Hansel and Gretel The Story

The children woke up the next morning, to a marvelous sight. It was a house made of gingerbread -- with peppermint windowsills, eaves of milk chocolate and a doorknob made of rock candy! Hansel, who loved food (and who was incredibly hungry) went up the house and started to eat.

Just then, someone from inside the house said, "Nibble, nibble little mouse...Who's that nibbling at my house?" Shortly thereafter, the owner of the house emerged, and addressed the children. Rather than being upset at the children, she invited them to stay. She needed someone to help her with various chores, such as tending the garden of lollypops, or fixing the sink faucet that was leaking chocolate chips.

Hansel, enticed by the offer of free sweets, came closer to the woman, who suddenly grabbed him! She was actually a witch, and meant to cook the boy. But first she had to fatten him up, so she stuck him in a cage. Every day the witch made Hansel stick out his finger, so she could pinch it and seem if he had gotten fat enough to eat.

Gretel, meanwhile, was forced to do all of the household chores. She also had to carry trays of food to Hansel, who despite himself was getting plumper and plumper. But the girl was as clever as her brother, and gave him a little bone to hold out for the witch. (Her eyesight was too poor to tell the difference between the bone and the boy's finger.)

After several weeks, the witch decided that she had waited long enough. She was going to cook Hansel today, skinny or no; she turned on the oven, let it heat up, and then ordered Gretel to get inside to test the temperature. But the girl cleverly pretended that she didn't understand. The witch, exasperated, decided to show this stupid girl what to do, and leaned into the oven.

Gretel promptly pushed her inside the oven and closed the door! As she and her brother celebrated their freedom, Otto unexpectedly arrived on the scene. He begged forgiveness from his children, who immediately granted it -- but asked about their stepmother.

"I sent her packing," their father replied. "After you were gone, there was no reason to put up with her any longer. She's off to be the villain in some other story." The trio settled in the witch's house, where there were always good things to eat, and lived happily after.

THE END

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