Hansel and Gretel · chapter 4 of 15
The Little Pigeon
小鸽子
The door stays locked, the white pebbles lie out of reach, and in the morning the family walks deeper into the forest than ever before.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 那天晚上，汉赛尔和格莱特都没有睡。
Nà tiān wǎnshang, Hànsài'ěr hé Géláitè dōu méiyǒu shuì.
That night, neither Hansel nor Gretel slept.
- Gretel 哥哥，门开不了。我们回不了家了。
Gēge, mén kāi bu liǎo. Wǒmen huí bu liǎo jiā le.
Brother, the door won't open. We'll never get back home now.
- Hansel 格莱特，别哭。上帝会帮我们。
Géláitè, bié kū. Shàngdì huì bāng wǒmen.
Gretel, don't cry. God will help us.
Chapter 4 is part of SayMei Stories Unlimited ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapters 1–3 of Hansel and Gretel are free, and The Second Cup of Tea, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, The Kitchen God, Little Red Riding Hood, The Ugly Duckling, Chang'e and the Moon, Alice in Wonderland and Judge Dee's Cases are free from start to finish.
- the stepmother 起床！这是你们的面包。
Qǐchuáng! Zhè shì nǐmen de miànbāo.
Get up! Here's your bread.
- Gretel 这块面包好小！我一口能吃完。
Zhè kuài miànbāo hǎo xiǎo! Wǒ yì kǒu néng chī wán.
This piece of bread is so small! I could eat it in one bite.
- the stepmother 有面包吃，你们还说什么？
Yǒu miànbāo chī, nǐmen hái shuō shénme?
You have bread to eat. What are you complaining about?
- the father 汉赛尔，你怎么不走了？
Hànsài'ěr, nǐ zěnme bù zǒu le?
Hansel, why have you stopped?
- Hansel 我的小鸽子在房子上边，它在和我说再见。
Wǒ de xiǎo gēzi zài fángzi shàngbian, tā zài hé wǒ shuō zàijiàn.
My little pigeon is up on the roof, saying goodbye to me.
- the stepmother 你这个孩子！那不是鸽子，是太阳！
Nǐ zhège háizi! Nà bú shì gēzi, shì tàiyáng!
You silly child! That's no pigeon, it's the sun!
- Gretel 哥哥，你的面包呢？
Gēge, nǐ de miànbāo ne?
Brother, where's your bread?
- Hansel 在路上。一点儿一点儿的，都在路上。
Zài lù shang. Yìdiǎnr yìdiǎnr de, dōu zài lù shang.
On the path. Bit by bit, it's all on the path.
- Narrator 他们走了一个上午。这里的树，他们都不认识。
Tāmen zǒu le yí gè shàngwǔ. Zhèlǐ de shù, tāmen dōu bú rènshi.
They walked all morning. They did not know a single tree here.
- the father 火点好了，孩子们。你们在这儿休息吧。
Huǒ diǎn hǎo le, háizimen. Nǐmen zài zhèr xiūxi ba.
The fire's lit, children. You rest here.
- the stepmother 你们可以睡一下。晚上我们回来找你们。
Nǐmen kěyǐ shuì yíxià. Wǎnshang wǒmen huílai zhǎo nǐmen.
You can sleep for a while. We'll come back for you this evening.
- Gretel 哥哥，中午了。你没有面包了，我的给你一半。
Gēge, zhōngwǔ le. Nǐ méiyǒu miànbāo le, wǒ de gěi nǐ yíbàn.
Brother, it's noon. You have no bread left, so you can have half of mine.
- Hansel 一半？那我只吃一口！
Yíbàn? Nà wǒ zhǐ chī yì kǒu!
Half? Then I'll only take one bite!
- Gretel 你吃吧，哥哥。我不太饿，真的。
Nǐ chī ba, gēge. Wǒ bú tài è, zhēn de.
Eat it, Brother. I'm not very hungry, really.
- Narrator 他们睡了。晚上，没有人来。
Tāmen shuì le. Wǎnshang, méiyǒu rén lái.
They fell asleep. Evening came, and nobody came for them.
- Gretel 哥哥，晚上了。他们没有回来……爸爸不要我们了。
Gēge, wǎnshang le. Tāmen méiyǒu huílai… bàba bú yào wǒmen le.
Brother, it's night. They didn't come back... Father doesn't want us anymore.
- Hansel 不要哭。等月亮出来。我们会看见路上的面包。
Bú yào kū. Děng yuèliang chūlai. Wǒmen huì kànjiàn lù shang de miànbāo.
Don't cry. Wait for the moon. We'll see the bread on the path.
- Gretel 月亮出来了！哥哥，面包呢？面包去哪儿了？
Yuèliang chūlai le! Gēge, miànbāo ne? Miànbāo qù nǎr le?
The moon is up! Brother, where's the bread? Where did it go?
- Hansel 你听……是鸟！
Nǐ tīng… shì niǎo!
Listen... birds!
- Narrator 森林里有几千只鸟。它们吃了汉赛尔的面包。
Sēnlín li yǒu jǐ qiān zhī niǎo. Tāmen chī le Hànsài'ěr de miànbāo.
Thousands of birds lived in the forest. They had eaten Hansel's bread.
- Gretel 鸟吃了我们回家的路！
Niǎo chī le wǒmen huí jiā de lù!
The birds have eaten our way home!
- Hansel 不要怕，妹妹。我们会找到路的。来，我们走。
Bú yào pà, mèimei. Wǒmen huì zhǎo dào lù de. Lái, wǒmen zǒu.
Don't be afraid, little sister. We'll find the way. Come on, let's go.
- Gretel 哥哥，我们走了一个晚上。这里是哪儿？
Gēge, wǒmen zǒu le yí gè wǎnshang. Zhèlǐ shì nǎr?
Brother, we've walked all night. Where are we?
- Hansel 格莱特……我也不知道。
Géláitè… wǒ yě bù zhīdào.
Gretel... I don't know either.
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Hansel say is on the roof this time?
“我的小鸽子在房子上边”
- What does Hansel leave on the path this time?
“在路上。一点儿一点儿的，都在路上”
- What does Gretel do at noon?
“我的给你一半”
- Why is the bread gone from the path?
“森林里有几千只鸟。它们吃了汉赛尔的面包”
- What does Gretel ask after the long night walk?
“这里是哪儿？”