Once upon a time a very poor woodcutter lived in a tiny cottage in the forest with his two children, Hansel and Gretel. His second wife often ill-treated the children and was forever nagging the woodcutter.
One night when the kids were in bed, the woman declared:"There is not enough food in the house for us all. There are too many mouths to feed! We must get rid of the two brats". And she kept on trying to persuade her husband to abandon his children in the forest.
The moment the woman said brats, Hansel woke up from the intensity of the word. Because he was curious, he leaned on the door to hear what they were saying.
"Take them miles from home, so far that they can never find their way back! Maybe someone will find them and give them a home." said his stepmother.The downcast woodcutter didn't know what to do and he kept his mouth shut.
After Hansel heard all these things, he:
[[Wakes up Gretel to comfort her with what he heard.]]
[[thinks of a plan in case they are abandoned in the woods.]]Gretel hearing what her brother has to say, starts weeping.
“Our stepmother does not want us anymore,” Gretel wailed.
“Shh, Gretel! Father will not allow her to get rid of us,” Hansel replied, attempting to calm Gretel down.
But Gretel wants to go out and beg their father to let them stay with them.
So Hansel:
[[Let's her go out of the room and beg the woodcutter.]]
[[He grabs her and hugs her tightly so he can calm her down]]Now, Hansel was very smart. His plans of action were always calculated and efficient. He had an idea: Hansel and Gretel spent most of their time finding the perfect, flattest skipping stones. While finding these stones, they had made a friend: a small bird. Their friend, however, it would take some of the rocks and misplaced them around the woods for the kids to find. They didn't know why but it was a fun game.
Their collection of stones was large, as they spent more time collecting than actually skipping the rocks.
He thought that it would be a good idea, if he packed them all together and throw them on the path behind them in order to find the way back home. So he did and fell a sleep.
The next morning, their stepmother woke them up and she was in a surprisingly good mood. She asked them to do their chores and do them as quickly as possible because she had other plans for them. When their stepmother wasn't looking, he comforted Gretel and told her what he heard last night. Gretel couldn't believe her ears. He instructed her to be calm and pretend that she knows nothing because he has a plan. Gretel took a deep breath and calmed down. They both went back to their chores: Gretel washing the clothes and Hansel taking care of the garden.
At some point, Gretel went inside and didn't come out for a while. Hansel started growing suspicious so he when towards the house. When he entered house, Hansel could see that his stepmother and sister were packing up for what looked like a normal journey into the woods – though Hansel knew that this time the woman had different plans for them.
“Times are tough, my dear children. We must venture into the forest to help your father with his work,” she declared.
“But –” both children started.
“No 'buts'!” their stepmother scolded.
And so, Hansel, Gretel, and their,not for long, stepmother journeyed into the thick-wooded forest. It was as eerie as thick fog on a stormy night: the sky was a dark grey, and the trees were black and gloomy.
Luckily, Hansel had remembered to drop the shimmering stones on the ground every few feet – so that they could follow them back on their return home.
At some point,the woman turned around and saw Hansel dropping a rock.
"What are you doing there Hansel?"
The boy didn't say anything. The silence was broken by Gretel's voice.
"Mother! Look at those squirrels in the tree. I swear they are dancing as if they are fit for the ball!” Gretel called, using her quick-wit in order to distract their stepmother.
Gretel knew exactly what Hansel was up to. She pieced it together as she watched her stepmother's face scrunch up.
“Where? I see no squirrels! I see no dancing!” the woman exclaimed, now confused and distracted, giving Hansel time to catch up. “Oh, hurry on up. We only need to travel a little bit further,” their stepmother grumbled.
“Where are we going, Mother?” Hansel asked. With no response, the children’s worst nightmares were confirmed. Their stepmother was going to leave them in the forest.
Hansel dropped another rock. Gretel heard it fall.
They traveled for a while, Hansel occasionally dropping stones, until they reached a small clearing. Their mad stepmother ordered Hansel and Gretel to sit on a dead log.
“I am going to gather wood. Stay here, and I will come back for you shortly,” she lied.
The children stayed seated, reluctantly. They waited and waited AND waited, but their mother never returned for them.
Hansel began to worry for their safety. He cried to Gretel: “What if we are attacked, or eaten? What about wolves? Bears? Cougars? Raccoons? Gretel, oh Gretel – what are we to do?”
“I will feel it out,” she replied, getting up from the dead log. She took Hansel’s hand, and the two followed his trail of stones. Their flat surfaces shimmered in the moonlit night.
Hansel and Gretel finally arrived back home at the break of dawn; however, they were so tired that both immediately fell asleep right in front of their cottage door.
When they woke up, tucked in their beds, they heard their Father yelling.
"How could you do this to them? They are my children!"
"We won't be able to survive for long! We need a solution and that is the only way."
"Abondoning my children? That's a solution?"
"Think of this way: they might have better luck than us. One of the families in the other village might take them in and they will have someone to take care of them. Besides, they are old enough now. They can take care of themselves."
"They might but they are still my children. I can't just leave them."
"You have to! It is the only way."
The huntsman didn't reply. That's when Hansel and Gretel knew what was going to happen that evening.
When they got out of their bed, it was already close to sunset. The things were already packed.
Their stepmother was going to take them to the forest again but this time there will be no rocks.There will be no way back. The siblings were prepared now. Before they left the house, their Father hugged them and slipped Hansel a small loaf of bread.
[[Is this a sign that he wants them to find a way back?]]
[[Does he want to help us survive the night in the forest?]]Gretel runs out of the room and falls on her knees in front of her father.
"Father please don't let her take us away from you! Please! We will try to help with the house as much as possible! Please!" cried the girl.
The woodcutter stares at his daughter without saying a word. Gretel looks at the floor. The only thing that can be heard is her heavy breathing. The woman decides to take the matter into her own hands, so she grabs Gretel by the hand she tries to make her stand up.
"Stand up! You are old enough! You shouldn't fall on your knees in fornt of your father!"
Gretel cried out loud.
When Hansel saw this, he sprinted out of the room and pushed his stepmother away from Gretel.
"Don't touch her!" he yelled.
The woman became furious and turned to her husband.
"See? They have each other! They can protect themselves. They don't need us!" she said that and suddenly she calmed her face and went towards the woodcutter. She put her hands around his shoulders and rubbed them.
"Come on honey. They are old, they can take care of themselves. And even if they can't, someone will find them in the village" she whispered in his ear.
The man turned around and said under his breath: "We do need a way to survive...they will be fine..."
The children couldn't believe their eyes. Their own father turned against them...
"Father..." said Hansel with tears in his eyes.
"Hansel you are almost a man and your sister will be old enough soon to be married. You can take care of each other. Start packing your stuff and I want you to be gone by dawn. Don't make this harder than it already is" the man said and turned his back on them.
The woman looked at them with an evil smile and turned to her husband, whispering something to his ear.
Hansel and Gretel slowely went to their room and sat down in silence. They couldn't believe that they were treated like that. Gretel was the first one to stand up and start packing. Her brother watched her in silence. A few minutes later he stood up as well and:
[[packed all his stuff.]]
[[run out of the room furiously.]]
"Don't worry, we will find a solution like we always do. They better not know that we know. We will have time to think of a plan of action."
Gretel didn't say anything, she just continued weeping in her brother's hug.
After a while, she lets go and stares at her brother.
"What are we going to do Han? She doesn't want us anymore."
"Don't worry Gretel! Father will not allow her to get rid of us,” Hansel replied, attempting to calm Gretel down.
Gretel remained silent because she knew that he didn't mean what he was saying. She got up and laid on her bed, covering her face with her soft blanket. Then said:
"He is going to let her, isn't he?" said Gretel under her sheets.
Hansel, remaining silent for a moment, packed a small back with some of the stones from their collection and some other personal belongings, replied woth a low voice:
"If he does, Mother will be so disappointed in him..."
He walked towards Gretel's bed, uncovered her face, kissed her on the forehead and whispered:
"No matter what happens, we are going to be together. As long as we have each other, we will be okay"
Gretel smiled and closed her eyes, while Hansel laid in his bed and slowly fell asleep.
The next morning their stepmother asked them to do their chores. Both of them were prepared in case she took them to the woods.
After they finished everything, the woman found them sitting outside the house.
"Why are you both sitting? Don't you have anything to do?"
"We did all chores and there is nothing else to be done" said Hansel
"Well then, we are going to help your father. Get ready. We are going to the woods"
"But..." said both kids.
"No buts! Your father needs help and we are going to do whatever he asks us to do! Now get ready! said the woman and headed towards the house.
The siblings looked at each other. They knew what was coming. They head inside and packed their stuff: anything that they hadn't packed yesterday.
Before they left their room, they looked at it one last time. They had the feeling like they were not going to see it again.
"Are you ready?" asked Hansel
Gretel nodded.
Before they went outside to their stepmother, Gretel stole some of the food that they had in the kitchen: a loaf of bread and some pastries.
When they exited the house, they found their stepmother ready with a small bag.
"Let's go children." said and started leading the path.
That evening the sky was clear. No clouds. No fog. The sun was still shinning but not for long.
They were walking for quite a while, on the path that was familiar to them. But at some point their stepmother took a path that they didn't know where it led. That's when Hansel had the idea to start throwing stones on the ground in order to be able to find their way back in case they are completely lost.
At some point, their stepmother was growing suspicious of the kids' silence and turned around to see Hansel dropping a rock on the ground.
“Hansel, what is it that you think you’re up to?” their mother shouted impatiently.
The kids stay quite until:
[[Gretel slightly patts her on the shoulder to turn around]]
[[Hansel decides to reply]]What were they gonna do?
Hansel and Gretel spent most of their time finding the perfect, flattest skipping stones. Their collection of stones was large, as they spent more time collecting than actually skipping the rocks. Over time, they had acquired a strange companion – a bird, who would steal their stones and hide them in various places all over the land – though Hansel and Gretel knew not why.
And that's when Hansel had the idea. He would drop the shimmering stones on the ground every few feet – so that they have a way to come back to the town from the woods in case they got lost. Another thing that he thought is steal some of his stepmother's jewelery in order to sell them for coins.
