HANSEL AND GRETEL

Wah kalo cerita yang satu ini udah kukenal sejak masih SD, ayahku yang hobby banget sama cerita dan dongeng, sering kali bercerita tentang kisah kakak adik Hansel dan Gretel,. Dulu pas kecil, aku takut banget kalo mami papi buang aku dan adik adikku ke hutan " meruang" yang angker di perbatasan desaku kalo kami nakal... hiiii serem. Yang paling kuingat , papi sering mengganti nama tokohnya dengan KEDONO KEDINI.. hehehe lucu yach, ide dari mana ya kira kira...?Baca lagi yuuk....sambil belajar bahasa inggris

Hansel and Gretel

The Brothers Grimm

On the borders of a dark forest, far away, there once lived a woodcutter with his wife and two children. The woodcutter was very poor indeed, and the children, who were called Hansel and Gretel, had often not enough bread to eat. Their mother had died when they were very little and the woodcutter's new wife did not care for children, so times were hard for Hansel and Gretel.

As winter came on they grew poorer and poorer, until at last one night the poor woodcutter said to his wife, "What are we to do? There is only one loaf of bread left and I fear we shall starve."

We must get rid of the children," answered his wife. "Tomorrow we will take them into the wood and leave them there. They will never be able to find their way home."

"Oh no!" said the father, "I could not leave them there to starve." "Well, we shall all starve together if they stay with us," answered his wife, "so it will come to the same thing in the end."

And she talked to her husband until she made him promise to do as she had said.

Now, although it was late, Hansel and Gretel were wide awake, for they were too hungry to sleep, and they could not help hearing all the plans that were made.

"Oh!" sobbed Gretel, "we shall be lost in the dark wood, and the wild beasts will eat us."

"Do not cry, little sister," said Hansel. "I will take care of you." And he slipped out of bed and put on his coat.

Then he softly unbarred the door and stepped out on the garden path. The moon was

shining brightly, and the white pebbles on the path shone like new pennies. Hansel stooped down and filled his pockets with as many pebbles as they would hold. Then he went in and crept back into bed again.

The next morning the wife came and woke the children very early. She told them they must get up and dress themselves quickly.

"You shall go with us to the forest today, while your father cuts wood," she said.

Then she gave them each a thick slice of bread for their dinner, and they all set out together. Gretel carried both slices of bread in her apron, for Hansel's pockets were full of pebbles.

Now, as they went along, the father noticed that Hansel stopped and looked back every few minutes.

"Why do you look back so often, my son?" he asked. "If you do not take care you will stumble and fall."

"I only looked back to see my little white cat who is sitting on the roof," answered Hansel. "She wants to say good-bye to me."

"Nonsense!" cried the woodcutter's wife. "There is no cat. It is only the morning sun shining on the wet roof."

But Hansel was not really looking at the cat, for each time he turned around he dropped a white pebble on the road to mark the way which they were taking.

As they went farther and farther into the wood, the road grew more and more difficult. At last the woodcutter stopped and told the children to gather some sticks and make them into a heap.

"I am going to light a fire to warm you," he said, "and then you can rest here until I return."

So Hansel and Gretel sat and warmed themselves at the fire and ate their slices of bread quite happily, for they thought they heard their father chopping wood close by. But the sound they heard was only the dead branch of a tree swinging in the wind. Then, felling very tired after their long walk, they curled themselves up on the dry leaves and fell fast asleep.

When they awoke it was quite dark and the fire was out. The only sound they heard was the hooting of the owls overhead.

"Oh Hansel, what shall we do?" sobbed Gretel. "We are lost in the wood and we shall never be able to find our way home."

"Only wait until the moon rises, little sister," said Hansel. "Give me your hand and I will take you safely home."

And when the moon began to rise and send silver moonbeams to light up the dark forest, the children set out, hand in hand, and found the white pebbles shining like little lamps all the way to the cottage.

"You bad children!" cried the woodcutter's wife, when she opened the door to let them in. "We thought you were never coming home." But their father took them up in his arms and kissed them over and over again in his joy, for he had been afraid that he would never see them again.

Not long after this there came a day when there was only half a loaf of bread left in the little hut. The wife said to her husband, "We are even poorer t}lan we were before. Must we all starve together or shall we take the children once more to the forest, where they cannot possibly find their way home?"

The woodcutter was very unhappy at the thought, but because he had once said "Yes," it was now twice as difficult to say "No."

The children lay trembling in their beds as they listened to these plans, and poor little Gretel was terribly frightened. But Hansel comforted her again and slipped out of bed to fill his pockets with the white pebbles. This time, however, the door was locked and barred. Hansel could not get out and he had to creep back to bed again and think of some other plan.

