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Scene 1 · Intermediate
En plan om å forlate barna
A plan to leave the children
Norwegian
Ved kanten av en stor skog bodde en fattig vedhogger med kona si og de to barna sine, Hans og Grete. Kona hans var barnas stemor. Familien hadde allerede lite å spise da det ble matmangel i landet. Til slutt klarte faren ikke engang å skaffe brød til neste dag.
English translation
At the edge of a large forest lived a poor woodcutter with his wife and his two children, Hansel and Gretel. His wife was the children’s stepmother. The family already had little to eat when food became scarce across the country. In the end, their father couldn’t even get bread for the next day.
Norwegian
En natt lå han og vred seg i sengen mens han tenkte på hva de skulle gjøre.
English translation
One night he lay tossing and turning in bed, wondering what they were going to do.
Norwegian
«Hvordan skal vi gi barna mat når vi ikke har noe igjen til oss selv?» spurte han kona.
English translation
“How are we going to feed the children when we have nothing left for ourselves?” he asked his wife.
Norwegian
«I morgen tidlig tar vi dem med dit skogen er tettest», svarte hun. «Vi tenner et bål og gir dem et stykke brød hver. Så går vi og lar dem bli igjen. De finner aldri veien hjem.»
English translation
“Tomorrow morning we’ll take them where the forest is thickest,” she replied. “We’ll light a fire and give them each a piece of bread. Then we’ll go and leave them there. They’ll never find their way home.”
Norwegian
«Hvordan kan jeg forlate mine egne barn?» sa han. «De ville dyrene kan komme og rive dem i stykker.»
English translation
“How can I leave my own children behind?” he said. “Wild animals could come and tear them to pieces.”
Norwegian
«Hvis vi lar dem bli her, sulter vi alle fire i hjel», svarte hun. «Da kan du like gjerne gjøre klar plankene til kistene våre.»
English translation
“If we let them stay here, all four of us will starve to death,” she replied. “You might as well get the boards ready for our coffins.”
Norwegian
Hun ga seg ikke før han sa ja. Likevel klarte han ikke å slutte å tenke på de stakkars barna.
English translation
She kept at him until he agreed. Even then, he couldn’t stop thinking about the poor children.
Continue with Hans og Grete
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