Before they were to set off, Hansel asked Gretel to enter the room that the woodcutter and the woman sleeped, and get as much jewlery as possbile from her box.
So she did . She got as many as she could carry and left the room silently. Before they left, they got a lot of food that their father was saving in order to revenge him for his betrayal.
And that's where their jounrey to the woods started. Hansel didn't forget to drop the rocks on their way to their new "home".
The sun was shinning in the sky and the birds were singing on the trees. Hansel and Gretel were walking for quite a while, when they stopped in a small opening in the forest to have some launch. The shared a small piece from the beard that they had taken from their former house.
Because they had been walking for a while and since they had no where to go, they decided to take a nap under a tree to rest.
When Hansel woke up, he couldn't find his sister. Her bag was there but she was gone. He got up, picked all there things and started wondering around the woods to find her.
"Gretel? Gretel where are you?" he whishpered loudly because he didn't attract anything towards his way.
The deeper he got into the woods, the more disoriented he got. Time was passing and the sun had already set. Hansel wasn't going to give up. He was determined to find his sister. He stood for a moment, he closed his eyes and try to concetrate on the sounds around him.
Suddenly, he started hearing a whisper...A whisper...A whisper calling his name. He opened his eyes.
"Gretel?! Is that you?" said the boy loudly.
"//Hansel follow my voice//"
"Where are you? Hold on!" Hansel was trying to follow the voice. The more he heard it, the louder it was becoming.
He was running in the woods without a clue of where he was going.
"//you are close Han//" said the voice
"Gretel is that really you?"
As soon as he said that, a figure appeared in front of him. A woman with long blonde hair and the most angelic face Hansel had ever seen.
"Boy what are you doing in the woods alone? It is really dangerous you know." said the woman stared at him with her shiny blue eyes.
"Miss I'm looking for my sister. She left and I don't know where she went. Have you seen her maybe?" said Hansel hypnotised by her beauty.
"A young girl wondering alone around the woods? No I don't think so...But I can help you find her." said the woman and went closer to him.
[[No, thank you lady. I will find her by myself]]
[[Yeah sure. Two people are better than one]]When he went out, what he saw no one but he heard his father's wife humming a song from the other room. He walked towards the exit of the house and saw that the door was open. Outside, under the moonlight, his father was sitting on the ground looking at the sky.
Hansel's rage had calmed a little bit at that point. He approached his father from the back and he was trying to figure out why he was staring the sky with such admiration. Before he has even time to say anything, the woodcutter turns and looks at him with so much sadness.
Hansel had seen his father like that, only after the death of their mother. But he didn't pity him. They way he treated his children was unacceptable.
"Am I supposed to feel bad for you?" said Hansel
"No...but I want you to understand"
"Understand what? That you are throwing us out of our own house? That a stranger is telling you what to do?"
"she is not a stranger and she is not telling me what to do! Don't talk about her like that!"
"Or what? Are you going you going to kick me out of the house?"
The woodcutter remained silent.
"Hansel I know it is rough but you have to understand it is for your own good. Please. Just take Gretel and go."
"For our own good? What are you even talking about?"
"This is my punishment...I deserve this!"
"Father are you even listening to yourself? Your punishment? Because you want punish yourself for whatever that you did, that doesn't mean that we have to endure that! You know...Mother would be so disapointed in you!"
Silence.
Hansel didn't realize what he had said. But he had no regrets.After a minute of silence. His father turned around and told him.
"You are right. She would be. Stay and see what I'm talking about or leave with your sister. Your choice. Just know, there is no coming back from that." said the man and walked towards the house.
Before he crossed the threashold of the house, he dad told him onelast time.
"You have until dawn to decide".
Hansel didn't know what to do.
[[Decide by himself]]
[[Ask Gretel and decide together]]"Look!Look at those squirrels in the tree. I swear they are dancing as if they are fit for the ball!” Gretel called, using her quick-wit in order to distract their mother.
Gretel knew exactly what Hansel was up to. She pieced it together as she watched her stepmother's face scrunch up.
“Where? I see no squirrels! I see no dancing!” their stepmother exclaimed, now confused and distracted, giving Hansel time to catch up. “Oh, hurry on up. We only need to travel a little bit further,” the woman grumbled.
“Where are we going?” Hansel asked. With no response, the children’s worst nightmares were confirmed. Their stepmother was going to leave them in the forest and their father had agreed.
Hansel dropped another rock. Gretel heard it fall.
They traveled for a while, Hansel occasionally dropping stones, until they reached a small clearing. Their mad stepmother ordered Hansel and Gretel to sit on a dead log.
“I am going to gather wood. Stay here, and I will come back for you shortly,” she lied.
The children stayed seated, reluctantly. They waited and waited AND waited, but their mother never returned for them.
Hansel began to worry for their safety. He cried to Gretel: “What if we are attacked, or eaten? What about wolves? Bears? Cougars? Raccoons? Gretel, oh Gretel – what are we to do?”
"We can either find shelter somehwere in the woods or we can take the road to return to the house. But Father doesn't want us and Stepmother is going to do anything she can to kick us out." said Hansel trying to think of a plan of action.
"I do not know Han... How are going to survive here...I won't bear it if they kick us out again but there might be a sloght chance that Father will change his mind..." said Gretel looking at the ground.
Then hansel turned and said:
[[Fine. Let's find a shelter here and in the morning we will think of something else]]
[[Let's go home then. You are right he might change his mind if he sees us]]"I found this rock, I thought it was nice but I don't like so I dropped it" said with as much confidence as he could find.
"You better not be planning anything. I'm warning you." said their mother and continued to lead the path.
It was night already.They traveled for a while, Hansel occasionally dropping stones, until they reached a small clearing. Their mad mother ordered Hansel and Gretel to sit on a dead log.
“I am going to gather wood. Stay here, and I will come back for you shortly,” she said.
They didn't belive that she was going to come back but still they waited there for a while.
They waited and waited AND waited, but their mother was nowhere to be found.
"Hansel what are we going to do! What is someone or something attacks us? Have you heard of the tribe in the woods? Wolves? Bears? Racoons?" Gretel said anxiously.
"Gretel we will find a way..."
Before Hansel has time to say anything, he is interuppted by the sound of footsteps coming from the path that their stepmother followed.
The both remain silent and they hid behind the dead log. Suddenly they hear a familiar voice addressing them.
"Hansel? Gretel? Where are you?" said their stepmother.
"Mother?" said both and appeared from behind the log.
"Surprised? Come with me. I have to take you somewhere."said their stepmother and started showing them the way.
Hansel and Gretel looked at each other. They couldn't believe that their mother came back for them. Where were they going? Is it safe?
They had no answer for any of these questions.
Hansel, Gretel and their stepmother coninued to walk threw the wood until they ended up in another clearing. There was a big house made of sweets. They smell that was coming from the house was so compeling. They were ready to run and it the walls of the house.
"What are we doing here?" said Gretel curiously
"This is how we are going to help your Father. You are going to go there and ask to stay for as long as the owner can support you. In exchange you are going to offer them anything they want."
"No! Absolutely not!" said Gretel
Hansel hypnotised by the incredible smell of food replied:
"Why not? We will have food and somewhere to stay. We will be warm and taken care of and the only thing that we need to do is clean"
Gretel couldn't believe her ears. Her own brother supported it.
"I'm not going! I prefer to stay out here in the cold than becoming a servant to a stranger."
"Gretel, dear, don't be silly. Come on! Off you go." said their stepmother and pushed them towards the house.
"Come with us and talk with the owner and then I will accept. Or else I'm going to follow you home!" said Gretel loudly.
The woman hadn't realized that they already know her plan. Shocked for a moment, she collected her thoughts and replied.
"How?...Okay fine! Let's go!" said the pulled them both by the hand.
The reached the door of that delicious house. Hansel so hungry that he was ready to eat the walls.
"Now behave!" She said to the siblings, let go of their hands and turned to the door to knock.
Before she manages to knock on the door:
[[The door opens.]]
[[They start running back towards the woods]]
They managed to find a small cave to stay for the night.
The next morning, they continued to wonder around the woods with no destination. They were well and truly lost. On they walked and walked, till suddenly they came upon a strange cottage in the middle of a glade.
"This is chocolate!" gasped Hansel as he broke a lump of plaster from the wall.
"And this is icing!" exclaimed Gretel, putting another piece of wall in her mouth. Starving but delighted, the children began to eat pieces of candy broken off the cottage.
"Isn't this delicious?" said Gretel, with her mouth full. She had never tasted anything so nice.
"We'll stay here," Hansel declared, munching a bit of nougat. They were just about to try a piece of the biscuit door when it quietly swung open.
"Well, well!" said an old woman, peering out with a crafty look. "And haven't you children a sweet tooth?"
"Come in! Come in, you've nothing to fear!" went on the old woman. Unluckily for Hansel and Gretel, however, the sugar candy cottage belonged to an old witch, her trap for catching unwary victims. The two children had come to a really nasty place.
"You're nothing but skin and bones!" said the witch, locking Hansel into a cage. I shall fatten you up and eat you!"
"You can do the housework," she told Gretel grimly, "then I'll make a meal of you too!" As luck would have it, the witch had very bad eyesight, an when Gretel smeared butter on her glasses, she could see even less.
"Let me feel your finger!" said the witch to Hansel every day to check if he was getting any fatter. Now, Gretel had brought her brother a chicken bone, and when the witch went to touch his finger, Hansel held out the bone.
"You're still much too thin!" she complained. When will you become plump?" One day the witch grew tired of waiting.
"Light the oven," she told Gretel. "We're going to have a tasty roasted boy today!" A little later, hungry and impatient, she went on: "Run and see if the oven is hot enough." Gretel returned, whimpering: "I can't tell if it is hot enough or not." Angrily, the witch screamed at the little girl: "Useless child! All right, I'll see for myself."
But when the witch bent down to peer inside the oven and check the heat, Gretel gave her a tremendous push and slammed the oven door shut. The witch had come to a fit and proper end.