"Come, get up, you lazy children!" cried the wife next morning. "You are going to the forest with us today. Here is your dinner."

And she gave them two small slices of bread. Gretel put her slice into her pocket, but Hansel crumbled his into small pieces, and these he dropped along the way as he had done with the pebbles. "What are you turning round to look at?" asked the woman. "Be quick and do not linger."

"I was only saying good-bye to my white pigeon who is sitting on the roof," said Hansel.

"Nonsense!" cried the woman. "There is no pigeon. It is only the morning sun shining on the wet roof."

But she did not see that every time Hansel stopped to look back he dropped a crumb to mark the way.

This time they went much farther into the heart of the wood. When the children were tired, their father told them to gather wood so he could make them a fire.

"You can rest until we come back," he said.

So they rested by the fire and Gretel shared her slice of bread with Hansel. Then they grew so tired of waiting for their father that they fell fast asleep.

It was quite dark when they woke. Gretel wept, for she was sure there were wild beasts prowling about ready to eat them up. But Hansel was quite brave.

"I will take care of you, little sister," he said. "And I can easily find my way home, for I marked the road with my breadcrumbs." But alas! The birds had eaten up every crumb and there was not one left to show them the way home. Still they wandered on and on, all that night and all next day, but they only seemed to get deeper and deeper into the forest. They had nothing to eat but a few berries which they found in the wood. When the third day dawned they were nearly starving.

"Oh Hansel!" said Gretel, "I think we shall be obliged to eat the fairy toadstools."

But Hansel held her hand tight and led her on. Suddenly they saw a beautiful white bird sitting on the branch of a tree overhead. It sang so sweetly that the children stopped to listen to it. When it spread its great white fluttering wings and flew off they ran after it as quickly as they could. It seemed to know that the children were following, for it circled slowly in front of them until it stopped over a tiny cottage in the heart of the wood.

And when the children came near they found it was the most wonderful cottage they had ever seen. It was built entirely of gingerbread and ornamented with cookies. The windows were made of transparent candy and the steps of toffee.

"What a feast we shall have!" cried Hansel, standing on tiptoe to break off a piece of the overhanging gingerbread roof. "Help yourself to a pane of candy, little sister, or a step of toffee."

Gretel took a piece of gingerbread in one hand and a pane of hard candy in the other, and sat down on a toffee step to enjoy herself. As they were both eating they heard a gentle voice from the inside of the cottage saying:

"Munching and crunching! Do I hear a mouse

Eating the walls of my gingerbread house?"

But the children answered quickly-

" 'Tis only the wind you mistake for a mouse, And no one is eating your gingerbread house."

Then, as the children went on eating, the cottage door opened and an old, old woman hobbled out.

Hansel dropped his square of gingerbread, and Gretel paused with a mouthful of candy. They were both so frightened they could not move.

"Dear little children," said the old woman, "do not be afraid of me. You are welcome to eat as much of my house as you like. But come inside and I will give you a nice dinner."

Then she led the children in and fed them on pancakes and apple tarts and cream. Afterwards she tucked them into two little white beds. The children felt as if they were in heaven.

But although the old woman seemed so kind and good, she was really a wicked old witch who loved to catch fat little children and kill and eat them.

She had red eyes, which didn't see very far, but she could smell things as quickly as a fox, and she knew when Hansel and Gretel were wandering in the forest. She had built the gingerbread house just to catch them.

Early next morning the old witch went in to look at the sleeping children. She rubbed her withered old hands with glee when she saw how tender and fresh they looked. She would have liked them to be plumper, but that was easily mended. So she seized Hansel with her bony hand, and before he was half awake she thrust him into a little iron cage and fastened the grating in front. Then she shook Gretel roughly by the shoulder.

"Get up, you lazy little girl!" she cried. "You must light the fire and fill the big pot with water and help me to make the breakfast. For I have shut your brother up in a cage and I am going to fatten him until he is plump enough to cook for my supper."

So poor little Gretel was obliged to do as the old witch bade her. And while Hansel was fed on the choicest dainties, she had only shellfish and crabs' claws to eat. And every day the old witch would go to the little iron cage and say to Hansel, "Little boy, put out your finger that I may see how fat you are growing."

Hansel knew that she could not see with her red eyes, so he poked out a bone instead of his finger. And every day when she felt it, she grumbled fearfully because he never seemed to grow fatter.

At last she could wait no longer and she said to Gretel, "You must get up very early tomorrow morning, for there is plenty of work for you to do. I am going to cook your brother for dinner. You must light the fire, heat the oven, and help me prepare for the feast."

Poor Gretel cried as if her heart would break. "Oh, how I wish we had starved together in the wood, or been eaten up by the wild beasts!" she sobbed. "Anything would have been better than this."

