Hansel and Gretel (Condensed Version)

Hansel and Gretel

Once upon a time in the depths of a great forest, there lived a poor woodcutter with his wife and two children, Hansel and Gretel. They were so poor that the family barely had enough to eat. One night, the wicked stepmother proposed abandoning the children in the forest, promising that they would be better off fending for themselves. The father was against this, but eventually, he gave in to his wife’s pressure.

Hansel, overhearing this cruel plan, comforted Gretel, telling her not to worry. Early in the morning, he collected shiny white pebbles and filled his pockets with them. As their parents led them into the forest, Hansel kept stopping, dropping the pebbles to mark their path.

Once deep in the woods, their parents left them, promising to return later. But they never did. However, the moonlight reflected off the pebbles Hansel had dropped, creating a glowing path that led the children back home.

Unable to believe her eyes when she saw them, the stepmother forced the children to bed and plotted to abandon them again. Hansel, this time unable to gather pebbles, used breadcrumbs instead. However, when their parents abandoned them again, the breadcrumbs had been eaten by birds, leaving no trail to follow home.

Lost and hungry, the children wandered around the forest until they finally stumbled upon a strange house made of candy and gingerbread. Overwhelmed by hunger, they started eating without hesitation. Suddenly, a wicked old witch who owned the house captured them. She locked up Hansel and forced Gretel to work as her servant, planning to eat Hansel when he was fat enough.

But Gretel was a clever girl. On the day the witch planned to cook Hansel, she tricked the witch into checking the oven’s heat. The wicked witch, blinded by her greed, bent over to check, and Gretel seized her chance and pushed her into the oven, slamming the door shut.

The children found the witch’s treasure, filled their pockets with jewels, and bravely ventured out of the house. As they roamed, they eventually found a familiar path that led them back home.

Their wicked stepmother had since died, and their father, regretful and lonely, welcomed them with open arms. With the witch’s treasure, they were no longer poor. Hansel and Gretel and their father lived happily together, never to go hungry again, reminding us of the strength of courage and wit when faced with adversity.

The End.