Gretel ran to set her brother free and they made quite sure that the oven door was tightly shut behind the witch. Indeed, just to be on the safe side, they fastened it firmly with a large padlock. Then they stayed for several days to eat some more of the house, till they discovered amongst the witch's belongings, a huge chocolate egg. Inside lay a casket of gold coins.
"The witch is now burnt to a cinder," said Hansel, "so we'll take this treasure with us." They filled a large basket with food and set off into the forest to search for the way home. This time, luck was with them, and on the second day, they saw their father come out of the house towards them, weeping.
"Your stepmother is dead. Come home with me now, my dear children!" The two children hugged the woodcutter.
"Promise you'll never ever desert us again," said Gretel, throwing her arms round her father's neck. Hansel opened the casket.
"Look, Father! We're rich now . . . You'll never have to chop wood again."
And they all lived happily together ever after.
[[The End.]]She took Hansel’s hand, and the two followed his trail of stones. Their flat surfaces shimmered in the moonlit night.
Hansel and Gretel finally arrived back home at the break of dawn; however, they were so tired that both immediately fell asleep right in front of their cottage door.
They awoke tucked in their beds to the sounds of the woodcutter and his wife arguing.
"How could you leave our children in the forest all alone?" they heard their father ask sadly.
"We will… We will all starve, if they stay here! There are too many mouths and NOT enough food. It is the only way… the only way…" she replied.
Now Hansel and Gretel surely knew their luck was over.
The very next day, they took their bags, which were already packed from their first journey to the woods and set off with their stepmother for the woods.
Because they had some bread left from two days ago, Hansel crumbled it in his pocket, and every few minutes he stood still and dropped a crumb on the ground.
"Hansel, what are you stopping and looking about you for?" asked his stepmother.
"I’m looking back at my little pigeon, which is sitting on the roof waving me a farewell," answered Hansel.
"Fool!" said the woman; "that isn't your pigeon, it’s the morning sun glittering on the chimney." But Hansel gradually threw all his crumbs on the path.
The woman led the children still deeper into the forest farther than they had ever been in the time before. Then a big fire was lit, and their stepmother said:
"Just sit down there children, and if you’re tired you can sleep a bit: I'm going into the forest to cut down wood, and in the evening when I'm finished I will come back to fetch you."
At midday Gretel divided her bread with Hansel, for he had strewn his all along their path. Then they fell asleep, evening passed away, and nobody came to the poor children.
They didn’t awake until it was pitch dark, and Hansel comforted his sister:
"Only wait, Gretel, 'til the moon rises, then we shall see the bread-crumbs I scattered along the path. They will show us the way back to the house."
When the moon appeared they got up, but they found no crumbs, for the thousands of birds that fly about the woods and fields had picked them all up.
"Never mind, you’ll see we’ll find a way out," said Hansel to Gretel
But all the same they did not. They wandered about the whole night and the next day, from morning until evening, but they could not find a path out of the wood. They were very hungry too, for they had nothing to eat but a few berries they found growing on the ground. At last they were so tired that their legs refused to carry them any longer, so they lay down under a tree and fell fast asleep.
On the third morning after they had left their father’s house they set about their wandering again, but only got deeper and deeper into the wood, and now they felt that if help did not come to them soon they must perish.
At midday they saw a beautiful little snow-white bird sitting on a branch, which sang so sweetly that they stopped still and listened to it. When its song was finished it flapped its wings and flew on in front of them. They followed it and came to a little house, on the roof of which it perched; and when they came quite near they saw that the cottage was made of bread and roofed with cakes, while the window was made of transparent sugar.
"Now we’ll set to and have a regular blow-out. I’ll eat a bit of the roof, and you, Gretel, can eat some of the window, which you’ll find a sweet morsel." Hansel said to his sister.
Hansel stretched up his hand and broke off a little bit of the roof to see what it was like, and Gretel went to the casement and began to nibble at it.
Thereupon a shrill voice called out from the room inside:
"Nibble, nibble, little mouse. Who’s nibbling my house?"
The children answered:
"'Tis heaven’s own child, the tempest wild," and went on eating, without putting themselves about.
Hansel, who thoroughly appreciated the roof, tore down a big bit of it, while Gretel pushed out a whole round window pane, and sat down the better to enjoy it.
Suddenly the door opened, and an ancient dame, leaning on a staff, hobbled out. Hansel and Gretel were so terrified that they let what they had in their hands fall.
The old woman shook her head and said:
"Oh, ho! You dear children, who led you here? Just come in and stay with me, no ill shall befall you."
She took them both by the hand, led them into the house, and laid a most sumptuous dinner before them; milk and sugared pancakes, with apples and nuts. After they had finished, two beautiful little white beds were prepared for them, and when Hansel and Gretel lay down in them they felt as if they had gone to heaven.
The old woman had appeared to be most friendly, but she was really an old witch who had waylaid the children, and had only built the little bread house in order to lure them in. When anyone came into her power: she killed, cooked and ate him, and held a regular feast day for the occasion. Now witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but like beasts, they have a keen sense of smell, and know when human beings pass by.
When Hansel and Gretel fell into her hands she laughed maliciously, and said jeeringly:
"I’ve got them now; they shan't escape me."
[[The next day]]
Their stepmother grabbed them by their hands and dragged them inside. The first thing they saw when they entered the house was a large table with three plates of foods waiting for them.
Hansel, hungry and tired run to the table and started eating with no hesitation. Gretel, equally hungry, went to the table to eat with her brother. Last, followed their stepmother who saw that nothing was wrong and sat anyway.
When they finished, their stepmother said:
"See children. If you stay here, you will have food to eat and a warm bed to sleep."
Hansel and Gretel didn't reply. They couldn't believe that they were that lucky to find somewhere to eat and stay for the night. It was too good to be true. Gretel was the one to speak first and say:
"I think we should go, there is something wrong."
Hansel, trusting his sister's instinct agreed and got up to go towards the exit. But when they tried to leave, a voice echoed in the room.
"Where do you think you are going my dear ones?"
An old woman, with big glasses and an apron, appeared out of the darkness.
"It is rude not to say thank you, hasn't your mother taught you that?"
Hansel, Gretel and their Stepmother remained silent. However, not for long:
"You kind woman, please, my children have no where to go and I have nothing to give them. Could you please take care of them for a while until my husband and I, are able to provide for them?" said their Father's wife with the sweetest voice the siblings had ever heard.
The old woman was coming closer and closer to the three of them. The closer she came, the clearer they could see her horrendous face.
"My dear...I would take care of them anyway. But I don't think you would be able to ever be able to come and take them back" the elder said and smiled, showing her black and sharp teeth.
The siblings and their stepmother were more scared then ever. They tried to open the door but it was locked. They windows were closed shut. They had no way to get out.
Before they had time to do anything, the old woman tried to grab the children but she missed. That's when they realized that she is half blind. That was their advantage.
They silently surrounded the old woman. Hansel found a huge pointy bone and Gretel a broom. Their stepmother was standing in front of a huge oven, so she tried as silently as possible to open the oven. Howver, it made a high pitched sound that made the old woman to turn to her side.
That was their chance.
Hansel and Gretel, pushed the old woman inside the over and their stepmother closed.
Her screams echoed everywhere, but they wouldn't save a witch.
When she was dead, the fire burned out and the door magically opened.
The three of them took as many of the valuables that the old woman had and the took the route to their home.
When they went back, they told their Father eveyrhting that happened. Their Father and stepmother apologized to the children and they promised they would never abandon them again.
So they lived happily ever after.
[[The End.]]"Suit yourself. Just be careful. I hope you find her" said the woman and disappeared out of thin air.
Hansel didn't know whether she was good or bad but he for sure knew she was a witch.
After a moment, he got his mind together and continued to look for his sister.
"Gretel...where are you?" whispered her brother.
No response.
"Gretel? Gretel please! Where are you?"
Hansel heard some footsteps. They were really light and gentle. He turns around and sees a young girl with a red hood.
"Hello!" said smiling the girl!
"Hi..." said cautiously Hansel
"What are you doing in the woods so late? And alone?" said the girl curiously.
"I'm looking for my sister. Have you maybe seen a girl with brown hair wondering around the forest?"
"No...I haven't seen anyone but the Huntsman. I'm Red Riding Hood byt he way! And you are?"
"I'm Hansel. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too. Well, I'm on my way to my home if you want to come to sit for a bit and then go out look for you sister!"
[[Go with Red Riding Hood]]
[[Keep Looking for Gretel alone.]]"Great. Have you any idea where she might have gone?" said the woman.
"No. She just left all of her belongings and she was gone."
"Hm... I know what might have happned to her. Follow me." said and showed him to a path.
"Where are we going?" said Hansel anxiously
"Don't worry, we are going somewhere safe"
Hansel didn't have much of a choice. He believed that she was a nice woman that wanted to help so he followed her anyway.
They started walking down the dark path and the woman started asking him different questions.
"So what are you doing with your sister alone in the woods?"
"Our father and stepmother abondoned us int he woods because it was really hard to survive with them."
"That's really harsh! I can't believe they would do that."
Hansel remained silent.
"Maybe it is for the best, boy."
"Maybe...What are you doing in the woods so late Miss? And what is your name?"
"Oh, silly me, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Holda. I live here in the woods. And you are?"
"I'm Hansel. Hansel and Gretel."
"How do you know my sister's name?" said the boy suspiciously
"I heard you yelling in the woods."
Hansel was strting to get confused. She was acting a bit suspicious.
"Where are we going Holda?"
"You will see Hansel"
"I'm not going anywhere if you don't tell me."
"Oh come on. Don't act like a child. Follow me." she said and coninued walking
"No tell me where we are going"
"There is a lake around here. She might have come to drink so water or bathe"
"I don't think she would have left me like that to go drink water."
"What if she did? What if I told you I saw her going there?"
"What?! You did? Where is she?"