"Wishing will not do you much good," said the wicked old witch, blinking her red eyes with glee. "And stop those foolish tears or you will put the fire out."

Gretel went about with a very heavy heart the next day as she lit the fire and filled the big pot with water and heated the great stone oven. And when it was all ready the old witch called to her and said, "I have kneaded the dough and the loaves are ready for baking. Come, little girl, creep into the oven and tell me if it is hot enough."

Now the old witch meant to shut the oven door as soon as the child was inside and bake her for dinner instead of the bread, but Gretel guessed what she meant to do.

"The door is too small and I don't know how to get in," she said. "What nonsense!" answered the witch. "See! It is quite big enough. You put your head in first, like this.

And the old witch stooped down and poked her head inside the oven.

Quick as thought Gretel ran behind and with all her might gave her a sudden push so that the old witch went headlong into the oven. Gretel banged the door shut and fastened it securely.

Then she found the key of Hansel's cage and ran quickly to let him out. "The old witch is safe in the oven," she cried, and they threw their arms round each other and danced for joy.

After that they went into the cottage and opened all the witch's treasure chests. Hansel filled his pockets with pearls and diamonds and rubies, while Gretel took as many jewels as her little apron would hold.

Then, hand in hand, they set out once more to try to find their way home, and very glad they were to leave the witch's cottage behind.

They had not gone far through the wood when they came to a great lake, so broad that it would be impossible to cross it without a boat.

"What shall we do?" said Hansel. "There is no bridge, and I can see no boat to carry us over."

"Look," said Gretel. "I see a white duck swimming out there. Perhaps she will help us."

And she began to sing:

"Little duck, little duck, help us, we pray.

We are two little children who've quite lost their way.

I know you are kind by your gentle quack, quack.

Will you carry us over upon your white back?"

Then the duck came swimming to her at once, quite ready to carry them across. Hansel climbed onto her back first and wanted Gretel to sit on his knee, but she was afraid they would be too heavy for the kind duck, so she waited until Hansel had crossed to the other side and the duck returned to carry her over, too.

And when they stood together on the opposite shore of the lake they found, to their joy, that it was a part of the wood which they knew quite well. They ran along quickly and at the next turning they came in sight of their own little hut and saw their father standing at the door.

The poor woodcutter was overjoyed when the children rushed into his arms. He had never known a moment's happiness since he had left the children in the wood. And now he was all alone, for his wife had died. He held the children in his arms and cried for joy. They told him all about their adventures and how they had escaped from the wicked witch.

"And see what we have brought home!" said Gretel, opening her apron and showing the glittering jewels.

"And look how full my pockets are!" said Hansel, turning them out, until the floor was covered with precious stones.

Now they had riches enough to last them all their days and they would never be hungry again. But though the diamonds and rubies were very precious, Hansel and Gretel thought they were not half as beautiful as the little white pebbles on the garden walk, which shone brightly when the moon came out and bathed them in silver light.

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Grethel yang cerdik..

Grethel yang cerdik

Brothers Grimm

Dahulu kala ada seorang tukang masak yang bernama Grethel yang suka memakai sepatu bertumit merah, yang ketika keluar rumah selalu merasa bebas dan memiliki perasaan yang sangat baik. Ketika dia kembali ke rumah lagi, dia selalu meminum segelas anggur untuk menyegarkan diri, dan ketika minuman anggur tersebut memberi nafsu makan kepadanya, dia akan memakan makanan yang terbaik dari apapun yang dimasaknya hingga dia merasa cukup kenyang. Untuk itu dia selalu berkata "Seorang tukang masak harus tahu mencicipi apapun".

Suatu hari tuannya berkata kepadanya "Grethel, saya menunggu kedatangan tamu pada malam ini, kamu harus menyiapkan sepasang masakan ayam".
"Tentu saja tuan" jawab Grethel. Lalu dia memotong ayam, membersihkannya dan kemudian mencabuti bulunya, lalu ketika menjelang malam, dia memanggang ayam tersebut di api hingga matang. Ketika ayam tersebut mulai berwarna coklat dan hampir selesai dipanggang, tamu tersebut belum juga datang.

"Jika tamu tersebut tidak datang cepat" kata Grethel kepada tuannya, "Saya harus mengeluarkan ayam tersebut dari api, sayang sekali apabila kita tidak memakannya sekarang justru pada saat ayam tersebut hampir siap." Dan tuannya berkata dia sendiri akan berlari mengundang tamunya. Saat tuannya mulai membalikkan badannya, Grethel mengambil ayam tersebut dari api.

