HANSEL AND GRETEL

A poor woodcutter and his wife had two children named Hansel and Gretel. Their mother died when they were young. Hansel and Gretel were very sad. Soon their father remarried but their stepmother was very cruel. One day, she took the children deep into the forest and left them there. 

Clever Hansel had some breadcrumbs in his pocket and had dropped them on the way so that they could find their way back home. Alas! The birds ate all the crumbs and they couldn’t find the path that led back home.

Hansel and Gretel went deeper and deeper into the forest. They were hungry and tired. Finally, after walking for a long time, they saw a cottage made of chocolate, candies, and cake. “Look, Hansel! A chocolate brick!” shouted Gretel in delight and both ate it hungrily.

Now, a wicked witch lived there. When she saw Hansel and Gretel, she wanted to eat them. She grabbed the chil­dren and locked them in a cage. The witch decided to make a soup out of Hansel and eat him first. She began boiling a huge pot of water for the soup. Just then, Gretel crept out of her cage. She gave the wicked witch a mighty push from behind and the witch fell into the boiling water. She howled in pain and died instantly.

 Hansel and Gretel found treasure lying around the cottage. They carried it home with them. Their stepmother had died and their father wel­comed them back with tears of joy. They never went hungry again!

PLOT

INTRODUCTION Hansel and Gretel live on the edge of a huge, dark, forest with their mother and father. It was the worst of times and there was not enough to eat. Hansel and Gretel’s mother makes a plan to abandon the children in the forest. The father does not want to do it but his wife forces 

him. Hansel and Gretel overhear the plan. Hansel goes outside and fills his pockets with 

shiny pebbles. 

RISING ACTION The next morning they set of to chop wood. All the way into the forest, Hansel leaves 

a trail of pebbles. When they reach the middle of the forest they collect firewood and build a 

fire. The children lie down and go to sleep. The mother and the father leave them there. When 

Hansel and Gretel wake up the moon is out and the pebbles shine and lead them home. Their 

mother is angry but pretends it’s because they slept so long in the forest. That night she plans 

to take them even further into the forest the next day. Again, Hansel and Gretel overhear the 

plan. Hansel tries to go out to collect more pebbles, but the door is locked. 

CLIMAX On the way into the forest the next day, the children leave a trail of breadcrumbs to 

follow home. Once again, they build a fire and fall asleep. When they wake, they find that 

birds have eaten all the breadcrumbs and they are lost. They walk all night and all the next 

day but they are still hopelessly lost. 

FALLING ACTION The next day, she locks Hansel in a cage and makes Gretel scrub and cook. Every day 

Hansel is fed huge meals but Gretel has to live on scraps. At the end of each day, the witch 

asks Hansel to poke his finger through the cage so she can feel if he is getting fat. Hansel 

pokes a chicken bone through so the witch thinks he is still skinny. 

DENOUEMENT Eventually they find their way home. They burst through the door and find their father 

who has not had one happy moment since they have been gone. His wife has died and is 

buried. The children show him their treasure and they live happily ever after. 

SUMMARY

Hansel and Gretel are brother and sister who are abandoned in the forest by their parents because they could no longer manage to feed them. As they keep wandering in the woods, they pleasantly find a house made of cake, gingerbread and sugar. As they begin eating, an old woman opens the door and invites them in and captures them. She feeds them and when the day came to be eaten luckily managed to escape carrying jewels and food and trace their way back home.