"Come Hansel." She went closer to him and touched gently his cheek. You know you can trust me"
Hansel, completely charmed by her beauty,replied:
"Yeah...I can trust you"
Hansel and Hold continued to walk until they reached an opening in the forest. There was a a small lake with a huge house by its side. The House was made from candy and chocolate. The small was something that Hansel had never smelled before.
"Come my sweet boy.Clean yourself and when you are ready knock on the door to come inside the house." said the woman and looked the boy in the eyes.
"You can trust me." she said
"I can trust you." Hansel replied.
At this point, in his mind, he knew that Holda,was a witch. But there was nothing he could do. Even if he tried to order his legs to start running, he couldn't.
After he finished cleaning himself up, Hansel went towards the house. He knocked and the door automatically opened in front of him. No one was in there.
The house inside was made of metal, as well as all the furniture. Suddenly he started hearing a voice.
"//Hansel come closer to the table//" the voice said. He couldn't tell if it was Gretel or Holda but he followed anyway.
As he went to the table, a warm plate of food was waiting for him. A nice piece of meat with potatoes and also some cookies. Hansel was starving and he ate it really fast. When he finished eating, the voice spoke again.
"//Good boy Hansel. Now go to sleep. The bed is waiting for you//"
On his left there was a bed with fluffy pillows and a fireplace by its side to keep him warm. Hansel did as he was told.
[[The Next Day]]
As they walk in the woods together, they talk about how they ended up where they are now. Red Riding Hood explains the situation with her grandmother and Hansel the situation with his Father and stepmother.
The moon was glowing at the sky and the stars were shinning. Hansel looked at the sky for a moment and he felt a moment of peace until Red Riding Hood interrupted it:
"We are here!" said the girl and opened the door.
Hansel got in the house. A small home with a huge fireplace that kept it warm and nice.
"Please sit! I'm going to bring you some hot milk to drink."
Hansel was overwhelmed by her generosity. As he is was warming himself by teh fireplace. He hears some banging noises coming from the floor. They stopped for a moment and then started again. He got up and tried to understand where the sound was caming from. As he was walking towards the kitchen, where supposedly Red Riding Hood was, he heard a voice.
"Help! Hansel she is a witch! Go!"
It was Gretel, as he turns to bring something sharp to help her, Red Riding Hood was behind him.
"Where do you think you are going?" said Red Riding Hood
"Please let her go...we don't want anything from you"
"Oh I know...but I do!" she said and hit him on the head with a heavy object.
When he woke up, he was chained in a cage by his sister.
"Oh Gretel! You are okay!" he said loudly
"We need to find a way to escape!" said Gretel anxiously.
"I know...we will think of something!"
Hansel looked around to see what the could use to escape. Currently both of them had their hands chained to the wall but their legs were free. Before he has time to finish his thought, the witch appeared in herreal form. A tall woman with long black hair and a surprisingly beautiful face.
"I thought I heard some noise. Good morning Hansel dear!"
"What do you want from us?"
"Oh nothing much! Just some help! Is that too much to ask?" she paused.
"I want you to help me around the house and in exchange I'm going to let you live and have a place to stay and eat. What do you think?" said smiling
"That's it?" suspiciously asked Gretel.
"Yeah! Is it too much? You have no where to go anyway and I'm alone here in the middle of the woods."
"Um and why did you have to pretend to be a young girl and chain us in a cage in the basement of your house?" Hansel answered
"I like to have some fun!" the witch laughed
"And you promise you are not going to hurt us? Or do anything to us?" asked Gretel
"Yeah my dear ones! You will need to help me with the cleaning and the cooking. No harm will come to you." said the witch smilling.
"Can you let us free first in order to discuss this?" said Hansel to the young witch.
"Oh right! Apologies..." she snapped her fingers and their hands were free.
Then Gretel nodded to Hansel to:
[[Try to get away]]
[[Follow the witch upstairs to talk]]"Thank you but I prefer to look for Gretel by myself. " said Hansel to the girl and was ready to take off until the girl turned into an older woman, with long black hair and sharp teeth.
"I'm not going to ask twice." said the Evil witch and attacked Hansel.
[[Hansel wakes up.]]When he woke up, he relized he was closed in a cage. His whole body was tied with chains.The house was dark and the only fire was coming from the huge fireplace by his cage. The hypnosis had left and he was in his right mind. He got up and he started yelling for the witch.
"Holda! Holda where are you? Holda!"
"I'm here my dear Hansel." said the witch that apperead in front of him out of nowhere.
Hansel flinched.
"What are you going to do to me?" said the poor boy.
"Exactly what I did to your sister" said and turned her back on him.
"What did you do to my sister? Where is she?!"
The witch didn't reply.
[[Ask again]]
[[Let it go]]Hansel didn't want to be a burden to his Father and he felt like he could survive in the woods with his sister. When he went inside, his sister was waiting for him.
"What did he said?"
"It's better for us to go Gretel. Let's pack our bags. We have to leave in a bit."
Gretel started crying again. He knew what he decided was painful for her but that was for the best.
After they packed everything Hansel had an idea. Steal some of their stepmother's jewelery in order to have something to sell and get some food.So Gretel snicked inside their guardians' room and silently stole as much jewelery as possible. When she got out, they took some of the food left in the kitchen and they took off to find their new home.
They were walking for hours under the hot sun, so they stopped in an open area in the woods that had a small lake to drink some water and bathe themselves. They also ate some of the food that they had and took a nap under the beautiful trees in the forest.
Gretel was enjoying it so far...but she wasn't sure how much she would enjoy it when the sun sets.
Eventually, the moon appeared in the sky and the siblings had to find somewhere to spend the night. Luck was on their side and they found a small cave to spend the night. They ate the rest of the food and they hugged each other to sleep in order to remain warm.
[[The Following Day]]When he went inside he found Gretel waiting for him anxiously.
"What did you tell Father? What are we going to do?"
"He told me it is our choice. If we want to saty here and starve or try to find a better life for ourselves."
"Well, let's stay then! This is our house. Because our stepmother doesn't like us, doesn't mean we have to do what she says!" said the girl angrily.
"Yeah but if one day, when we don't know it, she takes us to the woods and leaves us there? We won't be prepared!"
"Hansel! We know her intentions now. We will always be prepared from now on. Father said we can stay, so we will.Okay?"
"Fine. I hope it doesn't get worse." said Hansel went to lay in bed
"It won't, trust me!" replied the girl confidently while heading to her bed.
The next morning, things were a bit awkward between the //family// but Gretel and Father were trying to make things seem as normal as possible.
In order to make things easier, the boy and the girl started looking for jobs around town. Even for a piece of bread. Luck was on their side.
Hansel got a job in the bakery of the town and it was getting easier to survive for a few months.Gretel was cleaning houses of wealthier families and the woodcutter was trying to find as many jobs as possible. His wife was keeping the house clean and was cooking everyday for the whole family but because everyone was coming home late from their works, she had always eaten without them.
Time was passing and the family was finding easier and easier to survive in this hard time. Gretel was finding jobs easier and Hansel was spending the majority of the day in the bakery, from dawn until he was needed. The siblings didn't see much of their father because he was spending way too much time in the woods but whenever they did, they always had a great time.
After a few months of this routine, things were looking up for the family. Even the relationship between the stepmother and the children was getting better. However, that didn't last for long. Their father, whenever they saw him, was getting thinner and wicker. He wasn'teven able to eat by himself without his wife helping him. Because of this mysterious illness, the man wasn't able to work in the woods again and he had to spend his time home to rest.
Gretel, because she was getting worried but also suspicious of this mysterious illness, asked for a doctor to go see her father. The doctor couldn't determine from where this sickness was coming from, but he adviced that he take some medicine and start eating differnt kinds of foods.
That's when Gretel started thinking:
[[Our stepmother has something to do with this]]
[[He has the same sickness as their mother.]]"Where is Gretel?" Hansel demanded.
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to my dear boy"
"I deserve an answer! Tell me!"
"I wasn't sure if I was going to manage to lure you both together to my house. So, I saw you there sleeping in the woods and it was the perfect opportunity. A simple spell and she was mine to control. If I haven't eaten for a while, it is hard for me to control someone. But she was sleepy, tired and hungry. The easiest victim. When I finished with her and took my final form, I came back for you but you were already gone. I followed you and the moment you stopped it was the perfect opportunity for me to appear. You accepted my invite so you made things even easier."
"No..." said Hansel with tears in his eyes. He felt so stupid being lured into her trap. He should have realized she was a witch.
"Oh yes...Let's say I owe my looks to your dear sister and also, I hope you enjoyed your meal. It was delicious wasn't it?" the witch giggled and opened the cage.
The boy couldn't move because of the chains. he could only move his head.
Hansel wanted to gag. He couldn't believe what was happening. He was crying. Mourning his sister's tragic end. He screaming for someone to help him. But no one was there to hear him.
Before the witch put him in the oven that was place on the other side of the fireplace, he saw an eerie figure behind the witch. It was //Gretel//... She was there...
"Gretel?? Is this you?" he said stanned by what he was seeing.
"//Don't worry brother. When this is all over, we will be together again. You, Me and Mother.//"
That was the last thing the boy saw before he was pushed by the witch inside the fire.
[[The End.]]Hansel realized what happened to his sister. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that he was n't there to protect her. How did he leave this happen?
That's when he decided he is going to take revenge for her. He would try to kill the witch.
Holda turned towards him.
"Now I'm going to take you to your sister" said the witch and laughed.
Hansel was ready. His whole body was chained but he could move his hands and a little bit his legs.
The witch opened the cage and tried to drag him from the feet. That's when Hansel moved his legs and kicked her to her stomach and she fell down. The brave boy rolled his towards her and rolled on top of her. He tried to press on her neck with all his body so she can at least pass out.
But the witch was stronger and she also had magic. She freed her hands and tapped on the boys head, making him calm down.
"Stupid boy! What made you think that you could outsmart me?"
Hansel couldn't say anything. He was laying on the cold metal floor, chained and alone.
The witch without second thought, dragged him and pushed him in the oven.
[[The End.]]As they got up from the basement, Hansel and Gretel tried to escape, but the witch was too fast and apperead in front of them in no time.