"Berdiri begitu lama dekat api," kata Grethel, "membuat kita menjadi panas dan kehausan, dan siapa yang tahu apabila mereka akan datang atau tidak! sementara ini saya akan turun ke ruang penyimpanan dan mengambil segelas minuman." Jadi dia lari kebawah, mengambil sebuah mug, dan berkata, "Ini dia!" dengan satu tegukan besar. "Satu minuman yang baik sepantasnya tidak disia-siakan," dia berkata lagi "dan tidak seharusnya berakhir dengan cepat," jadi dia mengambil tegukan yang besar kembali. Kemudian dia pergi keatas dan menaruh ayam tadi di panggangan api kembali, mengolesinya dengan mentega. Sekarang begitu mencium bau yang sangat sedap, Grethel berkata, "Saya harus tahu apakah rasanya memang seenak baunya," Dia mulai menjilati jarinya dan berkata lagi sendiri, "Ya.. ayam ini sangat sedap, sayang sekali bila tidak ada orang disini yang memakannya!"

Jadi dia menengok keluar jendela untuk melihat apakah tuan dan tamunya sudah datang, tapi dia tidak melihat siapapun yang datang jadi dia kembali ke ayam tersebut. "Aduh, satu sayapnya mulai hangus!" dan berkata lagi, "Sebaiknya bagian itu saya makan." Jadia dia memotong sayap ayam panggang tersebut dan mulai memakannya, rasanya memang enak, kemudian dia berpikir,

"Saya sebaiknya memotong sayap yang satunya lagi, agar tuanku tidak akan menyadari bahwa ayam panggang tersebut kehilangan sayap disebelah." Dan ketika kedua sayap telah dimakan, dia kembali melihat keluar jendela untuk mencari tuannya, tetapi masih belum juga ada yang datang.

"Siapa yang tahu, apakah mereka akan datang atau tidak? mungkin mereka bermalam di penginapan."Setelah berpikir sejenak, dia berkata lagi "Saya harus membuat diri saya senang, dan pertama kali saya harus minum minuman yang enak dan kemudian makan makanan yang lezat, semua hal ini tidak bisa disia-siakan." Jadia dia lari ke ruang penyimpanan dan mengambil minuman yang sangat besar, dan mulai memakan ayam tersebut dengan rasa kenikmatan yang besar. Ketika semua sudah selesai, dan tuannya masih belum datang, mata Grethel mengarah ke ayam yang satunya lagi, dan berkata, "Apa yang didapat oleh ayam yang satu, harus didapat pula oleh ayam yang lain, sungguh tidak adil apabila mereka tidak mendapat perlakuan yang sama; mungkin sambil minum saya bisa menyelesaikan ayam yang satunya lagi." Jadi dia meneguk minumannya kembali dan mulai memakan ayam yang satunya lagi.

Tepat ketika dia sedang makan, dia mendengar tuannya datang. "Cepat Grethel," tuannya berteriak dari luar, "tamu tersebut sudah datang!" "Baik tuan," dia menjawab, "makanan tersebut sudah siap." Tuannya pergi ke meja makan dan mengambil pisau pemotong yang sudah disiapkan untuk memotong ayam dan mulai menajamkannya. Saat itu, tamu tersebut datang dan mengetuk pintu dengan halus. Grethel berlari keluar untuk melihat siapa yang datang, dan ketika dia berpapasan dengan tamu tersebut, dia meletakkan jarinya di bibir dan berkata, "Hush! cepat lari dari sini, jika tuan saya menangkapmu, ini akan membawa akibat yang buruk untuk kamu; dia mengundangmu untuk makan, tetapi sebenarnya dia ingin memotong telingamu! Coba dengar, dia sedang mengasah pisaunya!"

Tamu tersebut, mendengarkan suara pisau yang diasah, berbalik pergi secepatnya. Dan Grethel berteriak ke tuannya, "Tamu tersebut telah pergi membawa sesuatu dari rumah ini!".

"Apa yang terjadi, Grethel? apa maksud mu?" dia bertanya.

"Dia telah pergi dan membawa lari dua buah ayam yang telah saya siapkan tadi."

"Itu adalah sifat yang buruk!" kata tuannya, dia merasa sayang pada ayam panggang tersebut; "dia mungkin mau menyisakan satu untuk saya makan." Dan dia memanggil tamunya dan menyuruhnya untuk berhenti, tetapi tamu tersebut seolah-olah tidak mendengarnya; kemudian tuannya tersebut mulai berlari mengejar tamunya dengan pisau masih ditangan dan berteriak,"hanya satu! hanya satu!" dia bermaksud agar tamu tersebut setidak-tidaknya memberikan dia satu ayam panggang dan tidak membawa kedua-duanya, tetapi tamu tersebut mengira bahwa dia menginginkan satu telinganya, jadi dia berlari semakin kencang menuju kerumahnya sendiri.

