Hansel and Gretel

A poor man and his wife live with his two children. The children are called Hansel and

Gretel. The family is so poor that the stepmother persuades her husband to lead the children into

the forest, light a fire, and then leave them there to fend for themselves. Although the man feels

guilty about this plan he agrees to please his wife. However, Hansel and Gretel have overheard

this conversation, and so Hansel decides to sneak out of the house at night. He fills his pockets

with small pebbles from outside and then goes to bed. In the morning, when the children are

taken into the forest, Hansel stops on the way to drop the pebbles onto the ground. He and his

sister will be able to find their way back home.

As nightfall comes, Hansel and Gretel return home. However, shortly after this, the

stepmother persuades her husband to try again and abandon the children in the forest. Once

again, Hansel and Gretel overhear them, but the door is locked at night and Hansel is unable to

pick up any stones before they leave the next morning. Instead, he uses his piece of bread and

droppings crumbs on the ground as they are led into the forest. But when he and his sister try to

find their way home, they discover that the birds have eaten the breadcrumbs that he dropped.

They try to find their way back but they get lost in the forest.

The children roam the forest, trying to find their way home. After several days, a bird

appears and flies above them. The children follow and come upon a little house that is built of

bread and roofed with cakes. Hansel and Gretel are hungry from walking around the forest and

start eating the house.

kkkkkkThe owner of the house is an evil witch, who likes to fatten up children and then cook

them once they become fat. She invites the children inside and, seeing how hungry they are,

gives them each a large meal. Her house has been built as a way of luring children to her. The
witch locks Hansel up in the stable and forces Gretel to cook lots of food for him, to feed him up

until he’s plump enough for the witch to eat. Gretel is kept lean and half-starved.

kkkkkkEvery day, the witch goes out to the stable and gets Hansel to stick a finger out so she can

feel it to test how fat he is getting. Hansel sticks out an animal bone which the half-blind witch

mistakes for a bony finger; he thus staves off his fate day by day. But the witch decides to cook

and eat him anyway. She heats the oven and asks Gretel to step inside to see if it’s hot enough.

But Gretel guesses what the evil woman plans to do, so she gets the witch to demonstrate how

she should look in the oven. Gretel then shoves the witch all the way in the oven and closes the

door.

kkkkkkShe rescues her brother from the stable, and the two of them look through the old

woman’s house, finding boxes full of gems and pearls. They take them with them and leave.

They manage to find their way back home and they find their father waiting for them. Their

stepmother died while they were away. He is overjoyed to find that his children are alive and that

they do not have to worry about starving anymore.

kkkkkkAlthough Grimm's version is the most popular one it is not the first. The main theme

abandoned children. Even in the times of Grimms, a child abandonment due to extreme poverty

was not too rare but they made some important changes through several versions of Grimms'

Fairy Tales. At first, both their parents were their biological mother and father and were equally

responsible for leaving the children in the forest. Later the mother figure was transformed into

the role of evil step-mother and the father became reluctant at her idea but helpless due to his

circumstances.

The dynamic between Hansel and Gretel is important when looking at the story closer.

Both siblings rely on each other throughout the entire story. They both overhear their parents
plan to send them away but Hansel is the one that leaves the house and figures out a way to help

both of them return home. The second time, the door is locked and Hansel sacrifices his food to

help them return home again. Hansel is willing to give up his food because he knows Gretel will

share with him her half of the bread she was given. Gretel also returns the favor when she saves

both of them from the evil witch. She thinks on her feet and realizes that the witch is trying to

kill her. She is smart and saves her brother. These two are the only ones that stick together in the

fairy tale. They only depend on each other because they have mutual trust.