Gretel sprang toward her and shut the oven door. That was the end of the old witch!

Then Gretel ran and unfastened the door of the cage.

"We are saved, Hansel!" she exclaimed. Then she danced about, singing merrily,

"First your foot you tap, tap, tap, Then your hands you clap, clap, clap; Right foot first, left foot then,

Round about and back again."

Then, taking the Elder Bush, Gretel waved it above her head as the witch had done.

Instantly the candy house became a log cabin. Sunflowers and morning-glories were growing in the front yard, where the witch's cage and the oven had stood.

Soon voices were heard. The sounds came nearer, and the father and mother clasped their children in their arms.

Peter and Gertrude lived with the two children in the log cabin in the forest, for many happy years. And the fairies always took good care of both Hansel and Gretel.

One morning the fox said to his children, "I will find some eggs for breakfast."

Then he went to the woods.

The fox saw an eagle's nest in the top

branch of a tree.

"How can I reach those

Ha, ha! Now I have

eggs?" thought he.

"Ha, ha!

a plan."

He put some grass stalks into his ears and knocked on the tree with them.

"Throw an egg to me," cried the fox. "If you do not throw an egg to me, I will knock this great tree over with these grass stalks.'

The eagle was terribly frightened, and she threw an egg down to the fox.

"Throw another egg down to me at once," demanded the fox, when when he saw

that he had frightened the eagle.

"One egg is enough," said the eagle. "I shall not throw down any more eggs.' "Throw another egg to me, or I shall knock the tree over with these grass stalks, and take all your eggs," said the fox. The eagle was still more frightened, and she threw down another egg.

Then the fox laughed and said, "How could I knock down a great tree with these small grass stalks?"

The eagle became very angry.

She

flew down from her nest and grasped the

fox with her talons.