Hansel and Gretel
Once upon a time, when no one can remember there lived a brother and a sister. The brother’s name was Hansel and his sister was called Gretel. They had a very loving father and a sweet mother.
One day it so happened that very unfortunately their mother fell sick and took her last breath. Their father cried and cried until his eyes were swollen. As days passed by the father felt very unhappy about the death of his wife and needless to say and felt very difficult to look after his children who were still kids. So, one day he finally decided to get another mother for the two children to look after them while he worked in the forest. He soon married another woman. But Alas! She was a wicked woman who was completely devoid of love for the children. Now, the father was very disturbed because of his wife’s behavior. He felt very insecure leaving his children with the lady when he went to cut the wood for their living.
One day there was this huge famine that fell upon them and they grew poorer than ever. Money became very dear to them and they could no longer afford to get enough of food for the entire family. One night, the woodcutter heard a moaning voice. He got up to see where the voice was coming from and was surprised to find his wife sitting in the corner of the room groaning.
He walked to her and asked, “Dear wife, what makes do you cry? Please tell me.’
The cunning wife said, “Dear husband, I don’t know what will become of us. I married you think our life will be a bed of roses and now to think of our lives. It has become no better than a poor dog's life. If you really love me please get rid of those children whom we can no longer afford any food. We will leave them in the forest tomorrow.”
The woodcutter did not agree with her wicked thoughts and said, “No, no! I could not find it in my heart to leave my darlings to perish. The wild beasts would tear them limb from limb.”
Bur his wife was too adamant and she said, “Either we get rid of the children or we all four will die with no food to eat. The woodcutter with a very troubled mind finally agreed to her after many many attempts. But they both hardly knew that the children were there sitting outside their room listening to them. Hansel and Gretel grew panicky about what would happen to them. Gretel started to cry thinking that would be the last day of their life.
But Hansel was very brave. He said, “Fear not sister, I will rescue you from the wicked mother.'
Having said so, Hansel rushed out of the door where the moon and the stars were shining bright up in the sky. Hansel then started to collect as many white pebbles as possible and stuffed them in his pocket and then went back to Gretel and once more bidding her be comforted, for God would be sure to watch over them, he jumped into bed and they both fell fast asleep.
Early in the morning, before the sun had risen, the step-mother came and wakened the children.
“Rise, little lie-a-beds” she said, “and come with us into the wood to gather fuel.”
The children woke up with sleepy eyes and followed their parents to die forest. Their father had given them a piece of bread each to eat.
The stepmother said, “And be careful to not finish the bread pieces till the afternoon. You wouldn't be finding anything else to cat!”
The children nodded their heads and followed the parents all the way to the forest. Throughout the way, Hansel was turning back again and again.
The father asked him. “What is that makes you turn you every now and then dear?”
“Oh that’s my pet kitten sitting on the roof to bid me, goodbye father,” said he.
“Oh, that's stupid of you to think that way. It must the bright sun you are seeing,” snapped the stepmother.
But neither of them knew that Hansel was dropping the pebbles behind him to make a note of the way in which they were going.
Soon they reached the forest and the parents left the kids under a tree and went to cut wood. Hansel and Gretel sat down by the fire and when midday came they ate their bread and sat listening to the strokes of their father’s axe, thinking all the time that he was near to them. But what they heard was only a dry branch which the man had bound to a tree, so that the wind swung it hither and thither and the noise it made deceived the children.
At last the poor, tired little eyelids closed and side by side brother and sister fell asleep. When they awoke, the night was very dark and Gretel was frightened and began to cry.
Hansel put his arms around her and whispered, “Wait, dear, till the moon rises, we shall soon find our way home then.”
They waited till the moon came up high in the sky and then trudged their way back home with the help of the bright stones. After a long walk, they finally reached home and knocked on the door. The stepmother opened the door and was shocked to find them come back. She somehow hid her resentment and said.
“Where were you all day long children? We searched for you long and finally thought you must be back home and came here.”
But the father was glad to find the children back home again.
That night, as the children went to bed the lady started to moan again and repeated her story of agony to her husband.
He said, “No, not again. I cannot part with my children. We can all die together.”
But the stepmother was not in a position to listen to him. She threatened that she would have to die if he would not listen to her. The woodcutter finally gave up and agreed to her cruel thoughts. The children have heard this got panicky again and Gretel started to sob. Hansel consoled her again and went to the door only to find that it was tightly closed and bolted that day and he could not budge out.
He came back to his sister and said, “Fear not sister. God is there to look after us.” And they both went to sleep.
Early in the morning, before the sun had risen, the step-mother name and wakened the children. “Rise, little lie-a-beds,” she said, “and come with us into the wood to gather fuel.”
The children woke up with sleepy eyes and followed their parents to the forest. Their father had given them a piece of bread each to eat.
The stepmother said, “And be careful to not finish the bread pieces till the afternoon. You wouldn’t be finding anything else to eat!”
The children nodded their heads and followed the parents all the way to the forest. Throughout the way, Hansel was turning back again and again.
