Hansel and Gretel

Once upon a time there were a little boy and a little girl who lived deep in the forest with their father, a poor woodcutter, and their cruel stepmother. The little girl was called Gretel, and the boy was named Hansel.

One year, a severe winter settled upon the land and seemed to go on and on without mercy. So it came that the family found itself without enough food to eat. The wicked stepmother told the father that he must take the two children into the forest and leave them behind.

“How can I do that to my poor children?” cried the woodcutter.

“You must!” argued the stepmother. “If you do not, we all will starve.”

Hansel and Gretel were not asleep. When they overheard this conversation, Gretel began to cry.

“Don't worry,” Hansel said, “I will find a way to keep us from harm.”

The moon shone brightly that night, and Hansel crept downstairs and went outside to collect a pocketful of pebbles that shone brilliantly like the moon.

When morning came, the cruel and wicked stepmother woke the children and gave them each a piece of dry, hard toast for dinner. Then, their father took them into the forest. There, he explained to them that they must remain in the dark woods because there was not enough food at home to feed them. He kissed them and cried as he said good-bye.

As soon as he was gone, Hansel told Gretel about his plan. He had dropped pebbles from out of his pocket, as they walked into the woods with their father. When the moon rose that night, Hansel took his little sister by the hand and they carefully followed the pebbles, which shone like moonbeams. Just as the sun was rising, they arrived back at their father's home.

When their stepmother saw them, she said, “You horrid creatures! We thought you were never coming back!”

Their father cried with joy to see them.

The stepmother was so angry about their return that she plotted their demise once again. One evening, Hansel and Gretel heard their stepmother order their father to leave the children in the forest. That evening, Hansel crept downstairs to collect more pebbles, but found that his stepmother had locked the door to the house. Hansel was resourceful and came up with another plan.

When morning arrived, the wicked stepmother woke the children and gave them each a meager piece of dry toast for dinner. They went with their father into the forest. Along the way, Hansel broke off pieces of bread and dropped the crumbs on the ground to make a trail leading back to their home. Once again, the father kissed the children and said good-bye.

That night, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and they looked for the white bread crumbs that he had dropped. But they found no bread crumbs, because the creatures of the forest had eaten them all. Hansel, though, felt confident he could find his way out of the forest, even without the bread crumbs to guide their way.

Instead of leading his sister out of the woods, though, Hansel mistakenly led her deeper into the forest. They were very lost and extremely hungry and about to give up all hope, when just ahead in a clearing they saw the strangest little house. It had walls of sweet gingerbread, and a roof of frosted cake. The windows were made of clear sugar and the sidewalk of chocolate.

“I'm going to eat it all!” Hansel said. “I'm going to eat it all!” They both ran to the house and began breaking off pieces, for by now they were very, very hungry.

Then, a soft voice from inside said, “Nibble, nibble, those who roam, who is nibbling on my home?” The children answered, “Only the air, only the air. Blowing here and blowing there.”

And they went on eating.

Suddenly, the door opened, and a woman as old as any they'd ever seen hobbled out. Hansel and Gretel were terribly frightened, but the old woman smiled and said sweetly, “Do come in and stay with me.”

She led them inside and fed them pancakes and apples and sugar and nuts and cookies and cakes and puddings. Afterward, she tucked them into beds.

The old woman, who was really a wicked witch, had only pretended to be kind and sweet. While they were sleeping, she seized Hansel and locked him in a little closet behind a grated door. Then she shook Gretel and told her to fetch water and cook something good for Hansel.

“When he is fat,” the witch said with glee, “I will eat him!”

Gretel cried, but she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded. She cooked all the best food in the house for poor Hansel, but she was given nothing to eat but dry bread crusts.

Every morning, the old woman crept to the little closet and told Hansel to stretch out his finger to see if he would soon be fat enough to make a tasty meal. Hansel, however, was very smart. He stretched out a little chicken bone to her. The old woman, who had failing eyesight, thought it was his finger. Week after week went by, and she was astonished that he ate and ate without gaining a single pound.

When a month had passed, the witch told Gretel she could not wait any longer. “Whether Hansel is fat or thin, tomorrow I will kill him and cook him and eat him!” the witch laughed.

The next morning, the witch woke Gretel and told her that it was time to bake some bread to eat with her meal of Hansel. “The oven is warming and the dough is rising,” the witch said. “Creep inside the oven and see if it is hot enough to put the bread in.”

Gretel was smart, too, and she knew that the witch intended to lock her up in the oven, bake her, and eat her, too. “I don't understand,” Gretel said, “How can I get in?”

“Silly,” said the old woman, “that door is big enough. Look, I can fit in myself.” The old witch crept up and thrust her head into the oven.

Then clever Gretel gave her a big push and shoved her all the way in. She shut the iron door and fastened the bolt. The witch began to howl and scream, but Gretel would not let her out.

Gretel ran like lightning to Hansel, set him free, and cried, “Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead.” They hugged and danced with joy. In the witch's house, they found chests filled with pearls and jewels. They filled their pockets with the treasures.

“But how will we get home?” Gretel asked.

“Don't worry,” Hansel said, “I will find a way.”

Fortunately for the children, the witch's house was not far from the woodcutter's cabin, and soon they were home. They rushed into the parlor and threw their arms around their father's neck. He had not known one happy hour since he had left his children in the forest. And their stepmother was dead, poisoned by her own cruel spirit. Hansel and Gretel showed their father the pearls and precious stones, and they all lived happily ever after.