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LITTLE MATCH GIRL (Gadis Korek Api)

Title:     The Little Match Girl
Author: Hans Christian Andersen [More Titles by Andersen]

Most terribly cold it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and evening--the last evening of the year. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked feet. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true; but what was the good of that? They were very large slippers, which her mother had hitherto worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them as she scuffled away across the street, because of two carriages that rolled by dreadfully fast.

One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other had been laid hold of by an urchin, and off he ran with it; he thought it would do capitally for a cradle when he some day or other should have children himself. So the little maiden walked on with her tiny naked feet, that were quite red and blue from cold. She carried a quantity of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand. Nobody had bought anything of her the whole livelong day; no one had given her a single farthing.

She crept along trembling with cold and hunger--a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing!

The flakes of snow covered her long fair hair, which fell in beautiful curls around her neck; but of that, of course, she never once now thought. From all the windows the candles were gleaming, and it smelt so deliciously of roast goose, for you know it was New Year's Eve; yes, of that she thought.

In a corner formed by two houses, of which one advanced more than the other, she seated herself down and cowered together. Her little feet she had drawn close up to her, but she grew colder and colder, and to go home she did not venture, for she had not sold any matches and could not bring a farthing of money: from her father she would certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above her she had only the roof, through which the wind whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags.

Her little hands were almost numbed with cold. Oh! a match might afford her a world of comfort, if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle, draw it against the wall, and warm her fingers by it. She drew one out. "Rischt!" how it blazed, how it burnt! It was a warm, bright flame, like a candle, as she held her hands over it: it was a wonderful light. It seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large iron stove, with burnished brass feet and a brass ornament at top. The fire burned with such blessed influence; it warmed so delightfully. The little girl had already stretched out her feet to warm them too; but--the small flame went out, the stove vanished: she had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand.\

She rubbed another against the wall: it burned brightly, and where the light fell on the wall, there the wall became transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room. On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums. And what was still more capital to behold was, the goose hopped down from the dish, reeled about on the floor with knife and fork in its breast, till it came up to the poor little girl; when--the match went out and nothing but the thick, cold, damp wall was left behind. She lighted another match. Now there she was sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree: it was still larger, and more decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door in the rich merchant's house.

Thousands of lights were burning on the green branches, and gaily-colored pictures, such as she had seen in the shop-windows, looked down upon her. The little maiden stretched out her hands towards them when--the match went out. The lights of the Christmas tree rose higher and higher, she saw them now as stars in heaven; one fell down and formed a long trail of fire.

"Someone is just dead!" said the little girl; for her old grandmother, the only person who had loved her, and who was now no more, had told her, that when a star falls, a soul ascends to God.

She drew another match against the wall: it was again light, and in the lustre there stood the old grandmother, so bright and radiant, so mild, and with such an expression of love.

"Grandmother!" cried the little one. "Oh, take me with you! You go away when the match burns out; you vanish like the warm stove, like the delicious roast goose, and like the magnificent Christmas tree!" And she rubbed the whole bundle of matches quickly against the wall, for she wanted to be quite sure of keeping her grandmother near her. And the matches gave such a brilliant light that it was brighter than at noon-day: never formerly had the grandmother been so beautiful and so tall. She took the little maiden, on her arm, and both flew in brightness and in joy so high, so very high, and then above was neither cold, nor hunger, nor anxiety--they were with God.

But in the corner, at the cold hour of dawn, sat the poor girl, with rosy cheeks and with a smiling mouth, leaning against the wall--frozen to death on the last evening of the old year. Stiff and stark sat the child there with her matches, of which one bundle had been burnt. "She wanted to warm herself," people said. No one had the slightest suspicion of what beautiful things she had seen; no one even dreamed of the splendor in which, with her grandmother she had entered on the joys of a new year.

-THE END-
Little Match Girl - A fairy tale
A short story by Hans Christian Andersen

___

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THE THREE Little PIGS

Ceritanya bagus, tentang 3 ekor babi yang harus belajar dewasa, disuruh hidup mandiri, bikin rumah sendiri, masing masing membangun rumah dari sedotan, kayu dan batu.. tentunya adah tokoh jahatnya, apalagi kalo bukan serigala yang licik dan jahat.... pernah kubuat untuk present pas kuliah.. cocok banget untuk bahan cerita ke anak TK atau Playgroup... 

[27] IN A fine old barnyard on the other side of the sea there once lived a good mother pig with her three children. Now in those days pigs lived just as they liked. They had a very good time, and learned many curious, cunning ways.

