Grimms' Fairy Tales

Back Forward Menu

CLEVER GRETEL

There was once a cook named Gretel, who wore shoes with red heels, and
when she walked out with them on, she turned herself this way and that,
was quite happy and thought: 'You certainly are a pretty girl!' And when
she came home she drank, in her gladness of heart, a draught of wine,
and as wine excites a desire to eat, she tasted the best of whatever she
was cooking until she was satisfied, and said: 'The cook must know what
the food is like.'

It came to pass that the master one day said to her: 'Gretel, there is a
guest coming this evening; prepare me two fowls very daintily.' 'I will
see to it, master,' answered Gretel. She killed two fowls, scalded them,
plucked them, put them on the spit, and towards evening set them before
the fire, that they might roast. The fowls began to turn brown, and were
nearly ready, but the guest had not yet arrived. Then Gretel called out
to her master: 'If the guest does not come, I must take the fowls away