"Where do you think you are going my children? I thought we were becoming friends!" said the witch grabbed them by their hands and led them to the basement again. This time he locked in the cage only Hansel.
"Where are you taking her?" asked Hansel anxiously.
"Oh do not worry you silly boy. She ruined my plans the first time. It won't happen again.." said and did a spell on her that left her completely hypnotised. She would only respond to the witch's words.
"Please take me! Let her go!" begged the poor boy.
"A good offer but I'm going to have to decline. Take this as a lesson my child. Good offers come only once in your lifetime.I offered you something good and you decided to turn it down. This is what happens." said the witch and took Gretel upstairs.
Hansel was screaming on top of his lungs to let her go but the witch didn't change her mind.
His sister was gone.
From the next day and on, Hansel did anything that the witch asked him to do. She would bring many kids in the house but he coulnd't do anythinf to help them. Hansel couldn't say anything because of the witch's spell: he couldn't talk to anyone but her.
This situation went on for months. Until one day, the witch brought home a girl that looked exactly like his sister. He couldn't believe his eyes.
Hansel was determined to save that girl.
When the evil witch was about to throw the girl in the fire, Hansel pulled the girl from the chains around her hands to take her away from the fire and then pushed her, with all the power that he had in his body, into the oven to burn.
The spell was immediately broken.
"Are you okay?" asked Hansel with a shaky voice.
"Yeah I'm alright. Thank you for saving me!" said the girl and burst in tears.
Hansel took anything of value from the house and took off with the girl to find her home.
When they managed to reach the girl's house, she offered him to stay with her and her family. Hansel, with having nowhere else to go, accepted and stayed there for the rest of his life, happily ever after.
[[The End.]]As they went upstairs, the witch offered them biscuits and some hot tea to enjoy. They were suspicious at first but after talking a little bit more with the lady, they realized that this could be actually a really good opportunity.
And so they aggreed. They helped her with anything that she asked them to and in exchanged they had somewhere to live and food to eat. Things were too good to be true the first few months.
Until weird things started happening. Many witches were coming to see them and they were getting many gifts, especially gifts that they could eat.
That's when they started realizing that something is wrong. She was feeding them so that they can be more tasty when she eats them!
When the siblings realized it, they knew that they have to do something for that. Something that she wouldn't suspect.
Hansel and Gretel came up with a plan. They would lure the witch to come close to the oven and then they would push her inside and let her burn. And so they did.
Hansel was cleaning the oven around and he burned himself on purpose so that the witch will smell his flesh and come //help// him with his injure.
"What happened dear one?" said the witch with a really sweet voice.
"You see...I was trying to clean the over but it was too hot and I burned myself..."Hansel said with his innocent voice.
"Oh my little one. Don't worry. It will be gone before..."
Before she had time to finish her sentence, Hansel opened the oven and Gretel pushed her from behind with a stick inside it.
Her screams echoed everywhere. But it was too late now. No one could save her.
After they defeated the witch, Hansel and Gretel stayed in this house with all the gold that the witch had left, happily ever after.
[[The End.]]Even if they had no stones to throw, Hansel knew what to do.
Off they went once more.
Hansel slipped the bread in his pocket, crushing it into mostly crumbs and sadly followed behind his stepmother and beloved sister. Every few feet, he dropped these breadcrumbs on the ground.
Soon their stepmother grew suspicious of Hansel.
“Hansel, what is it that you think you’re up to?” she shouted.
Gretel, hearing this, quickly came up with a way to distract their mother:
“Mother! Mother! A wild forest fairy just flew into your hair!”
Panicked, Hansel and Gretel’s stepmother began to shake and squirm; she disheveled her hair and screeched with fear.
This gave Hansel time to catch up.
"You children will be the death of me. Hurry along NOW," the woman grumbled.
They travelled for a few more miles until they came to a very small clearing – even smaller than the previous.
"I am going to find a good place to chop wood. Both of you, STAY PUT! I will come back for you shortly," she commanded and declared. So, the children waited and waited AND waited, but their mother never returned for them.
Hansel offered Gretel what little bread was left.
"This is not what you have been dropping on the ground," Gretel remembered.
"I dropped most of our skipping stones last time. Mother led us down a different route today and that stupid bird must’ve stolen all of those stones. The breadcrumbs will be here in the morning and we can follow them on our return home," Hansel replied.
"In the morning? Hansel! I will not stay here overnight," Gretel stated. Then thinking about Hansel's panic last night, Gretal began, "What about wolves? What about –"
"Okay. No wolves, bears, cougars, raccoons, muskrats, or squirrels will get us. I get. Lets just promise we will get out of here," Hansel said, interrupting his sister.
They started taking the road back home but there was sweet aroma in the atmosphere that was distracting them and instead of following the path and they followed that wonderful scent.
Mouths dripping with drool, Hansel and Gretel finally reached it.
In front of their eyes and noses sat a house made entirely out of the most delicious looking sweets.
The roof was coated with fluffy white icing; pink, sticky syrup drizzled and dripped along the sides of the dark chocolate exterior; a gum drop door frame was sopping with sparkling icing sugar; a frothy milk chocolate river flowed under a gingerbread bridge that led to a gingerbread door; and a lollipop garden sat in front of a large crystallized sugar window.
Hansel and Gretel stood stunned for a moment, and then, without caution or hesitation, they ran to the house and began stuffing their faces full of candy.
"What little pretties have come to my house today?" screeched an odd voice.
Hansel and Gretel stopped short and stared at one another – each was messy and covered in candy.
"Ugh!" they whisper-shouted in unison.
"Oh, two little ones to enjoy!" the voice screeched again. Hansel and Gretel turned and stared at a very small woman with scraggly hair wearing a long pink dress. She was very strange looking and smelled quite funny – a little too sweet.
The old woman then invited Hansel and Gretel into her house.
"There's more candy in here! Fresh candy, my sweets!" she called to them, motioning them inside her house.
Hansel immediately ran into the candy house despite Gretel's cautious protests. After a while of standing outside, the old woman popped her jagged-toothed head out from the little house and beckoned Gretel:
"Come in, come in. My, my, you are very pretty!"
With this, alongside her idea of Hansel stuffing his face in the interior of the house, Gretel eventually followed inside.
When Gretel entered the house, she immediately heard the gingerbread door shut heavily behind her. She turned around and noticed that the entire inside of the candy house was made of solid steel. Inside the house were bags and bags of brilliant gold coins.
Gretel whipped her head back around to see that Hansel was locked up in a cage hanging directly overtop of a boiling pot of water! This woman was no woman at all - she was an Evil Witch!
"Now, go sit at the table, little pretty," the evil witch commanded Gretel. "Help me slice up those chops. We are going to fatten him up!" she exclaimed excitedly, pointing over to Hansel.
Now Gretel understood the evil witch's plan: she had used her candy house to lure them inside so that she could eat them up for dinner!
Gretel thought all hope was lost as she sat at the large metal table slicing meat. She sobbed and sliced; she sliced and sobbed. Gretel filled three large buckets full with the fatty food for the old woman to cook in her large boiling pot. Poor Hansel sat anxiously thinking of a way to escape. He watched as Gretel threw the scraps and bones into a separate pile beside the buckets of sliced meat.
Suddenly, Hansel was struck with a brilliant idea: he started to cough violently - in an attempt to attract Gretel's attention.
"Oh, quit your hacking! You best not be sick if I am going to snack on you!" the evil witch shrieked. All the commotion caused Gretel to look up in Hansel's direction. He motioned her to distract the evil witch. Seeing her poor brother's desperation, Gretel scoured her brain for a way to distract the evil witch.
After a moment of thought, Gretel cried and dropped her knife:
"Oh my!" she cried.
"What do you think you're doing? Get back to work!" the evil, selfish witch shrieked once more.
"I think I saw a... I think I saw a... A Dragon outside!" Gretel cried, convincingly. Hansel held back laughter since Gretel’s claims were getting a little more and more ridiculous.
"A Dragon you say?" the evil witch questioned.
"Oh, goodness. That was most definitely a dragon I saw! It will surely burn down the forest with its fiery breath and then your candy house will be revealed to all the grown ups in the land!" Gretel declared. "How will you ever catch children if your candy house is not secret to the grown ups – who can no longer smell the sweetness of the candy?" Gretel questioned with her voice sweet as the syrup that dripped from the roof.
With this, the evil witch unlocked the steel and/ or gingerbread door and ran outside in search of the supposed dragon.
Hansel quickly motioned Gretel to hand him one of the bones lying in the scrap pile. Gretel held up a large bone, but Hansel shook his head; she held up a thick bone, but Hansel shook his head; and then, from the bottom of the pile, Gretel found the thinnest bone of all and brought it over to Hansel's cage for she knew what he would be using it for.
He told her his plan just in time for them to hear the evil witch hustling back.
Just as Gretel sat down at the large metal table, the evil witch stormed in the house looking puzzled.
"Well, no dragon in sight! Not even the tip of a tail or the smell of smoke!" she exclaimed.
"Perhaps he smelled you coming," Gretel replied frankly, continuing to slice the chops. "Dragons have a sharp sense of smell, you know," she said curtly.
"Hmph... Chop larger! The larger the better, little pretty!" the evil witch demanded, closing the steel door but forgetting to lock it.
As the evil witch focused on Gretel's slicing, Hansel quietly maneuvered the thin bone around in the keyhole of his cage.
Slowly and quietly, Hansel removed the bone and waited patiently for his plan to unfold.
Once Gretel had finished her slicing, the evil witch walked it over to the pot located directly underneath Hansel.
"Well? What are you waiting for, little pretty? Help me get this food in the pot!” the evil witch ordered Gretel.
"Hmm. That pot doesn’t look quite hot enough," Gretel said.
"I will dip your little feet in and we can check," the evil witch sneered.
"How can you trust that I will say it is hot enough? I will surely lie and then the food will never be cooked for my brother to eat," Gretel replied.
The evil witch furrowed her brow and looked from the pot to Gretel and back again. "Oh, I suppose you're right. Stay there. I will check to see if the water is almost at a boil," the evil witch huffed.