The name of the eldest of the three little pigs was Browny. He was not a very nice pig, for his face was always dirty, and he was never so happy as when playing in the mud. His mother tried hard to teach him to be clean and neat, but it was of no use; he would run away from her while she was talking, find the muddiest place in the yard, and roll about in it till he was the ugliest fellow you ever saw. "Ah, Browny," his mother would say, "some day you'll be sorry for your naughty ways; and then it will be too late for me to help you."

The name of the second little pig was Whitey. He was a clever fellow, and if he had not had one very bad habit he would have been as nice as any other pig. But he was greedy. He spent all of his time either in eating or in looking through the fence and wishing it was dinner time. When the dairy maid came down the lane with food for the pigs, he would stand on his hind legs and [28] squeal; and when she poured the food into the trough, he would jostle and push his two brothers out of the way, and try his best to get every mouthful for himself. His mother often scolded him for being so greedy and selfish, and he sometimes promised to do better; but as soon as he began to think of the dairy maid, he was as bad as ever.

The name of the youngest of the three little pigs was Blacky, and he was the best and prettiest of them all. He kept his face washed and his hair combed seven days in the week; and, for a pig, he had many cunning ways. His mother was very proud of him; and the farmer was fond of petting him and telling his friends that Blacky would be sure to take the prize at the next fair.

Now, late in the fall when the nuts could be heard dropping from the trees, the mother of these little pigs began to feel very uneasy in the barnyard.

"My children," she said, "I think that I must leave you for a time and go on a long journey over the hills through the oak woods. There are so many dangers in the woods, so many savage beasts and cruel men, that I cannot think of taking you with me. But I will build a nice new house for each of you to live in while I am gone."

[29] "Dear mother, you are very kind, and we thank you," said all the pigs at once.

"Well, Browny," said the mother, "what kind of a house shall I build for you?"

"Oh, a mud house, mother! Build me a mud house!"

"And what kind of a house do you want, Whitey?"

"A house of cabbage," mumbled Whitey, his mouth being so full that he could hardly speak.

"And you, Blacky?"

"Oh, I should like a house of brick that will be warm in winter and cool in summer, and safe all the year round," answered Blacky.

"All right," said the mother. "Each shall have the kind of house that he wants. But listen to me. When I am gone, the fox will try his best to get you. He is very sly, and he will make believe that he is your friend, so that he can get into your houses. You must be very careful and keep him out; for if he once gets hold of you, he will carry you off and eat you up."

"Oh yes, mother, we'll watch out for the fox," said they all.

Not long after that, the old pig started on her journey, and the three little pigs went to live in their new houses.

[30] Browny was very happy, and he would lie all day in his new home, rolling about on the cool mud floor and looking up now and then at the damp mud walls around him. He was about as pretty as a mud pig in the middle of a big mud pie. But one day there came a gentle knock on the door, and some one said:—

"Dear Browny, may I come in? I want to look at your nice new house."

"Who are you?" asked Browny, in great fright; for although the voice was soft and low, he felt sure that his strange visitor was the fox.

"I am a friend of your mother's," was the answer.

"No, you're not," said Browny. "You are the wicked fox, and you want to eat me up. But you shall not come in."

"Is that the way you talk?" said the fox; and he changed his tone very quickly. "Well, we'll see about that."

Then he set to work with his paws and soon dug a hole through the soft mud wall. A minute later he leaped through into the house and seized the poor pig by the neck. It was of no use for Browny to squeal. The fox threw him over his shoulder and trotted away with him to his den in the edge of the wood.

[31] The next day the fox came back and knocked at the door of the cabbage house. Whitey was inside, eating the softest leaves in the walls, and peeping out through a crack so as to see the dairy maid as soon as she came with the soured milk. But when he heard the knock he was scared almost to death, for he felt sure that it was the fox.

"Who knocks?" he asked.

"A friend of your mother's," was the answer; "and I have come to have a taste of your nice cabbage."

"Oh, you must not eat the cabbage," said Whitey. "The walls of my house are made of it; and if you eat any of it, they will tumble down. Please go away." And he began to cry and wish that his house had been made of something that could not be eaten up.

But in a few minutes the fox had torn a hole through the wall, and, just as the dairy maid was seen coming over the hill, he leaped inside and seized the pig by the neck. It was of no use for the dairy maid to scream. The fox threw poor Whitey over his shoulder and ran away through brush and briar, to his den in the edge of the wood.

On the third day the fox came again. For he [32] had made up his mind to get all three of the pigs penned up in his den, and then to invite his friends to come in and have some fun and a feast. But Blacky, in his strong brick house, was ready for him.

The fox knocked at the door: Toc, toc, toc!

"Who knocks?" asked Blacky.

"A friend of your mother's," was the answer. "I have brought you a nice basket of eggs for your dinner. Open the door, and let me in."

