Hansel and Gretel · chapter 1 of 15
The White Pebbles
白石头
With no bread left in the house, Hansel and Gretel hear a cold plan in the dark, and Hansel slips out under the moon.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Narrator 很多年前，大森林边上有一个小房子。
Hěn duō nián qián, dà sēnlín biān shang yǒu yí gè xiǎo fángzi.
Many years ago, at the edge of a great forest, there was a little house.
- the father 家里没有面包了，也没有钱了。
Jiā li méiyǒu miànbāo le, yě méiyǒu qián le.
There's no bread left at home, and no money either.
- the stepmother 你怎么还不睡觉？
Nǐ zěnme hái bú shuìjiào?
Why aren't you asleep yet?
- the father 孩子们明天吃什么呢？我是他们的爸爸……
Háizimen míngtiān chī shénme ne? Wǒ shì tāmen de bàba…
What will the children eat tomorrow? And I'm their father...
- the stepmother 你听我说。明天早上，我们和孩子们去森林。
Nǐ tīng wǒ shuō. Míngtiān zǎoshang, wǒmen hé háizimen qù sēnlín.
Listen to me. Tomorrow morning, we take the children to the forest.
- the father 去森林做什么？
Qù sēnlín zuò shénme?
To the forest? What for?
- the stepmother 去森林里边，很远很远。给他们一人一块面包，我们走。
Qù sēnlín lǐbian, hěn yuǎn hěn yuǎn. Gěi tāmen yì rén yí kuài miànbāo, wǒmen zǒu.
Deep into the forest, very, very far. We give them a piece of bread each, and we leave.
- the father 那孩子们呢？
Nà háizimen ne?
And the children?
- the stepmother 他们找不到家。我们不要他们了。
Tāmen zhǎo bú dào jiā. Wǒmen bú yào tāmen le.
They won't find their way home. We don't want them anymore.
- the father 不能！森林里有大动物，会吃了他们！
Bù néng! Sēnlín li yǒu dà dòngwù, huì chī le tāmen!
No! There are big animals in the forest. They'd eat them!
- the stepmother 那好，我们四个人都饿死吧！
Nà hǎo, wǒmen sì gè rén dōu èsǐ ba!
Fine. Then all four of us can starve!
- the father 好吧……我真对不起孩子们。
Hǎo ba… wǒ zhēn duìbuqǐ háizimen.
All right... I'm letting my children down.
- Narrator 汉赛尔和格莱特太饿了，还没有睡。他们都听见了。
Hànsài'ěr hé Géláitè tài è le, hái méiyǒu shuì. Tāmen dōu tīngjiàn le.
Hansel and Gretel were so hungry they were still awake. They heard every word.
- Gretel 哥哥，后妈不要我们了。我们会死在森林里！
Gēge, hòumā bú yào wǒmen le. Wǒmen huì sǐ zài sēnlín li!
Brother, our stepmother doesn't want us anymore. We're going to die in the forest!
- Hansel 格莱特，别哭。我们会回家的。
Géláitè, bié kū. Wǒmen huì huí jiā de.
Gretel, don't cry. We'll get home.
- Gretel 怎么回家？哥哥，我很怕。
Zěnme huí jiā? Gēge, wǒ hěn pà.
How will we get home? Brother, I'm scared.
- Hansel 我想一想……有了！你睡吧，不要怕。
Wǒ xiǎng yi xiǎng… Yǒu le! Nǐ shuì ba, bú yào pà.
Let me think... I've got it! You go to sleep. Don't be afraid.
- Narrator 后妈和爸爸都睡了。汉赛尔开了门，到了外边。
Hòumā hé bàba dōu shuì le. Hànsài'ěr kāi le mén, dào le wàibian.
The stepmother and the father were asleep. Hansel opened the door and went outside.
- Hansel 今天的月亮好大，好亮！这些白石头也真亮，像新的钱！
Jīntiān de yuèliang hǎo dà, hǎo liàng! Zhèxiē bái shítou yě zhēn liàng, xiàng xīn de qián!
The moon is so big tonight, so bright! And these white pebbles shine too, like new coins!
- Hansel 一块，两块，三块……我要很多很多。
Yí kuài, liǎng kuài, sān kuài… wǒ yào hěn duō hěn duō.
One, two, three... I want lots and lots.
- Gretel 哥哥，你去哪儿了？
Gēge, nǐ qù nǎr le?
Brother, where did you go?
- Hansel 我去外边找东西了。
Wǒ qù wàibian zhǎo dōngxi le.
I went outside to look for something.
- Gretel 有吃的吗？
Yǒu chī de ma?
Anything to eat?
- Hansel 没有。你看，我的衣服里都是石头！
Méiyǒu. Nǐ kàn, wǒ de yīfu li dōu shì shítou!
No. Look, my coat is full of stones!
- Gretel 石头能吃吗？
Shítou néng chī ma?
Can you eat stones?
- Hansel 你要一块吗？
Nǐ yào yí kuài ma?
Want one?
- Gretel 哥哥！我不吃石头！
Gēge! Wǒ bù chī shítou!
Brother! I don't eat stones!
- Hansel 好，不吃。睡吧，格莱特。上帝会帮我们。
Hǎo, bù chī. Shuì ba, Géláitè. Shàngdì huì bāng wǒmen.
All right, no stones. Sleep, Gretel. God will help us.
- Gretel 哥哥，那这些石头是做什么的？
Gēge, nà zhèxiē shítou shì zuò shénme de?
Brother, then what are the stones for?
- Hansel 现在不说，明天你会看见的。
Xiànzài bù shuō, míngtiān nǐ huì kànjiàn de.
I won't tell you now. You'll see tomorrow.
What changed in the story?
- What is the stepmother's plan for the children?
“去森林里边，很远很远……我们走”
- Why does the father say no at first?
“森林里有大动物，会吃了他们”
- Why are Hansel and Gretel still awake?
“汉赛尔和格莱特太饿了，还没有睡”
- What does Hansel find outside under the moon?
“这些白石头也真亮，像新的钱”
- What does Hansel say when Gretel asks what the stones are for?
“明天你会看见的”