Gretel remained behind as the evil witch approached the pot. Gretel waited for Hansel's signal.
Just as the evil, selfish witch brought the tip of her long, crooked nose to the boiling water, Hansel kicked his cage door open. This gave Gretel the signal to push the evil witch into the boiling pot of water. The evil witch toppled over into the pot just in time for Hansel to land right on her head, avoiding the hot water beneath his feet. The heat from the water melted the old witch into sweet, gooey syrup.
The children ran out of the house once they had gathered the sacks of gold that the evil witch had stolen over the years from the other children that came by her candy house.
Hansel and Gretel followed the path from which they first smelled the candy until they reached the very small glade where Hansel had last dropped bread crumbs; however, the children found that their bread crumbs had been eaten and replaced by their favourite stolen skipping stones by none other than the rascal bird that had stolen them. The bird chirped happily as it finished its last breadcrumb.
Apparently, the bird had been hungry too!
Hansel and Gretel gathered their skipping stones in the bags of gold and made their way home.
When they arrived, they ran into the embrace of their Father, who had become a widowed man after his wife had, ironically, died from food poisoning.
Their Father welcomed them home and apologized for letting their stepmother’s selfishness overcome him. They took care of him with pity until his death from a slower, more subtle, and unfortunately more painful food poisoning shortly after.
The two siblings lived in happiness together for the rest of their days sharing their newfound wealth with the land and, of course, skipping stones in the lake half a mile over while feeding their naughty bird breadcrumbs.
[[The End.]]Their stepmother led the way. They were walking for hours without stopping. This time they had no stones to throw. It was a one way trip.
The sun had sat and the moon was shinning bright in the sky. Their stepmother turned to them and said:
"Wait here while I search for firewood."
Then away she stumbled, back to her damp little cottage and her poor busband.
Quite soon, wolves began to howl and the siblings shivered.
"What are we going to do Hansel? She is not coming back for us and we have nowhere to go!" asked Gretel anxiously.
"Don't worry sister we are going to find a solution, like we always do. Let's just rest tonight and we are going to find a solution tomorrow morning." said Hansel and sat on a dead log.
They shared the bread that their father had given them and they drank some water from the lake that was close to them.
They were lucky enough to find a cave by the lake, so they spent the night in there.
When they woke in the misty morning, there was the white dove fluttering away! "Let’s follow her" said Hansel. "Things can’t get any worse."
Almost at once, the children saw a wonderful cottage made from gingerbread and sweeties. Their mouths watered, and soon they were nibbling delicious chunks of wall and windowsill.
Suddenly, a sugar-sweet voice said:
"Come in my dears and warm yourselves."
An old lady stood by the door, and the children forgot to be frightened. In they skipped, and the door shut heave behind them. They were trapped
inside a witch’s house!
Now her voice became as hard as a seaside rock.
"Got you!" she cackled, locking Hansel inside an iron cage.
"Boy, you will grow plump and juicy. Girl, you will be my slave."
Poor Hansel. The witch fattened him up until he was as round as a gobstopper. Poor Gretel. She ate nothing but scraps from the cat’s saucer.
At last the witch shrieked:
"Girl! Build up the fire. I want Boy Pie for my tea."
"I’m very sorry," said Gretel politely, "but I have never cooked a Boy Pie before. Do you think the oven is hot enough?"
The witch stamped her foot and peered into the oven. "It’s really hot!" she screamed, and no wonder... Gretel had pushed her inside and slammed the door!
In moments, Hansel was free. The two children grabbed the witch’s treasure and raced outside, to find the white dove waiting for them. Of course, she led them home by the shortest way, and when their
Father saw them, his smile was as warm as the summer sun.
Astonishingly, Hansel and Gretel’s horrible stepmother had vanished that very day – while all that remained of the wicked witch was one smoky gingerbread biscuit.
They experienced no day of hunger and they lived happily ever after.
[[The End.]]After the doctor left, Gretel waited for her brother to come back from work to confront him with her thoughts. Their stepmother is poisoning their father, maybe even them.
When she told him that, Hansel:
[[Believed her]]
[[Disagree with her]]
Gretel started to panic. What were they going to do? He could be gone anytime soon. The first thing she did is confront her brother.
Hansel couldn't believe it. It made so much sense. The symptoms were so similar but they can't trace it back to any other illness.
They were both speechless. They remembered when their mother was sick. She couldn't do anything, she wasn't diagnosed with an illness but the medicines she was given made the process slower and more painful.
They had to talk with their stepmother to find what they were going to do.
Hansel and Gretel found her knitting in the kitchen, while their father was laying in bed sleeping.
"Mother, there is something that we want to tell you" said Hansel
"Go on." said their stepmother and continued with her bussiness
"We believe that father is sufferring from the same illeness as our Mother did." said Gretel slowly.
The woman stopped what she was doing and dropped a needle on the floor.
"Are you saying that you are father is going to die soon?" said with tears in her eyes.
"We believe so. Based on what the doctor of our Mother said and what the doctor told us today."replied the girl.
The woman started weeping. She couln't believe what the kids were saying.
" I can't believe this. And I won't believe this. You Father is a strong man. He is going to get through this. We are going to get him his medicine and he is going to be okay!" said the woman determined to help her sick husband.
"The medicine is going to make things more painful for him." said Hansel
"I think we need to enjoy the last days that we have left with our loved one" announced Gretel with tears running through her face.
In three days time their Father had passed away. He died painlessly in their sleep and he was in heaven with their Mother. They enjoyed as much time as they could with him.
Their stepmother was really hurt and couldn't believe that she lost her loved one.
Even if this was a tragety, they brought them closer together and they remained like that for the rest of their lives.
[[The End.]]"Gretel we need to do something! How are we going to tell Father?" Hansel said.
"I don't know but we need to send with this story, once and for all!"
Gretel was determined to save her father and her brother.
The next day, Greta insisted of cooking herself. The woodcutter's wife didn't resist and so they had dinner like a //family//. Similarly, for the following days, the girl was cooking food for the all of them. That's the time that their Father felt better. He could eat more and most importantly, he was able to eat by himself.
That's when Hansel and Gretel's fear was confirmed.
One afternoon, when his stepmother was busy, Hansel approached his father and told him what he and Gretel were speculating. Their father confirmed his theory by saying.
"I told you this is my punishment Han"
"This? Dying by an evil woman? Father we are not going to let anything happen to!"
"Even if you do, It will be okay!" said his Father and hugged him.
Hansel talked with Gretel and they decided that it is time to confront their stepmother about this.
During their meal, Gretel decided adress the issue.
"Mother I have something that I want to ask you." said with as much confidence as she could find.
"Okay, go on."
"Have you been poisoning our food?"
Their mother was speechless.
"Have you?" repeated the gril.
"That is nonsense Gretel! What are you talking about?"
"Father is unwell because of you but the poison has not worked on us yet! Just admit and be done with it!"
"Admit a lie? Please girl don't be silly!" said the mother and got away from the table.
"Admit it you evil woman!" yelled Gretel
With these words, the woman turned into a horrifying creature with black eyes and sharp teeth.
Hansel, Gretel and their Father got us fast and tried to run to the exit but she was faster than them. She shielded the door with her body and stopped them from running away.
"Stupid children! I knew I should have killed you when I had the chance. But it is never too late!"said the witch and walked closer to them.
"Honey please don't hurt them. Take me instead, just let them go"said the Father patrified with as much strenght they had left.
"Oh don't worry dear, your time will come. But first I want the fresh ones." she said and with her magic pulled Hansel and Gretel closer to her and with no hesitation put them into the fire. Their screams echoed everywhere. Their Father tried to stop them but she was too strong. She grabbed him with her invisible hand and put him in the fire as well.
The witch had food for days. When she run out she took a new form and head to the town to find new victims. That was her plan of action. Find desperate men, marry them, poison them or eat them and take as much as of their wealth as they have. Since she was immortal, she had the time to spend it however she wanted.
Unfortunetely, the woodcutter and his familly were some of the victims.
[[The End.]]"No there is no way! She has been treating us so nicely the past few months! And she takes such a good care of Father!"
"Hansel listen to yourself! She has been treating us nicly because we have been bringing money in the house. If we stop working, she won't even bother to look at us. Believe me when I say that she has been poisoning our food!"
"Gretel your work has been getting in your head." said the boy and attempted to leave.
"My brother I would never lie to you or try to change your mind but please make up your mind. Look at the happenings. Our Father is fine now that I'm cooking for him!"
"He is also fine because he is taking the medicine that the doctor gave him!"
"Do you really think that's the only reason he is okay?"
"Yeah I do Gretel! Now stop thinking nonsense and come have dinner."
"She has gotten in your head, hasn't she? No I'm not! I'm going out. When I come back you better have reconsidered!"
Greta left furiously out of the house. She went to town where she got some food and managed to visit the doctor again to talk about the symptoms of food poisoning. After she got the answers that she wanted, she went home ready to prove Hansel her theory.
But when she got in the house, she couldn't believe her eyes.
Father and Hansel were layin on the floor, with blood coming out of their mouths. Gretel rushed to try and help them but it was too late. When she looked around, not only her stepmother was gone but also all of their valueables.
She was right all along. If only Hansel had listened. If she hadn't left the house. Maybe things would be different. But now they are gone. And she has to do something about it...
[[The End.]] ?
When they woke up they were hungry but they had nothing but half a loaf of bread. They shared that for breakfast and they continued their journey. They thought they will be able to find somewhere to stay in the next town so that's where they were trying to go.
The hours were passing slowely but Hansel believed they made the right choice to leave the house. Finally, they managed to reach the town center. It was a bigger village than their own but still as poor. They walked around and the streets were empty. People were starving and dying in the streets. The situation was really bad.
Hansel and Gretel were hungry again, so they decided to go somewhere and exchange some of the jewellery for money. They went to the closest place they could find.
The man who was asking questions about them and the jewelerry was really careful with their belongings. They were sure they didn't cost much but it was enough for a hot plate of food.
