“Then why don’t you tear the castle down or kill the giants or call up an earthquake or do something?” the boy cried. “I always thought magicians could do anything they chose.” “So they can if they choose something that they can do,” declared the voice. “But even magicians,” he added, “cannot do everything without anything.” “Can’t you draw a magic circle so the giants can’t touch you?” asked Hansel. “I could if I had anything to draw it with,” said the magician, “but I haven’t.” “I haven’t even a crumb of anything to eat,” said Hansel, “and I am hungry as hungry.” “Haven’t you a bit of bread or a kernel of corn or a grain of wheat about you?” “Not one. I have only three little seeds of nobody knows what; a black one that a cock gave me; a yellow one that some bees gave me; and a white one that a cat gave me. They’re of no use; they wouldn’t make a mouthful for a sparrow.” “Maybe they will for a boy, though,” said the magician thoughtfully. “I shouldn’t be in the least surprised if they were magic seeds. At any rate, they are of no use as they are, and you may as well plant them and see what will come up.” “There’s no earth to plant them in,” said Hansel. “That’s no matter,” replied the magician. “Magic seeds do not need earth. Just lay one of them down in a corner and say over it:-- I plant thee, seed, Now in my need. Be not afraid To lend thy aid.” So many strange things had come to pass that Hansel was almost afraid to have anything to do with the seeds; but he finally decided to plant the yellow one, and then, if nothing dreadful happened, to plant the black one, and after that, the white. He laid the yellow one down gently, repeated the magician’s spell over it, and turned away. Before he could get across the little room, he felt something touch his shoulder. It was a branch of a tree, and was loaded with bright red apples; another was full of thick slices of bread and butter well sprinkled with sugar; from another hung many little buckets of creamy milk; another was weighted down with cake and gingerbread; another with sugar cookies; and yet another with tender, juicy roast beef and roast chicken. While he stood gazing at all these things, the tree kept on growing; and even before the hungry boy could put out his hand for a single mouthful, it had almost reached the top of the room, and every branch had something good on it. Hansel threw himself on the floor beside the crack in the wall and told the magician of the amazing thing that had happened. “I wish I could get through this wall,” he said, “so I could give you something to eat. Can’t you dig through it?” he asked eagerly. “Haven’t you any knife?” “The giants took it away,” replied the magician; “but never mind. Since your seeds are magic seeds, there is hope for us, and I don’t mind going hungry for a while. Be quick and plant another and see what will come of it.”