"No, I will not," said Blacky. "I know who you are. You are the fox that carried off my two brothers. But you will not get me."

"We'll see about that," answered the fox, trying his best to open the door.

When he saw how strong the house was built and how well all the doors and windows were fastened, he knew that it was of no use trying to break in. So, after he had looked all around, he turned about and started back to his den.

"Never mind, friend Blacky," he said, shaking his fist in the air. "I'll get you yet in spite of your brick house, and then won't I make short work of you?"

The next day Blacky went to town to buy a new dinner kettle. As he was coming home with the kettle on his back he heard a noise in the [33] thicket behind him; and then he heard some one walking among the leaves. He knew it was the fox, and his heart beat very fast; but he did not stop.

When he got to the top of the hill, he saw his own little red house at the foot of it on the other side. How he wished he was safe in doors! But the fox could run very fast—much faster than he. Then a bright thought came into his head. He lifted the lid off the kettle and crept into it. He curled himself up snugly at the bottom. Then he pulled the lid down again and held it on very [34] tight. When everything was ready he squirmed about in the kettle until it fell over and began to roll down the hill.

When the fox came up, all that he saw was the big kettle rolling along at a great rate straight towards the little red house in the barnyard. He wondered what had become of the pig, for he had felt sure of getting him this time. But while he was looking around, the big kettle stopped in front of the house, the lid flew up, and Blacky jumped out.

"Oho! that's your game, is it?" cried the fox; and he ran down the hill so fast that he turned heels over head two or three times before he got to the bottom.

But Blacky had carried his kettle into the house and bolted the door behind him.

The fox now began to try some other way to get the pig. If he could only climb upon the roof!

But Blacky was not afraid now. As soon as he had rested a minute he built a fine fire on the hearth and then hung the kettle, full of water, above it. As soon as the water was boiling hot he would have his supper.

While he stood watching the fire he heard a noise on the roof above him—pitter, patter, patter, [35] patter! The fox had climbed up and was on top of the house. But what harm could he do there?

Just then the water in the big kettle began to simmer and sing and the hot bubbles danced about at a great rate. Blacky heard a noise in the chimney. He looked up, and there was the fox coming down. Who would have thought of his getting into the house in that way?

But the fox was so sure of the pig that he did not see the kettle with the hot water in it; and before he knew it he had fallen right into it. Then, quick as thought, Blacky slipped the lid upon the kettle, and the fox was scalded to death.

The next day Blacky started out to find the fox's den. If his brothers were still alive he wanted to set them free. It was no trouble to find the den; and, as for Browny and Whitey, there they were, tied fast to the root of a tree, and grunting and squealing in great fear.

"O Blacky, how glad we are that you have come!" they cried.

Blacky quickly set them free; and soon all three of them trotted back to the little brick house in the barnyard. And there they lived happily until their mother came home again

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LITTLE, RED RIDING HOOD

Ini salah satu cerita favoritku, walaupun bacanya pas udah gede, udah SMA, tapi tetep aja sangat membekas, mungkin karena imajinasiku yang berlari denagn liar ketika membayangkan seorang gadis kecil dengan syal merah berjalan sepanjang hutan yang sunyi dan menyeramkan dan akhirnya bertemu dengan seekor serigala yang jahat.... benernya pengen posting edisi Indonesia tapi kurang sregg... enak yang asli... happy reading friends.. n let ur imagination speak aloud.....

[38] A LONG time ago there lived in the country a little girl who was as pretty and good as any rose in June.

I cannot tell you her real name, but those who knew her best called her "Little Red Riding Hood." They called her so because she wore a wonderful little cloak, with a hood that was bright as gold, and red like the clouds at sunset.

This cloak and hood had been given to her by her Grandmother, who was so old that she could not tell her own age; and people said that the hood was made of rays of sunshine, and that it would bring good luck to the one who wore it.

And so it did, as you will see.

One day the child's mother said: "Here is a nice cake that I have baked for your Grandmother. You may put on your cloak and hood, and go and take it to her, so that she may have it for her Sunday dinner to-morrow. You are old enough now to find the way by yourself; but you must be sure not to stop on the road to talk with folks whom you do not know. You may ask your Grandmother how she is, and when you have rested an hour, you must come back home. Will you remember?"

[39] "Yes, mother, I will remember," said Little Red Riding Hood; and off she went with the cake, quite proud to think that she could go so far by herself.

Her Grandmother's house was a long way off, and she had to go through a big wood before she could get there. But she was not afraid. She looked at the tall trees that grew on each side of the path, and thought how nice it would be to stop a little while and play in the cool shade; and yet she did not stop.

All at once she heard some one cry out: "Who goes there?"

