On the way to the wood Hansel crumbled it in his pocket , and every few minutes he stood still and dropped a crumb on the ground . `` Hansel , what are you stopping and looking about you for ? '' said the father . `` I 'm looking back at my little pigeon , which is sitting on the roof waving me a farewell , '' answered Hansel . `` Fool ! '' said the wife ; `` that is n't your pigeon , it 's the morning sun glittering on the chimney . '' But Hansel gradually threw all his crumbs on the path . The woman led the children still deeper into the forest farther than they had ever been in their lives before . Then a big fire was lit again , and the mother said : `` Just sit down there , children , and if you 're tired you can sleep a bit ; we 're going into the forest to cut down wood , and in the evening when we 're finished we 'll come back to fetch you . '' At midday Grettel divided her bread with Hansel , for he had strewn his all along their path . Then they fell asleep , and evening passed away , but nobody came to the poor children . They did n't awake till it was pitch dark , and Hansel comforted his sister , saying : `` Only wait , Grettel , till the moon rises , then we shall see the bread-crumbs I scattered along the path ; they will show us the way back to the house . '' When the moon appeared they got up , but they found no crumbs , for the thousands of birds that fly about the woods and fields had picked them all up . `` Never mind , '' said Hansel to Grettel ; `` you 'll see we 'll find a way out '' ; but all the same they did not . They wandered about the whole night , and the next day , from morning till evening , but they could not find a path out of the wood . They were very hungry , too , for they had nothing to eat but a few berries they found growing on the ground . And at last they were so tired that their legs refused to carry them any longer , so they lay down under a tree and fell fast asleep . On the third morning after they had left their father 's house they set about their wandering again , but only got deeper and deeper into the wood , and now they felt that if help did not come to them soon they must perish . At midday they saw a beautiful little snow-white bird sitting on a branch , which sang so sweetly that they stopped still and listened to it . And when its song was finished it flapped its wings and flew on in front of them .
They followed it and came to a little house , XXXXX the roof of which it perched ; and when they came quite near they saw that the cottage was made of bread and roofed with cakes , while the window was made of transparent sugar .
At after along for from of on than till under