feared
immediately that the thing, like pulling
the tooth, was Inevitable, and a black
foreboding rsmp over her. She reach
ed over und clutched at her mother's
slsera,
"Oh, ma, don't please! I'm scared!"
"That's a!! right, May; the sooner
to ketch ths sssestsjb Maosatass
chied Hansel, horror struck. "Let me
go!"
To this the witch answered in her
sweetest tones: "Now, dear heart,
don't put on airs; for you must under
stand that you can't frighten me at
all. I am Rosina Daintymouth. I am
always looked upon as a great friend
of everybody. I am just as innocent
as a little child; that's the reason I
lore little children so dearly; so dearly
that 1 can just eat them up!
As she said this, she again stroked
the children lovingly. Hansel drew
back roughly.
"Go," be said; "take your old face
away from here. Do you hear? I
can't stand the sight of you."
"He-he-he!" crackled the witch.
"What a fine devil's brat you are!
And you, too, my dearest little girl.'
Then she sang. In as alluring a voice
as she could:
"Come little mouse.
Come into my house;
I'll treat you fairly,
Foast you rarely.
Chocolates, tarts and marchpane, too,
With cream car.es, I have made for you;
Then she tried to lead Hansel oft.
but the boy resisted sturdily.
"What are you going to do to my
brother? asked Gretel.
you get sick the sooner you get well."
"But It's vacation! I don't want to
be sick in vacation?" Maysie pleaded.
'Not if you have currant jelly and
butter toast?" said her mother. Insin
uatingly. "I tell you what I'll do; I'll
let you have my olive-wood workbox
to play with all the time you're In
bed."
And the silver tape measure and
the giamophone?" Maysie determined
to drive as good a bargain as possible
while her mother was conciliatory.
"Oh, yes, anything you want"
Pa added, wickedly, "You won't want
much but to be let alone, I g jss."
"Now, pa!" Maysle's mother expos
tulated. "Will my face come out all over
blotches?" she Inquired fearfully.
"Oh, they'll go away. It ain't really
being sick at all. Now, I tell you what
you do. You run over to the Brown's
right after supper, and yon tell Mis'
Brown -that you want to see Helen,
cau3e you want to ketch the m sles.
That's a good girl."
Maysie obeyed, and, without hope. If
without fear, knocked at Mrs, Brown's
door and was admitted. A smell of
disinfectant greeted, ber nostrils.
"Good evening, Ms. Brown; I've
come to ketch the mearlcs. Ma ssnt
me."
Maysie modestly assumed a martyr's
pose, her eyes cast down, her hands
behind her back.
"Do tell!" Mrs. Brown exelaimed.
"Are you sure your mother wants you
to come here?"
"She made me come, fs Helen very
bad?"
"Why, Helen's In a dark room, now.
I a'pose she'll bo glad to nave com
pany, If your ma really wants you to
soe her. Why, I been keepln' Lacy
sway from her so's sho wouldn't ketch
em. But I s'pose you can go In, It
von want to."
Helen Brown was only five years
old, and, ordlcarlly, n?ath Maysle's
notice, except when she wished an er
rand done, or an assistant In her
games. But her malady had given
Helen prestige, and, for the Urn 'be
ing. Maale treated br as an equal.
It was rather exciting, too, tor the
room was mysterftusly dim and dan
gerous, with only the faint twilight il
luminating It Helen was convalescent
"Good, my child," answered the
witch; "great good. I am now going
tii make him tender and delicious with
all sorts of dainties and then, when
he is very good and gentle, patient
and as willing as a sheep, then but
listen, Hansel, will whisper It la
your ear."
And she tiptoed towaras mm.
"Say it out loud and not in my ear,"
said Hansel, bravely. "What pleasure
is waiting for me!"
Ah, my dear pretty child; stgntana
henrine will both leave you in tne
midst of this pleasure," said the witch,
rubbing her hands and chuckling.
During the preceding conversation
Hansel had been working his arms so
as to loosen the noose which bound
him. In this he had been successful
and, by this time felt that he had the
noose so loose that he could easily sup
It over his head, so he called defiantly:
"Oh, my eyes and ears are very good.
Have a care how you harm me. Gre
tel," he sailed to his sister, "don't be
lieve these fair words."
Gretel had now come close to him and
he whispered : "Come, let's run for It"
Quickly he slipped the nooBe over
his head, and taking Gretel by the
hand, started to run towards the
woods. But the witch was too sly for
him. She raised her staff and cried in
a commanding tone: "Halt!
Then, making the witches motion
with her stick, she stopped the chil
dren from going any further.
