He walked along the highway until he came to a place where four roads met. The first went through a forest; the second went down a steep hill; the third led over a sunny plain; and the fourth wound up a bleak, rocky mountainside. “When one has nowhere to go, one road is as good as another,” said Hansel to himself, and he looked at each in turn. The sun was warm and the forest looked cool and shady, so he decided to go through the forest. The road was soft and mossy. There were many flowers along the way. Every little while there were open glades that were red with sweet wild strawberries. He often stopped to pick them, and as he went along, he said to himself, “It isn’t so bad a thing, after all, to have to seek one’s fortune--if I only had a father and mother to go back to after I have found it. Such a pleasant road as this must lead to some beautiful place. Maybe I shall come to a palace. It will be made of gold, of course, and the windows will sparkle like diamonds. I will go around to the smallest back door and ask, ‘Do you want a boy to herd the sheep or the cattle?’ The king’s man will answer, ‘Yes, we do. Come in and we will pay you a silver penny every month.’ I can grow up fast, and some day, when the king’s daughter is crossing the river, she will fall in and I--” These thoughts were broken in upon by a pitiful noise of a sort that the boy had never heard before. It sounded a little like the crowing of a cock, but it was hoarse and half-stifled. “Some creature is in trouble,” said Hans to himself. “I’ll hurry on and see what it is.” He ran down the road, and every minute the crying sounded louder and more distressed. At last he came to a tiny clearing where a little hut was standing. The door was closed and the owner had evidently gone from home. Not far from the house was a coop, and in the coop was one lone cock. “Please give me some water,” he begged; “I am dying of thirst.” “Where shall I find it?” Hansel asked. “Indeed, I don’t know,” the cock gasped. “The brook said it was tired of having creatures drink it. ‘I don’t drink them,’ it said, ‘and why should I let them drink me?’ and then it ran off downhill as fast as it could go. But do find me some water. I am choking.” Hansel began to search for water, but not a pool or a pond or a river or a brook or a spring or a swamp could be found. There was not even a drop of dew to carry to the suffering cock, for the sun was warm and even the dew had vanished. Then Hansel went back and said:-- “I have searched the country through, and not a drop of water can I find.” “Then I shall die,” the cock groaned. “No, you won’t,” said the boy cheerily, “for I’m going to dig a well for you.” Hansel looked all around the little place and at last he found a spade. Then he pulled off his jacket and began to dig. The sun grew hotter and hotter, but still he kept at it. “Have you found water yet?” cried the cock, after a little while.