"Can you tell me again, my children, where did you find this jewellery?"said the expert while looking closely at a necklace with a huge purple rock in the middle.
"It is our stepmother's. She asked us to bring them here for her."
"Hm interesting...Do you know that this is a witch's bead?"
"The siblings looked at each other.
"What do you mean?" said Gretel
"This is what witches usually wear to maintain their power. A witch never gives that up. But since, as you said, gave it to you willingly, it means that she is no witch! And you are in for a lot of cash!" said the man with an exciting tone.
Hansel and Gretel didn't know what to do:
[[Keep the necklace. ]]
[[Sell it]]The siblings asked for the necklace back and gave him some other bracelets that they had of their stepmother's instead. They still got cash but not as much as they would take if the sold the necklace.
With a pocket full of money,Hansel and Gretel took of to have some meal in town before they decided what they were going to do.
Gretel was really worry about their Father.
"So does that mean that our stepmother is a witch? Do you think she is going to hurt our Father now that we are both gone?"
"I don't know...Do you think we should go back?" asked Hansel
[[Go back]]
[[Continue their journey]]
Hansel and Gretel, didn't think twice. They continued the transaction and got the coins equivalant to the necklace's worth. The siblings with pockets full of gold coins ,left and went to a bakery to get anything they wanted. The bought bread and pastries to last them for days and went on around the town to find somewhere to stay.
They asked locals but it was really hard to find shelter for the night or for a few days. As tehyw ere walking, they heard a voice behind them calling them:
"Excuse me! Excuse me..."
Hansel and Gretel heard the voice coming closer so they stopped to see who is calling them. When they turned around, they saw an old woman trying to keep up with them.
"My children, are you looking for somewhere to stay?" said the old woman by taking a deep breath.
"Yes ma'am. Do you know anywhere that can accomodate us for tonight?"said Hansel and took a step closer to the elder.
"I have a place that you can stay for as long as you like. It is right there in the corner." she showed them the house right across them.
"We would really appreciate it. What is it you want for exchange?" said Hansel. Nothing comes without a price.
"Oh my dear ones, just some help in the house. Nothing more. And you can stay as long as you like."
"Well we would love to help you with anything. We really appreciate it"
As soon as Hansel replied, Gretel pulled him to her side.
"Hansel what if this is a trap? There is no way she is going to let us stay in the house just for cleaning and cooking." the girl was really upset with her brother.
"Come on Gretel" he whispered. "She is an old woman, what can she do to us?"
"What if she is a witch like our stepmother?"
"Our stemother is not a witch . She just happened to own one of these necklaces."
"Do you even hear what you are saying? I don't trust the old woman. She is too generous for her own good."
"She is an old woman, even if she tried to do anything to us, we are faster and stronger. We can run away and never look back."
Gretel sighed.
"We have managed this far. We will be fine" said Hansel and turned to the old woman who was waiting for them patiently.
"We accept your offer and we deeply appreciate it!"
"Oh great. I'm going to have some company. Come follow me." said the old lady and started walking slowly for the house.
When they got in, it was a quite spacious with a big kitchen. Hansel loved the house and the idea of living there but Gretel, not so much.
The old woman showed them to thier new rooms. They had their own rooms for the first time in their lives. Things were looking really good for them. Luck was by their side. For now.
They stayed with the old woman for quite a while. They just cleaned and cooked everyday. They spent a lot of time with the old woman. She told them stories and taught them many new things. Gretel was getting used to it but still had a suspicion about the generosity of the old woman on the back of her head.
Her suspicion was confirmed one day when she was going through the cupboards in the kitchen. She found a black bottle with a liquid that smelled horrible. Gretel knew that the liquid wasn't going to be used for any good. So she decided to take action.
She grabbed the bottle and went to the old woman that was sitting with Hansel by the fireplace.
"What is this?" demanded Gretel.
Hansel and the old woman turend around to see what she was talking about.
"Where did you find this?" asked the old woman and got up from her sit.
"In the kitchen! Is this poison? Were you planning on killing us?" Gretel was really upset.
"Gretel please. I'm sure she doesn't want to harm us. Right?" said Hansel and turned to the old woman.
The woman turned to the fireplace but didn't say anything.
"Right?" repeated Hansel.
"Oh child, you should have listened to your sister."
Suddenly, the old woman transformed into another person. Taller, younger...It was...It was their stepmother.
The siblings couldn't believe their eyes. She was a witch!
Without having time to move at all, the woman grabbed Hansel and started yelling.
"Where is my necklace? You took it from me, you little brats! I know you did! Where is it?"
Hansel couldn't move.
"Let go of Hansel and we are going to give you the necklace. Let him go!"
"I don't trust you girl. Where is it? Tell me and I will let you leave."
Hansel tried to speak but it was really hard to get a sentence out. "Tell...her..."
Gretel didn't have much of a choice.
"We sold it for money. It is in the place down the path from here. Now let us go!" demanded Gretel with tears in her eyes.
"You sold my necklace! You are not going anywhere! You are going to have the same ending as your father."
The whole room turned black. The windows and the doors were locked. The only light was coming from the fireplace. The witch let go off Hansel, eho fell on the floor and tried to catch his breath.
"What did you do to our father? Where is he?" Gretel was trying to not break into tears.
"Don't worry sweetheart, he is with your Mother. In hell!"
"In hell is where you are going!" the brave girl threw the black bottle on the witch's face, which shattered in million pieces.
The witch started screaming from the pain. Hansel, with as much strength as he had, got up and pushed the witch in the fire while Gretel, grabbed one of the broom and staked her in the heart with the end.
The screaming stopped. The evil creature turned into dust. She was gone.
But so was their Father. Gretel fell on her knees crying. She couldn't believe what had just happened. Hansel hugged her tightly.
What happened next?
[[Live in the witch's house]]
[[Go back home]]When Hansel opened his eyes, he was in dark room. He didn't know where he was and he couldn't recall what happened before being here. The only thing that he could remember is his encounter with Red Riding Hood.
"Hello? Red Riding Hood?" he said loudly.
Suddenly a door opened and the girl came inside.
"Oh you are finally awake. I didn't know when you were going to gain consciousness again so I left you in here that is safe."
"Where is here?" he interrupted her.
"We are in the Candy House. The whole house is covered in chocolate, candy and other sweets. Want some?" said the girl excited.
"Yeah...I'm actually starving." said the boy and got up to his feet.
He got really dizzy, so the little girl helped him to sit in a chair in the hot kitchen.
"Here's some hot milk" the girl offered "And some cake. I hope you like it!"
"Thank you!"
Hansel devoured the cake and drunk the milk. He was really hungry and weak. That's when he remembered the attack. Red Riding Hood is the evil witch!
When he remembered, he threw the glass on her face and started running towards the exit. The screams of a girl suddenly turned into the screams of a monster.
The door was locked. He could climb to one of the windows. The scream was getting closer.
"Even if I can't see. I can smell you little boy. You smell just like your sister" the witch screamed.
His sister? No...No she is not...dead...
Hansel was heartbroken. That's when he knew he had to end it. Right here. Right now.
He took a sharp bone that was laced by the door, surrounded the witch one time and stabbed her in the heart from the bag.
Her screams became even louder but not for long. The witch turned into ash in just a second. And she was gone.
Hansel fell to his knees and weeped for his dead sister. He took revenge for her but that won't bring her back.
Hansel took all the gold from the house and went off to live in the next village for the rest of his life.
[[The End.]]"I think it is for the best. What if our Father needs us? What if she actually hurt him?" Gretel replied to her brother.
"Fine then. Let's get some food supplies for the journey back home."
And so they did. They walked for two days until they finally reached home.
When they got inside they found nothing and no one. Only one note.
//If you want your Father alive, bring my necklace in the Red Cabin in the woods, by midnight.//
As soon as they read it, the note disintegrated into thin air. Their stepmother - or better the witch - knew that they were coming.
The siblings didn't even hesitate and started walking back into the woods to find the cabin.
The sun was about to set and it was getting more and more cold. The more they walked, the more lost they got into the forest.
"Gretel, what if we don't find the cabin? What are we going to do then?" asked Hansel.
"Let's hope that we will find the cabin soon..." replied his sister and she continued to lead the way.
It was close to midnight and they couldn't find the Red Cabin. The siblings were losing hope. They stopped at a lake to drink some water and think what they were going to do.
"The Red cabin is no where to be found. I can't believe we have been walking for hours and nothing..." said Hansel.
Gretel was still positive that they were going to find it. Suddenly they heard a whisper.
"Pss... Psss"
"Do you hear that?" asked Gretel
"Hear wh...?"
"//Down here//" said the tiny voice again.
When they looked down, they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
A squirrel was talking to them.
"//Are you looking for teh Red Cabin?//" whispered the small creature.
"Yeah...do you know where it is?" asked Hansel.
The squirrel nodded.
"//Do you want me to take you?//"
They didn't have many choices so they both nodded and followed the tiny squirrel int he woods.
After a few minutes, they arrived in the cabin, just on time.
Hansel and Gretel thanked the creature and with no delays, they knocked on the door of the Red Cabin.
[[Inside the Red Cabin]]Gretel, bitter by the fact that their Father kicked thme out of the house, suggested they continue their journey. And so they did.
After wondering around, they found an abonded house in the middle of the woods and went inside. The house had furniture and equipment and it was perfect for the two of them.
They stayed one night, the stayed a second night but no one came for it. So they siblings decided to actually live in the house.
It took them a while, but they managed to remodel the house and make it their own.
No one ever came to bother them and they were glad they didn't look back.
They lived happily ever after.
[[The End.]]Hansel and Gretel decided to stay in the house of the witch. It was nice and it fit both of them.
They found places to work in the town: Hansel became a Baker while Gretel got a job as a maid.
They spent the rest of their lives there, happily ever after.
[[The End.]]Hansel and Gretel packed all their stuff. With all the gold that they had left and the gold from the old woman, they could survive for quite a long time.
When they were ready, the took the road back home.
After a few days of walking, they managed to reach their old house, which was abondoned and in a bad condition. The siblings reconstructed the house and made their new home the way they wanted it.