The yard about the house began to
grow dark; it seemed as If a heavy
cloud had covered the sun. The chil
dren stood motionless. Then the
witch cried in a voice so terrible that
it seemed to freeze Hansel's and Get
ters blood:
"Hocus pocus, witches' spell,
Move and you shall rue It well!
Spellbound are you by my glance;
Move your head and you shall dancn!
Then the witch began to make new
motions with her staff, turning the
children around so that they faced her
The end of the staff began to g!ow
and she held it up before them.
"Hocus pocus, here comes Joeu.
Children, see the magic head!
Eyes front now, as I have said!
To your stall, or you are dead!
Hocus pocus, Sonus Joe us,
Malus locus, hocus pocus."
As she said the last words of this
spell, she led Hansel, who kept his
eyes fixed on the end of her staff, to
the iron cage, which she made him
enter, closing the Iron-barred door be
hind him. Meanwhile Gretel stood mo
tionless and the darkness began to
fade slowly away
After the witch had locked the door
behind Hansel, she came over to
Gretel and said, rubbing her hands
with pleasure: "Now, llttlo Gretel, be
nice and sens?p Hsuael will soon
bo fat We'll feed him upon almonds
and raisins; they're the best things.
I am going into the house and will
bring them right out Don't yon move
from where you are."
The witch then hobbled off mutter
ing to herself. Gretel stood stiff and
Immovable. Finally, she sighed deep
ly and said, in a tone of disgust:
"Whew, how terror-stricken I am be
fore the witch!"
"Gretel, sh!" called Hansel from the
cage In a loud whtsper. Don't speak
so loudly. Be very clever and notice
well everything that the witch does.
Appear to do everything she wants
you to here she comes back again
sh, keep still!"
(To be continued.)
Ble asked. "I'm going to have 'em, too."
"1 hate it," said Helen. "Its lots
worse n a cold, and your eyes hurt,
and you're thirsty all the time, and
they won't let you have water enough.
Can you play cat's cradle In the dark JJ
i tun
1 never tried it I'm going to have
currant jelly and toast and ma's olive-
wood workbox when I come down with
It"
"Pooh, that's nothing. You wojsJm
want to play much. Is Lucy broke Ottfl
yet?"
Oh, I n going to have am long be
fore Lucy does. 1 m gotaMs get 'em
a-purpos."
Despite this vaunt, Maysie kept as
far away as possible, and sat, erect
and forma), upon aj straight-backed
chair near ihe window From time to
time she put her hajfflrirrrhlrf to her
nose, ostensibly to rife it- ln I"llnl
of fact she was trying not to breathe
any more than, possible.
"Ob, yon won't have to try very
hard. Why, I caagkt 'em from Nannie
Bryant just by looking at her!"
"Oh, I ain't in a tturry," said May
sie. "So long as I gttt it before school,
ma don't care. She oAly wants to spoil
my vacation," aba added bitterly, as
she left
The next day, as soon as shs had got
up, she scrutinised her face ln the
glass, carefully. No blotcbes on her
face yet, and her eyes seemed normal.
Did her head ache a little? She was
almost inclined to think 11 did, but
refused to ghe in to It liar mother
g-.ve ner a giiuco only, and th n sent
her on en errand. This was too much.
It was ,iuf:ilr, Uayslo taoasiL for one
who was deliberately i. u Weed to the
measles, and In vacation, too, to have
to do chores as well. There was a lit
tle pleasure In It, however, when.
lag Lucy on ths way, Lucy crossed the
street, uurnea.y, and would only shoat
across to her. Maysie now felt that
sne was reaily dangerous, and gloried
In iter power.
Frald cat!" she scream.d,
wslknd superbly down ths street.
"Ain't it time for me to broal
yet. ma?" she asked upon her n
and
said hi
aud ssi
to be i
sii '
iway, so s
oiynT notes)
e'd give It to y
IS more SgfSMM
i s past the
yoa."
Id, reluct-
n was la
when one was in bed. Nan's face was
blotched with red spots. Maysie gazed
at them with furtive curiosity. Mrs.
Bryant had laughed when she took the
visitor in, and seemed unable to grasp
ths gravity of the situation. So the
"D6n't you be scared, Maysie," said
Mrs. Bryant. "It ain't no worse'n a
bad cold, and you'll soon be over It."
"Don't Deople ever die of the mea
sles?" Maysie asked, her mouth full of
molasses candy.
"Oh, land, no! The only thing Is to
be careful of your eyes and not strain
'em."
