Hansel and Gretel · chapter 7 of 15
The Witch's Cage
巫婆的笼子
Early in the morning, before the children wake, the old woman stands over their beds. By breakfast, nothing in this house is what it seemed.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 第二天很早，孩子们还在睡。巫婆来看他们。
Dì èr tiān hěn zǎo, háizimen hái zài shuì. Wūpó lái kàn tāmen.
Very early the next day, the children were still asleep. The witch came to look at them.
- the witch 两个孩子……哪一个好吃呢？
Liǎng gè háizi… nǎ yí gè hǎochī ne?
Two children... which one will taste better?
- the witch 这个男孩子大一点儿，会很好吃。
Zhège nánháizi dà yìdiǎnr, huì hěn hǎochī.
This boy is the bigger one. He'll make a tasty bite.
Chapter 7 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.
- Narrator 她抓了汉赛尔，关在外边的一个笼子里。
Tā zhuā le Hànsài'ěr, guān zài wàibian de yí gè lóngzi li.
She grabbed Hansel and shut him in a cage outside.
- Hansel 您的手好冷！您要做什么？
Nín de shǒu hǎo lěng! Nín yào zuò shénme?
Your hand is so cold! What are you doing?
- Hansel 这是哪儿？格莱特，你在哪儿？
Zhè shì nǎr? Géláitè, nǐ zài nǎr?
Where is this? Gretel, where are you?
- Narrator 笼子很小，很冷，门也开不了。
Lóngzi hěn xiǎo, hěn lěng, mén yě kāi bu liǎo.
The cage was small and cold, and the door would not open.
- Hansel 有人吗？我在这儿！
Yǒu rén ma? Wǒ zài zhèr!
Is anyone there? I'm in here!
- the witch 叫吧。没有人会来。森林里只有我。
Jiào ba. Méiyǒu rén huì lái. Sēnlín li zhǐ yǒu wǒ.
Shout all you like. No one is coming. There's only me out here in the forest.
- Hansel 格莱特，你听见了吗？我在笼子里！
Géláitè, nǐ tīngjiàn le ma? Wǒ zài lóngzi li!
Gretel, can you hear me? I'm in a cage!
- the witch 起床！不要睡了！
Qǐchuáng! Bú yào shuì le!
Get up! No more sleeping!
- Gretel 我哥哥在哪儿？
Wǒ gēge zài nǎr?
Where is my brother?
- the witch 快去打水！给你哥哥做好吃的！
Kuài qù dǎ shuǐ! Gěi nǐ gēge zuò hǎochī de!
Hurry and fetch water! Cook something good for your brother!
- Gretel 做饭？给哥哥？他在哪儿？
Zuòfàn? Gěi gēge? Tā zài nǎr?
Cook? For my brother? Where is he?
- the witch 他在外边的笼子里。我要他胖！
Tā zài wàibian de lóngzi li. Wǒ yào tā pàng!
He's in the cage outside. I want him fat!
- Hansel 格莱特！她是巫婆！她不是奶奶！
Géláitè! Tā shì wūpó! Tā bú shì nǎinai!
Gretel! She's a witch! She's no granny!
- Gretel 哥哥！你在笼子里吗？你还好吗？
Gēge! Nǐ zài lóngzi li ma? Nǐ hái hǎo ma?
Brother! Are you in a cage? Are you all right?
- Hansel 我没事，格莱特。不要哭。
Wǒ méishì, Géláitè. Bú yào kū.
I'm all right, Gretel. Don't cry.
- Hansel 她吃不了我。我太小了，不好吃！
Tā chī bu liǎo wǒ. Wǒ tài xiǎo le, bù hǎochī!
She can't eat me. I'm too small. I wouldn't taste good!
- the witch 现在是小。天天吃饭，你会胖的！我会天天来看你。
Xiànzài shì xiǎo. Tiāntiān chīfàn, nǐ huì pàng de! Wǒ huì tiāntiān lái kàn nǐ.
You're small now, yes. Eat every day, and you'll get fat! I'll come and look at you every day.
- Gretel 不能吃他！他是我哥哥！
Bù néng chī tā! Tā shì wǒ gēge!
You can't eat him! He's my brother!
- the witch 哭什么？去做饭！你哥哥胖不胖，都看你了！
Kū shénme? Qù zuòfàn! Nǐ gēge pàng bu pàng, dōu kàn nǐ le!
What are you crying for? Go and cook! Whether your brother gets fat is up to you now!
- Narrator 格莱特哭了一个上午。巫婆说的，她都要做。
Géláitè kū le yí gè shàngwǔ. Wūpó shuō de, tā dōu yào zuò.
Gretel cried all morning. But whatever the witch said, she had to do.
- Gretel 哥哥，我能做什么呢？我好怕……
Gēge, wǒ néng zuò shénme ne? Wǒ hǎo pà…
Brother, what can I do? I'm so scared...
- Hansel 做吧，格莱特。听她的。我会想一想的。
Zuò ba, Géláitè. Tīng tā de. Wǒ huì xiǎng yi xiǎng de.
Do it, Gretel. Do as she says. I'll think of something.
- the witch 饭要好吃！他胖了，我要吃了他！
Fàn yào hǎochī! Tā pàng le, wǒ yào chī le tā!
Make the food tasty! When he's fat, I'm going to eat him!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- Where does the witch put Hansel?
“关在外边的一个笼子里”
- What does the witch tell Gretel to do?
“快去打水！给你哥哥做好吃的”
- Why does the witch want Hansel to eat?
“我要他胖”
- What does Hansel shout to Gretel about the old woman?
“她是巫婆！她不是奶奶”
- What will the witch do when Hansel is fat?
“他胖了，我要吃了他”