Hansel and Gretel: A Grimm Brothers Tale
In a small, quiet village nestled deep within a forest, lived a poor woodcutter and his two children, Hansel and Gretel. Times were hard, and the family had little to eat. The children’s mother had passed away many years ago, and their stepmother, a cold-hearted woman, grew tired of living in poverty.
One evening, after the children had gone to bed, the stepmother whispered to the woodcutter, “There is no food left, and we will starve. Tomorrow, we must take the children deep into the forest and leave them there. They are a burden we can no longer afford.”
The woodcutter was horrified. “How could I abandon my children? They are my flesh and blood!”
But the stepmother was relentless. “If we don’t, we will all starve. You must choose—either leave them in the forest or watch us all perish.”
Reluctantly, and with a heavy heart, the woodcutter agreed.
Hansel and Gretel, though lying in their small, shared bed, overheard everything. Gretel clutched her brother's arm, trembling with fear, but Hansel, determined to save them, whispered, “Don’t worry, Gretel. I have a plan.”
That night, while everyone else slept, Hansel quietly snuck outside and gathered small white pebbles, which gleamed in the moonlight like tiny stars. He filled his pockets with as many as he could carry and tiptoed back to bed.
The next morning, the stepmother roused the children early and led them into the forest. As they walked, Hansel discreetly dropped the pebbles one by one along the path, creating a trail behind them. When they reached the heart of the forest, their stepmother and father lit a small fire for them.
“Stay here, children,” the stepmother said. “We will return for you soon.”
But as the hours passed, Hansel and Gretel realized they had been abandoned. The forest around them grew darker, the trees towering over them like silent sentinels. Gretel began to cry, but Hansel comforted her, saying, “When the moon rises, we’ll follow the trail of pebbles, and we’ll find our way home.”
Sure enough, when the moonlight bathed the forest in silver, the pebbles gleamed brightly, guiding the children back to their house. Their father was overjoyed to see them, but the stepmother was furious. However, she hid her anger behind a forced smile.
A few days later, the stepmother again convinced the woodcutter to abandon the children, this time even deeper in the forest. “They found their way back last time,” she hissed. “This time, we must leave them where they will never return.”
Once again, Hansel and Gretel overheard the plan. But this time, when Hansel tried to sneak outside to gather more pebbles, he found the door locked. The stepmother had anticipated his plan. In the morning, as they were led deeper into the woods, Hansel tore small pieces of bread from the meager loaf they had been given and left a trail behind them, hoping the crumbs would guide them home.
But when night fell and the children searched for the trail, they discovered that birds had eaten every last crumb. Lost and alone, Hansel and Gretel wandered deeper into the forest, their stomachs growling with hunger. The trees seemed to close in on them, and the forest became a maze of shadows and whispers.
For two days, they wandered without food or direction, growing weaker with every step. Just as they were about to give up hope, they came upon a strange and wondrous sight—a house made entirely of gingerbread, cakes, and candy. Its walls were decorated with sugary frosting, and the windows were framed with candy canes. The smell of warm, sweet treats filled the air.
“Look, Hansel!” Gretel exclaimed. “A house made of sweets! We won’t be hungry anymore!”
Without hesitation, the children ran to the house and began to eat. Hansel broke off a piece of gingerbread from the wall, while Gretel nibbled on a candy cane. As they were eating, the door creaked open, and an old woman emerged.
She was hunched over, with eyes that gleamed strangely in the fading light, but her voice was kind. “Ah, children,” she said, “come inside. You must be hungry and tired. I have more food for you, and a warm bed where you can rest.”
The children, too hungry and exhausted to be cautious, followed the old woman into the house. Inside, the walls were lined with shelves full of cakes, pies, and sweets of every kind. The old woman prepared a feast for them, and for the first time in days, Hansel and Gretel ate until they were full. Afterward, the old woman showed them to two soft, comfortable beds.
But what Hansel and Gretel didn’t know was that the old woman was not kind at all—she was a wicked witch who lured children to her candy house to fatten them up and eat them.
The next morning, the witch grabbed Hansel and locked him in a cage outside. “You’ll stay there until you’re plump enough to eat!” she cackled.
As for Gretel, the witch forced her to do all the housework, threatening to eat her as well if she disobeyed. Every day, the witch fed Hansel, trying to fatten him up. But Hansel, clever as ever, tricked the witch by holding out a small bone from one of their meals whenever she checked his progress. Because the witch’s eyesight was poor, she thought he was still too thin.
After weeks of waiting, the witch grew impatient. “I don’t care if he’s plump or not!” she snarled. “I’ll eat him tomorrow!”
The next morning, the witch ordered Gretel to heat the oven. “I’ll bake the bread, and then I’ll cook your brother,” she said with a wicked grin.
But Gretel, though terrified, had a plan. She pretended not to know how to use the oven. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I don’t know how to get the fire going. Could you show me?”
The witch, grumbling, opened the oven and leaned inside to show her. In that moment, Gretel summoned all her courage and pushed the witch into the oven, slamming the door shut. The witch screamed and pounded on the door, but Gretel held it closed until the witch was no more.
Gretel then ran to the cage and freed Hansel. Overjoyed, the siblings hugged each other, relieved that their nightmare was over.
As they explored the witch’s house, they found chests filled with gold and jewels. Taking as much as they could carry, Hansel and Gretel set off through the forest once more. This time, fortune was with them. They soon found a familiar path and, after a long journey, arrived back at their father’s house.
Their father, who had been heartbroken since they had disappeared, welcomed them with tears of joy. The wicked stepmother was gone, having fled the house in shame. Hansel and Gretel shared the treasure they had found, and from that day on, they all lived in peace and plenty, never to suffer hunger again.
And so, Hansel and Gretel's bravery and cleverness saved them from the wicked witch, and they lived happily ever after.
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