When they had walked for 2 hours, they came to a great stretch of water.

他们走了两个小时，来到了一条大河边。

"We cannot cross," said Hansel, "I see no foot-plank, and no bridge."

“我们过不去了，”韩赛尔说，“这儿既没有木栈，也没有桥。”

"And there is also no ferry," answered Gretel, "but a white duck is swimming there. If I ask her, she will help us over." Then she cried –

“连渡船也没有，”格蕾特说道，“不过那儿有一只小白鸭，要是我求它，它一定会帮我们过河的。”于是她开始呼唤：

"little duck, little duck, dost thou see,"

“小鸭子，小鸭子，你看得到吗？”

"Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee."

“韩赛尔与格蕾特在等着你啊。”

"There's never a plank, or bridge in sight,"

“河上既没有木栈也没有桥，”

"take us across on thy back so white."

“请把我们驮到对岸好不好？”

The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told his sister to sit by him.

小鸭子游过来了。韩赛尔先坐上它的背，然后让妹妹也坐上来。

"No," replied Gretel, "that will be too heavy for the little duck. She shall take us across, one after the other."

“不，”格蕾特回答，“这对小鸭子来说太重了，还是让它一个一个地驮我们过去吧。”

The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their father's house.

好心的小鸭子照做了。兄妹俩平安渡河后，再往前走了一会儿，开始觉得森林越来越熟悉。终于，他们远远地看到了父亲的房子。

Then they began to run, rushed into the parlor, and threw themselves round their father's neck.

他们激动地跑起来，一下子冲进房子，投入了父亲的怀抱。

The man had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest. The woman, however, was dead.

自从把孩子遗弃在森林里，父亲就没有一刻快乐过，而他的妻子也过世了。

Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness.

格蕾特抖了抖围裙，珍珠和宝石掉出来，在房间四处蹦，韩赛尔还从口袋中一把一把地掏出更多。所有的不幸都告一段落，从此一家人过上了幸福快乐的生活。

My tale is done, there runs a mouse, whosoever catches it, may make himself a big fur cap out of it.

我的故事讲完了，那边跑过去一只老鼠，谁要是逮到它，就可以做一顶大大的皮帽子。

……The End.

（完）

（本文翻译：Frank）