Even if they had lost their Father, he would always be in their hearts.
They lived the rest of their lives with the gold that they had, happily ever after.
[[The End.]]The door opened automatically in front of them. The siblings look at each other and they entered the mysterious home.
The first thing they saw, was their father, wrapped in chains on a chair by a huge fireplace.
"Father!" they both exclaimed and run towards him.
As soon as they run to their father, the door behind them closed heavily behind them. But none of them looked back.
Their Father was unconcious. Hansel and Gretel, tried to help him out of the chains but they were smouldering hot. It was impossible.
"You thought it would be that easy, huh?" said a voice behind them.
"Please let him go! We have your necklace. Just let him go." Gretel screamed in agony.
"Do you think I was going to let you go that easily?" laughed the witch and continued. "You stole from me! I helped you all these years , I even let you go alive but still found a way to destroy my plans. How ungrateful! I knew I should have eaten you when I had the chance!"
The fireplace sparked an even bigger fire.
"Now...give me my necklace and let's be done with it. I'm hungry" smiled the evil woman and streched her hand.
Gretel was angry and scared. She took the necklace of her pocket and held it up in the air.
"You want it? Go and get it!" and with no hesitation she threw in in the fire.
The witch gasped. With no hesitation she run in the fire to get it. Hansel and Gretel run and pushed the witch further inside the fireplace.
Her screams echoed everywhere. The flames started becoming bigger and bigger. They had to get out of there. But the door was looked and their father was still unconcious in chains.
Suddenly, they heard a huge bang on the door. And then another one. The door fell on the ground and a huge bear came inside the house.
The siblings were petrified. Not only had they encountered a witch, now they have to fight a bear as well.
It wasn't until the tiny squirrel that helped them before appeared on the shoulder of the huge bear.
"//Get out of here!//" yelled the tiny squirrel to Hansel and Gretel.
"We can't. We need to save our father!The chains are hot and we can't free him." said Hansel.
"//Wrap him in that blanket and I will carry him outside.//" offered the bear.
So they did. As soon as they got out of the house safe, the chains loosened and their father woke up. A minute after that, the house was completely in flames but because the witch with her magic caused the fire, when she burned completely, the fire burned out completely.
Dozens of animals had surrounded the cabin by that time. Looking at what had just happened.
Hansel and Gretel couldn't believe what they had just experienced.
The siblings thanked the squirrel and the bear for their help. Even if everything was ruined, they still managed to make some friends.
"If I may ask, why did you help us?" turned Gretel to ask the nobble creatures.
The bear replied with his low voice. "The witch has been treating us and out natural environment really unfairly. When we heard her talking about you coming today, we wanted to help you no matter what. You don't deserve to suffer like us."
The siblings and their father were in tears. They thanked them again and made their way back home.
Hansel, Gretel and the Woodcutter stayed together for the rest of their lives and they managed to survive.
[[The End.]]
Early in the morning, before the children were awake, she rose up, and when she saw them both sleeping so peacefully, with their round rosy cheeks, she muttered to herself:
"That’ll be a dainty bite."
Then she seized Hansel with her bony hand and carried him into a little stable, and barred the door on him. He might have screamed as much as he liked, for it would do him no good.
Then she went to Gretel, shook her until she awoke, and cried:
"Get up, you lazy bones, fetch water and cook something for your brother. When he’s fat I’ll eat him up."
Gretel began to cry bitterly, but it was of no use; she had to do what the wicked witch bade her.
So the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got nothing but crab shells. Every morning the old woman hobbled out to the stable and cried:
"Hansel, put out your finger, that I may feel if you are getting fat." But Hansel always stretched out a bone, and the old dame, whose eyes were dim, couldn’t see it. Thinking always it was Hansel’s finger, she wondered why he fattened so slowly.
When four weeks had passed and Hansel still remained thin, she lost patience and determined to wait no longer.
"Gretel, be quick and get some water. Hansel may be fat or thin, I’m going to kill him tomorrow and cook him." she called to the girl.
Oh! How the poor little sister sobbed as she carried the water, and how the tears rolled down her cheeks!
"Kind heaven help us now!" She cried. "If only the wild beasts in the wood had eaten us, then at least we should have died together."
"Just hold your peace, it won’t help you.” said the evil witch.
Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the kettle full of water, and light the fire.
"First we’ll bake. I’ve heated the oven already and kneaded the dough."
She pushed Gretel out to the oven, from which fiery flames were already issuing.
"Creep in and see if it’s properly heated, so that we can shove in the bread." said the witch.
When she had got Gretel in she meant to close the oven and let the girl bake, that she might eat her up too. But Gretel perceived her intention, and said, "I don’t know how I’m to do it; how do I get in?"
"You silly goose!” Said the hag. "The opening is big enough, see, I could get in myself," and she crawled toward it, and poked her head into the oven.
Then Gretel gave her a shove that sent her right in, shut the iron door, and drew the bolt. Gracious! How she yelled; it was quite horrible, but Gretel fled and the wretched old woman was left to perish miserably.
Gretel flew straight to Hansel, opened the little stable door and cried:
"Hansel, we are free; the old witch is dead!"
Then Hansel sprang like a bird out of a cage when the door is opened. How they rejoiced, fell on each other’s necks, jumped for joy, and kissed one another! As they had no longer any cause for fear, they went in the old hag’s house, and here they found, in every corner of the room, boxes with pearls and precious stones.
"These are even better than pebbles," said Hansel, and crammed his pockets full of them.
"I too will bring something home," and Gretel filled her apron full.
"Now," said Hansel, "let’s go and get well away from the witch’s wood."
When they had wandered about for some hours they came to a big lake.
"We can’t get over, I see no bridge of any sort or kind." said Hansel.
“Yes, and there’s no ferry boat either,” answered Gretel. "But look, there swims a white duck.If I ask her she’ll help us over," and she called out:
"Here are two children, mournful very, seeing neither bridge nor ferry; take us upon your white back, and row us over, quack, quack!"
The duck swam towards them, and Hansel got on her back and bade his little sister sit beside him.
"No, we should be too heavy a load for the duck. She shall carry us across separately."
The good bird did this, and when they were landed safely on the other side, and had gone for a while, the wood became more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw their father’s house in the distance.
Then they set off to run, and bounding into the room fell on their father’s neck. The man had not passed a happy hour since he lost them in the wood, and his wife had died.
Gretel shook out her apron so that the pearls and precious stones rolled about the room, and Hansel threw down one handful after the other out of his pocket.
All their troubles were ended, and they lived happily ever after.
[[The End.]]They could hear their stepmother yelling at them but they didn't stop. They kept running in the woods until there lungs were out of breath.
They hid behind a bush and they tried to relax for a moment and think a plan of action.
"Now what are we going to Gretel? We are lost in the woods and alone." said Hansel.
"Did you want to end up in a stranger's house? Or whatever that house was!"
Hansel didn't replied. They needed to find a way to return back home. They got up and walked as fast as they could through the forest.
The moon was shinning in the sky and that's what guided them back to where they started.
The more they walked, the more familiar the area was becoming.
After a few hours, they managed to reach their house and knock the door.
But when the door opened, they didn't receive the welcome they were expecting.
Their Father was there and started yelling at them.
"You came back without your mother? She is nowhere to be found!"
"Do you care only about her? What about us?" asked Gretel angrily.
"You were supposed to find somewhere better to be. Not here with us..." he calmed down and he continued. "I'm glad you are safe. Here eat some bread"
The siblings devoured the bread that their Father gave them.
Hansel and Gretel didn't say anything.
"Tomorrow we are going to go back in the woods and we will find her. Go rest." said their Father with his back turned on them.
"But..." they said his kids together
"No buts...it is your fault" said the Father and closed himself in his room.
The next morning they took off again for the woods. Hansel and Gretel were really annoyed but mostly angry with their father that he blamed it on them.
They walked for hours without stopping. As they walked, Hansel jumped and said:
"Look! There! That's the house!"
The woodcutter with no hesitation, he sprinted towards the house and knocked the door. The children had to run, to catch up with him.
The door opened automatically in front of them. The woodcutter went inside and started calling for his wife. But no reply. The only thing that he could hear is Hansel and Gretel's footstep and the cracking of the burning wood in the fireplace.
Suddenly, the sound of the door shuting heavy behind them, echoed in the room and scared them even more.
The more the walked in the house, the more suspicious they got.
When they least expected, a woman apperead in front of them and yelled:
"More dinner. My lucky day!" and tried to grab Hansel first but he was faster and he managed to run away.
"Come here my dear child, nothing is going to happen to you! You run away yesterday but you won't today!"
"Stay away from us. Where is she?" Said the woodcutter that was standing in front of his children.
"Hm...the lady from yestrday. A tasty plate of meat."said laughing and she tried again to grab the children by pushing their Father on the ground, but she missed.
The woodcutter instructed his children to try and hide.
"No matter where you hide, I will always find you!"
Hansel and Gretel were trying to think of a way to kill the witch. But how do you kill a witch?
That's when Gretel remember a story that their mother had told them when they were younger: //with fire you can kill even the worst witch alive//.
She didn't hesitate at all. While her Father and the witch were ready to come chest to chest, the brave girl grabbed a broom that was laying around, and with the end of it, she pierced it through the witch's heart and then pushed her in the fireplace.
Her screams echoed everywhere but no one was going to save her from her suffering that she deserved.
Suddenly the fire burned out and the witch's screams stopped.
The Father run and hugger his children.
"I'm so glad you are okay! Oh I'm so sorry. So sorry that I left you like that and brought you into this."
Hansel and Gretel accepted their Father's apology.
Before they made their way back to their house, they decided to look around and find some food. But they found something better. Apart from the hundreds of beads that were layig around in boxes, the was a huge chocolate egg that when they broke open, was filled with hundreds of golden coins.
It took them a while to transfer eveyrthing, but after they took all the valuables out of the witch's house, they never lived a day that they starved.
For the rest of their lives they lived together, happily ever after.
[[The End.]]Congratulations! You reached the end.
Moral of the story: Money can buy Happiness.