"Do be quiet, Grethel," said Hansel, "and do not fret; 1 will manage something." And when the parents had gone to sleep he got up, put on his little coat, opened the back door, and slipped out. The moon was shining brightly, and the white flints that lay in front of the house glistened like pieces of silver. Hansel stooped and filled the little pocket of his coat as full as it would hold. Then he went back again, and said to Grethel, "Be easy, dear little sister, and go to sleep quietly; God will not forsake us," and laid himself down again in his bed. When the day was breaking, and before the sun had risen, the wife came and awakened the two children, saying, "Get up, you lazy bones; we are going into the forest to cut wood." Then she gave each of them a piece of bread, and said, "That is for dinner, and you must not eat it before then, for you will get no more." Grethel carried the bread under her apron, for Hansel had his pockets full of the flints. Then they set off all together on their way to the forest. When they had gone a little way Hansel stood still and looked back towards the house, and this he did again and again, till his father said to him, "Hansel, what are you looking at? take care not to forget your legs."

"别吱声，格莱特，"汉赛尔安慰她说，"放心吧，我会有办法的。"
等两个大人睡熟后，他便穿上小外衣，打开后门偷偷溜到了房外。 这时月色正明，皎洁的月光照得房前空地上的那些白色小石子闪闪发光，就像是一块块银币。 汉赛尔蹲下身，尽力在外衣口袋里塞满白石子。然后他回屋对格莱特说："放心吧，小妹，只管好好睡觉就是了，上帝会与我们同在的。"
说完，他回到了他的小床上睡觉。
天刚破晓，太阳还未跃出地平线，那个女人就叫醒了两个孩子，"快起来，快起来，你们这两个懒虫！"她嚷道，"我们要进山砍柴去了。"说着，她给一个孩子一小块面包，并告诫他们说："这是你们的午饭，可别提前吃掉了，因为你们再也甭想得到任何东西了。"格莱特接过面包藏在她的围裙底下，因为汉赛尔的口袋里这时塞满了白石子。
随后，他们全家就朝着森林进发了。汉赛尔总是走一会儿便停下来回头看看自己的家，走一会儿便停下来回头看自己的家。他的父亲见了便说："汉赛尔，你老是回头瞅什么？
专心走你的路。 "