The father asked him, “What is that makes you turn you every now and then dear?”
“Oh that’s my pet dove sitting on the roof to bid me, goodbye father,” said he.
“Oh, that’s stupid of you to think that way. It must the bright sun you are seeing” snapped the stepmother.
But neither of them knew that Hansel was dropping the bread piece which his father had given him behind him to make a note of the way in which they were going.
Soon they readied the forest and the parents left the kids under a tree and went to cut wood. Hansel and Gretel sat down by the fire and when midday came they ate their bread and sat listening to the strokes of their father’s axe, thinking all the time that he was near to them. But what they heard was only a dry branch which the man had bound to a tree, so that the wind swung it hither and thither and the noise it made deceived the children. At last the poor, tired little eyelids closed and side by side brother and sister fell asleep. When they awoke, the night was very dark and Gretel was frightened and began to cry. Hansel put his arms around her and whispered, “Wait, dear, till the moon rises, we shall soon find our way home then.”
It grew dark and the moon came up high in the sky. But when the kids ran in the search of their way they could not see a single crumb of bread which he had dropped to make a note of the way for the birds in the forest have all eaten them away. Having no other choice the two kids started to walk in the direction which they felt was the way back. Poor little mittens they walked for the entire day and the next one too but everything went in vain. On the third day they were still as far away as ever and it seemed to them that the longer they walked the deeper they got into the wood and they began to be afraid that they would die of cold and hunger.
But presently, when the midday sun was shining brightly, they noticed a little snow-white bird singing so sweetly that they could not help but stay to listen. When the birdie’s song was ended, he spread his wings and flew away. They followed him till they reached a beautiful little house. They slowly walked till the house and pushed the gate and found that their hands went sticky. Thinking it was some kind of paste they wiped it against their dresses.
The next time they touched the gate their hands went sticky again. Gretel was so hungry that she could no more think if that was a paste or whatever, she put her hand in her mouth.
“Hansel!” she screamed with joy. Hansel turned to see what it was. ‘‘Hansel, this is not a paste.....this is a piece of cake!!!”
Hansel joined her with joy and both started eating the gate which was actually made of cake. Then when they tasted the roof they found out it was made of biscuits and the plants were breads, the doors and windows were chocolates. They were so happy that God alone knows how long they sat eating there. They then slowly opened the door of the house. Before they could think any further they heard big, noisy laughter. As they stood shocked, there they saw a very ugly woman with a broomstick come near them.
She said, “You tiny mites! How dare you come into my house and eat my bread and cakes, you would have to suffer for this!”
“We are very sorry granny! We did not realize it was yours,” replied the kids in a meek voice.
“That is your problem! Now that you have come in, you have no way of going out” thundered her voice.
The children looked at each other. There was no way back, for the door was tightly closed and locked and so was the gate. As they stood thinking there what next, the wicked witch turned her magic wand once and shouted, “Abracadabra! Magic boom, cage come fall! Whroom whroom whroom!”
And Lo!!! Behold!!! There came a huge cage and fell on Hansel. Hansel was now locked inside the cage and he could never ever get out of it because the key for the door of that cage was with the wicked witch. Gretel started to cry for her brother. The witch gave her one tight slap and said, “You stupid little kid! Get to work and if I ever see you wasting your time talking to your stupid brother I will kill him!”
And Gretel was put to work. She worked and worked from morning till night until her hands and legs started to shiver and the wicked witch gave her only one small piece of bread to eat. And if she stood for a moment to taste the walls or the roof then she would immediately get a rap from the wicked witch. Two days passed and the brother and sister had not seen each other.
One day, the wicked witch was boiling a huge cauldron of water. Gretel was busy cleaning the house.
The wicked witch was happily singing to herself and then she laughed aloud and said. “Hahahaha today is my feast. After a long time, I am getting such a good chance of eating human flesh again. The boy will die and will be my feast and the girl will work under me forever. She will work and work and work!!! Hahahaha!!!!”
Hearing this Gretel was shaken and she started to shiver lightly. As she stood paralyzed there she heard her name being called out by the wicked witch.
She ran out to find out what it was and the wicked witch said, “Today is the last day….you can ever see your brother again. See him you're full!”
Gretel held her brother tightly and started to cry. The wicked witch had freed him from the cage. His hands were tied tightly, however. The wicked witch then pushed the sister away and said, “Move you bitch!”
“Now, sit on the top of this stone and bend your body and head into the cauldron” said the witch.
Hansel did not budge an inch. The witch roared again, "Sit on the top of this stone and bend your body and head into the cauldron!!”
"I would have. But I don’t know how to do it. Will you show me once how I should do that and I will do as you told me” said Hansel.
“All right. I will do that,” answered she. Now as the witch sat on the stone that was kept just beside the cauldron and bent her head. Hansel shook his head slightly to give his a sister a clue of what she should do and immediately. Gretel pushed the witch into the boiling water. Within no time she died and her body was boiled away in the water. Gretel freed Hansel and both of them lived in the cake house forever happily.