It was a Wolf who called. He had seen the child go into the wood, and had made up his mind to kill and eat her. But just at that time he heard some wood-cutters at work among the trees, and he feared they might come that way. So he changed his plans.

He ran towards Little Red Riding Hood, and frisked around her like a pet dog. The child had never seen a fierce wild beast, and she was not at all afraid of him.

"Oh, my dear Little Red Riding Hood," said the Wolf, "how glad I am to see you!" and he smiled and bowed as well as he could.

"You know me then!" she said; "and pray, what is your name?"

[40] "My name is friend Wolf," he said. "And where are you going this fine day with your little basket on your arm?"

"I am going to my Grandmother's to take her a nice cake for her Sunday dinner to-morrow," said the child.

"Where does your Grandmother live, my pretty child?" said the Wolf.

"On the other side of the wood, in the little red house by the mill," said the child.

[41] "Ah, yes! I know where she lives," said the Wolf. "I had just started there myself. I can go faster than you, and so I will run on ahead, and tell your Grandmother that you are coming. Then she'll be looking for you, you know."

Then he smiled and bowed and left Little Red Riding Hood, and ran by the shortest way through the wood. Soon he came to the little red house by the mill.

He knocked at the door: Tic, tic, tic!

There was no answer.

He knocked louder: Toc, toc, toc!

Nobody spoke.

Then he stood up on his hind feet and lifted the latch with his paw.

The door opened. There was no one in the house.

The good Grandmother had gone to town to sell her milk and eggs; and she had left the house in such haste that she had not had time to make her bed or hang up her night-cap.

"Ah, ha!" said the Wolf, "I'll have things all my own way now!"

So he shut the door, put the night-cap on his head, and then crept into the bed. He drew the sheets about him, and lay quite still, but he did not go to sleep.

[42] All this time Little Red Riding Hood was walking quietly along, as little girls always do. Now and then she stopped to pick a daisy or a buttercup; now and then she turned to look at a bird, or to watch the bees among the flowers. At last she came to the little red house by the mill.

She knocked at the door: Tic, tic, tic!

"Who's there?" said the Wolf; and he tried to make his rough voice sound soft and gentle.

"It's me, Grandmother—it's Little Red Riding Hood!" she said. "I've brought you a nice cake for your Sunday dinner, to-morrow."

"Lift the latch, my dear, and the door will open," said the Wolf.

"What makes you so hoarse, Grandmother?" said the child, coming in. "Have you a cold?"

"Yes, dear, a very bad cold," said the Wolf, and he tried to cough. "Shut the door and latch it, my lamb. Put your basket down, and then take off your pretty cloak and come and sit by the bed. I want to talk with you a little while."

The good child did as she was told,—but remember this: she kept her hood on her head!

She thought it strange that her Grandmother had changed so much.

"What makes you look that way, Grandmother?" she said. "You look like friend Wolf."

[43] "Oh, it's the night-cap that makes me look so," said the Wolf.

"What hairy arms you have, Grandmother!"

"All the better to hug you, my lamb."

"Oh, what a big tongue you have, Grandmother!"

"All the better to talk with you, my lamb."

"Oh, what a mouthful of great big teeth you have, Grandmother!"

"All the better for eating you up!" and the Wolf opened his jaws wide to bite the child.

But she put down her head and cried, "Mamma! Mamma!" and the Wolf caught hold of her bright hood.

Ah! What made him jump back as if something hurt him? What made him cry and shake his jaws as if he had tasted red-hot coals?

It was the little hood. The little hood had burnt his tongue and his throat and scared him out of his wits. For, let me tell you, the hood was a magic cap like those that you sometimes read about; and no harm could come to the child who wore it.

The Wolf jumped off the bed and ran about the room, trying to find the door, and howling and howling as if he had lost all his senses. And this was really the case; for in his fright [44] he fancied that all the men and dogs in the country were after him.

Just then the Grandmother came home from town with a long empty sack on her arm. She lifted the latch and saw the Wolf.

"Ah, you thief!" she cried. "Just wait a bit, and you'll see what I'll do with you."

She opened the sack wide across the door, and the scared Wolf sprang in, head first. No trap could have caught him so well. The brave Grandmother shut the sack; she tied the strings; she ran and threw it into the well; the Wolf was drowned.

"You scoundrel!" said the Grandmother. "You thought you would eat my little grandchild, did you? Well, the dogs shall eat you to-morrow, and Little Red Riding Hood shall have a muff made of your skin!"

Then she ran into the house, where the child stood crying and trembling with fear.

"My dear little one," she said, "if it had not been for your magic hood, what would have become of you?" And then she gave her a good piece of her cake and made her drink a small glass of fresh milk.

After that she took her by the hand and led her back home

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