B1. Hansel & Gretel: Part 1

Hansel & Gretel by Brothers Grimm

Chapter 1: The Stepmother's Plan

Long ago, in a small house near the forest, lived a poor woodcutter. He had two beautiful children, Hansel and Gretel.

Their mother had died, and their father had married again. But times were hard and there wasn't enough food for everyone.

One night, Hansel and Gretel were in bed but not asleep. They heard their stepmother arguing with their father, through the wall.

"We don't have enough food," she said. "We must get rid of the children! Tomorrow, we'll take them into the forest and leave them there."

"But I love my children," said their father. "I cannot leave them in the forest."

The stepmother snapped, "You must, you fool! Or, we'll all die of hunger!"

The children were scared as the stepmother kept insisting. Finally, their father agreed to leave them in the forest.

Gretel cried quietly, but Hansel whispered, "Sister, don't worry. God will protect us. I have an idea."

 

Chapter 2: White Pebbles in the Forest

Early the next morning, while everyone was still sleeping, Hansel snuck outside. He filled his pockets with small, white pebbles from the garden.

After breakfast, the family walked into the forest. While walking, Hansel kept dropping white pebbles and often looked back to remember the way.

"Why do you keep looking back?" asked his stepmother.

"Oh, I thought I saw a black cat following us," Hansel lied.

After walking for hours, their father made a fire. "Wait here," he said to the children. "We'll be back soon."

The children waited for many hours, and they did not come back.

When the forest got dark, Gretel grew scared. But Hansel said, "Look, sister! The moonlight is making the white pebbles shine like stars. Let's follow them home."

Hansel and Gretel walked home, following the pebbles. When they arrived in the morning, their father was overjoyed, and hugged them tightly.

Their stepmother smiled too, but her eyes were cold.

 

Chapter 3: Lost in the Dark Woods

A few days later, there was even less food. The stepmother said to the father, "We must try again. This time, we'll leave them deeper in the forest."

Hansel heard this and wanted to get more pebbles. But the stepmother had locked the door, so he couldn't go outside to get them.

The next morning, the stepmother gave them each a small piece of bread for lunch. As they walked into the forest, Hansel dropped breadcrumbs behind them.

They walked for a long, long time. The forest grew darker and more frightening than last time.

Once again, their father made a fire and said, "Wait here, children. We'll return soon."

And again, their stepmother and father never returned.

When night came, Hansel said, "Don't worry, sister. We'll follow the breadcrumbs home."

But when they looked for the breadcrumbs, they were all gone! Birds had eaten them. Hansel and Gretel were now lost in the forest.

 

Chapter 4: A House Made of Sweets

For three days, Hansel and Gretel walked through the forest. They tried eating berries and mushrooms. They had frozen tears on their faces, and their feet hurt.

Then, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird on a branch. It sang a delightful birdsong that made them feel less afraid.

The bird acted like it wanted them to follow it. The children followed the bird, hoping it would lead to help.

As they walked, a sweet smell filled the air.

"I smell cakes!" said Hansel.

"I smell chocolate!" said Gretel.

Then, they saw something incredible! In front of them was a little house made entirely of cake and candy. The windows were made of clear sugar and the roof was chocolate. They weren't sure if they were dreaming.

They ran to the house. Hansel broke off a piece of the roof and ate it, and Gretel ate some of the window. It was delicious.

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Then, they heard a soft voice: "Crunch, crunch, who eats my house for lunch?" The front door slowly opened.

An old woman came out. She sniffed the air and said, "I smell children!"

Hansel said, "I'm sorry madam, we've been lost in this forest for three days with nothing to eat."

The woman smiled and said, "Oh, dear children! Come inside. You must be starving. I have warm beds and good food for you."

Hansel and Gretel weren't sure if they should trust this woman. But as cold and hungry as they were, they had little choice. They followed the old woman into the house.