That hint was enough for Maysie,
and all the way home she pictured
herself struck stone blind, groping
about the house, and perhaps, later
having a little trained dog to escirt
her about town while she walked by
Inches, tapping a stick ln front of her,
with a sign, "I am blind," which she
had seen, once, on a beggar in the
city. Perhaps then her mother would
be sorry that she had deliberately ex
posed her to such a peril. But Maysie
would forgive her sweetly, and say,
"Never mind, mother dear, I am hap
py and contented, and perhaps It was
all for the best " "Maysie!" A
voice startled her from her reverie.
It was Lucy calling her from across
the street. To Maysle's surprise, Lucy,
instead of keeping at a safe distance,
approached boldly.
"Have you got 'em yet?" Lucy
asked.
"N-no," Maysie had to admit
"I have," Lucy proclaimed. Jubilant
ly. "My nose is running awful, and I
think I'm begun to blotch on my
cheeks. You look there."
"Pooh! Those are only freckles!"
"Well, my head aches, miyway. I'm
going to go home and tell mother."
"I don't fell very well myself," May
sie admitted now. "I been to see Nan
Bryant, and her room smelt awful!"
"Did you?" Lucy edged away again.
"It takes three days, Mrs. Bryant
says, so probably I'll be down with 'em
on Thursday morning. You see."
"Well. I'll nrobably be sick mvself
' before then," said Lucy.
I don't care If you are," said May
sie. "Anyway, yours are Just accident.
You didn't catch 'em a-purpose like I
did!"
Lucy stuck out her tongue. "I can
ketch 'em without even trying!"
"Please .don't breathe on me, Lucy,"
said Maysie, stiffly.
Don t you breathe yourself, then!"
Hpu're just as bad as I am! I thought
you wanted to catch the measles!"
So I do, but not from you." May
sle's temper was strained to the break
ing point, Lucy, out of very spite,
blew a mighty, breath at her, and
walked away.
The next day. though Maysie anx
iously awaited her first symptoms,
none appeared. What at first she hailed
as a suspicious eruption proved to be
only a tiny pimple. She thought her
eyes ached, but at breakfast, when
her mother asked her about them,
Maysie found that she had forgotten
all about it. Another ordeal was nec
essary, and this time Maysle's mother
sent her to a house on the edge of the
village where four children were down
with the epidemic. Maysie accepted
the mission stoically now, accustomed
to danger. On the way, however, she
The next day no symptoms 'on Msy
ste. Her mother was a bit discour
aged, her father was Inclined to Joke.
There were a few more cases, though,
for Maysie to visit and her mother
insisted upon her going. Tim was
passing, and school would open Is a
week now. So Maysie continued her
pilgrimage. At several places shs en
countered the dovtor, and the first time
she told him r& htr quest he laughed
uproariously. The secon.i time he took
out a small atomizer and saulrted
something rsd
Ud sweet Into her
throat and up her nostrils. She now
knsw ail ths symptoms and went about
feeling of her throat to see It It were
sore.
You aiu't been over to see Lacy.
yet" said her mother, one day. "You
must catch 'em, now you've started,
tor I won't have more'n time to pat up
them crab apples and grapes as It Is!"
But here Maysie drew the line. Lucy
was too "stuck up.'' Lucy had ssnt
messages to Maysie by Helen, now re
covered, inviting her to call and see
her face, which was jeautlfully pitted.
uui mere was eviaence ot a pride ln
her disease that Maysie could not
stomach. If shs succeeded In getting
the measles, she wouldn't give Lucy
the satisfaction of knowing that shs
had caught them from her.
Nan Bryant recovered and appeared
on the street, but still Maysie, leading
a charmed life, walked abroad wall
and fit Mingled with her seasea tor
Infection Maysle's uother made many
errands. Maysie spent the last precious
days of vacation 'n cleaning out too
huohouso, ln packing aay clothes in
camphor. In collecting seeds from the
garden, and ln many other tiresome
and unnecessary things. Shs -almost
longed for school to begin.
Kve y day her mother Inspected her,
taking her to a front window to look
at hsr face. Maytie even got to pre
tend that her yes were bad, Just to
gloat over her mother's disappointment
when they turned out to be all right
after all. Finally her mother gave It
up, and mc.de up hsr mind that Maysie
was immune.
School had begun, three days ago.
but Maysie, gay and debonair, roamed
the village ln search of amusement.
The epidemic was almost over, and
nearly every other child was now at
school. Maysie trss on her wbt to
1 1(
k kiln In ths grove, her scrap
ill of paper dolls In one hand
doughnut In the othsr, wb-n
aren't yoi. at
keep
out
low
T