Once upon a time there lived a poor woodcutter and his wife. They had two children, Hänsel and Gretel. His father was a poor man. Late one night, the father couldn’t sleep due to worry and hunger.
Father : What should we do? How can we feed the poor children when there is not even enough for ourselves?
Mother : Early tomorrow morning we will take the children deep into the forest. We will build them a fire, give them each a piece of bread and then go to our work. They won’t be able to find their way home and we shall be rid of them.
Father : I can’t do that! The wild animals will eat them.
Mother : You fool! Then all of us shall die of hunger. Just start building our coffins then.
Father : But I’ll still feel very sorry for the poor children.
Now, Hänsel and Gretel were also awake from hunger during that night, and they heard the plan to leave them in the forest.
Gretel : What shall we do?
Hänsel : Hush, Gretel. Let them fall asleep. I have a plan.
When their parents had fallen asleep, Hänsel snuck outside. Tthere were white pebbles on the ground that glittered. Hänsel stuffed as many of these pebbles as he could into his coat pockets. Then he went back inside and told his sister that all would be well. In the morning, their mother awakened them.
Mother : Get up, you sluggards! We must go and fetch some wood. Here is a piece of bread for each of you. It’s your dinner, so don’t eat it up before then because this is all you’re getting.
As they walked into the forest, Hänsel kept stopping and turning towards the house.
Father : What is it, Hänsel?
Hänsel : I am just looking at my little white cat. It’s sitting on the roof, saying goodbye to me.
Mother : Fool! That is no cat. It’s the sun shining on the roof.
But Hänsel was not looking for a cat. He was discreetly dropping pebbles along the path, one by one, from his pockets. When they reached the center of the forest, they all gathered up brushwood and the father lit a fire.
Mother : You children rest here. Your father and I will go and cut some wood further in the forest. We will fetch you when we are done.
Gretel : But mom , you’ll go back to pick us right ?
Mother : Emmm , yes of course. Just stay here.
Gretel : OK mom.
When noon came, the children ate a little bread. They waiting for their father, but he didn’t came. After a long while they became fatigued, so they closed their eyes and fell asleep. When they awoke, it was late and very dark.
Gretel : So, what now? What must we do get out from this forest?
Hänsel : Just wait a bit. When the sun has risen we will find our way. (waiting)
Gretel : Look Hansel, the sun was rise.
Hansel : OK, come on, back to home.
Gretel : But how we can go there ?
Hansel : Just follow my pebbles. (following)
At home,
Mother : You naughty children. Where have you been? Why did you sleep in the forest? We thought you would never come back!
However, the father was joyous to see them. But, the mother had plan to leave Hansel and Gretel again. She talked to her husband about her plan. Fortunately, Hansel heard their conversation.
In the morning, the mother got them out of their beds, and gave them bread. On their way into the forest, Hänsel secretly dropped tiny pieces of his bread onto the path.
Father : Hänsel, why are you looking around so?
Hänsel : I am looking at my little pigeon, who is sitting on the roof of the house and wants to say goodbye to me.
Mother : Fool! That’s not a pigeon. It is the sun shining on the chimney.
Their parents made another great fire and told the children that they were going to cut wood and would return in the evening to take them home. When noon came, Gretel shared her bread with Hänsel, who had scattered all of his bread along their way. Then, they fell asleep and evening passed with no one coming for them. Gretel was very scared. But when the moon rose, they could not find Hänsel’s bread crumbs because the birds had eaten them all up. They walked the rest of the night and all the next day and still, they did not get out of the forest. They looked a house, they saw it was made out of bread and covered with cakes. The windows were made of sugar.
Hänsel : Look, Gretel! We shall have a meal at last!
Gretel : Yes, i know Hansel! it’s very yummy !
Witch : Nibble, nibble, gnaw. Who is nibbling at my house?
Suddenly, the door opened and a young witch on crutches pushed herself out.
Witch : Oh, my. Dear children, who has brought you here? You look tired. Do come inside and stay with me. No harm shall come to you here.
She took them inside and gave them milk and pancakes. When they were finished eating, they were put into two little beds with clean white linen. Hänsel and Gretel thought they were in heaven. But the old woman only pretended to be kind. In reality, she was a witch. A wicked, wicked witch who had only built the house to lure in little children so she could cook and eat them. Early the next morning, the witch seized Hänsel and locked him behind a grated door in the stable. He could scream, but no one could hear him.
Witch : Get up! Get up, you lazy child. Fetch some water and cook something good for your brother. I’ve put him in the stable and he needs to be fed and made fat. And when he is fat, I will eat him. Hänsel, stretch out your finger so that I can feel if you are getting fat!
Hänsel was not getting fat at all. When four weeks had passed and Hänsel remained thin, she could no longer stand it.
Witch : Get some water, Gretel. Fat or lean, I don’t care. Tomorrow I shall kill and eat Hänsel.
Gretel :Oh, if only the wild beasts had killed us instead. Then we would have died together.
Witch : Quiet, you wretched child! Keep your noise to yourself. Nothing will help you now.
She pushed Gretel towards the oven. The witch wanted Gretel to go inside the oven so she could shut the iron and bake herself inside. Then she would eat her also. But Gretel sensed this trick.
Gretel : I don’t know how to do it. How do I get in the oven?
Witch : You silly goose! The door is big enough. Just look and see how I can get inside myself.
The witch put her head in and Gretel pushed her so hard that she fell far into the oven. Gretel closed the door quickly behind. The witch screamed and burnt in the oven. The children hugged each other and cheered and danced for joy. They went back into the dead witch’s house and found chests full of pearls and jewels.
Hänsel : Now we must leave and get out of the witch’s forest.
Gretel : But, where will we go now?
Hansel : Go back to our home, of course!
Gretel : But, we don’t know the way.
Hansel : I know after saw a map in the witch’s house, Gretel.
They walked for a short time and the forest began to look more and more familiar. And soon, they saw their house. They began to run. The father was overjoyed to see them. Their mother was dead because hunger. They became a rich family after sold their jewelry and pearls, and from then on, they lived together in perfect happiness.
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