Hansel and Gretel

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

NARRATOR: Good Morning Ladies and gentlemen, today we will take you on a journey
into the enchanting world. This timeless tale unfolds the adventures of two siblings lost
in the woods, discovering a house made of sweets. Yet, beware, for this sugary haven
conceals a wicked witch. As we delve into their story, we'll witness the courage and
resourcefulness of these young protagonists, and perhaps unravel some lessons about
the consequences of greed.

NARRATOR: Next to a great forest there lived a poor woodcutter with his wife and his
two children. The boy's name was Hansel and the girl's name was Gretel. He had but
little to eat, and once, when a great famine came to the land, he could no longer
provide even their daily bread.

NARRATOR: One evening as he was lying in bed worrying about his problems, he
sighed and said to his wife,

HUSBAND: "What is to become of us? How can we feed our children when we have
nothing for ourselves?"

WIFE: "Man, do you know what?" "Early tomorrow morning we will take the two
children out into the thickest part of the woods, make a fire for them, and give each of
them a little piece of bread, then leave them by themselves and go off to our work.
They will not find their way back home, and we will be rid of them."

HUSBAND: "No, woman, “I will not do that. How could I bring myself to abandon my
own children alone in the woods? Wild animals would soon come and tear them to
pieces."

WIFE: "Oh, you fool, "then all four of us will starve. All you can do is to plane the
boards for our coffins."

HUSBAND: "But I do feel sorry for the poor children,".

NARRATOR: The two children had not been able to fall asleep because of their hunger,
and they heard what the stepmother had said to the father.

GRETEL: "It is over with us!"

HANSEL: "Be quiet, Gretel,"and don't worry. I know what to do."

NARRATOR: The moon was shining brightly, and the white pebbles in front of the
house were glistening like silver coins. Hansel bent over and filled his jacket pockets
with them, as many as would fit. Then he went back into the house.

HANSEL: "Don't worry, Gretel. Sleep well. God will not forsake us."

NARRATOR: At daybreak, even before sunrise, the woman came and woke the two
children.

WIFE: "Get up, you lazybones. We are going into the woods to fetch wood." (Then she
gave each one a little piece of bread, saying,) "Here is something for midday. Don't eat
it any sooner, for you'll not get any more."

NARRATOR: When they arrived in the middle of the woods:

HUSBAND: "You children gather some wood, and I will make a fire so you won't
freeze."
NARRATOR: Hansel and Gretel gathered together some twigs, a pile as high as a small
mountain. The twigs were set afire, and when the flames were burning well, the woman
said;

WIFE: "Lie down by the fire and rest. We will go into the woods to cut wood. When we
are finished, we will come back and get you."

NARRATOR: When they finally awoke, it was dark at night. Gretel began to cry and
said,

GRETEL: "How will we get out of woods?"

HANSEL: "Wait a little until the moon comes up, and then we'll find the way."

NARRATOR: After the full moon had come up, Hansel took his little sister by the hand.
They followed the pebbles that glistened there like newly minted coins, showing them
the way. They walked throughout the entire night, and as morning was breaking, they
arrived at the father's house. They knocked on the door, and when the woman opened
it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel, she said;

WIFE: "You wicked children, why did you sleep so long in the woods? We thought that
you did not want to come back."

NARRATOR: But the father was overjoyed when he saw his children once more, for he
had not wanted to leave them alone.

ENTERPRETATIVE DANCE ABOUT DROUGHT

NARRATOR: Not long afterward there was once again great need everywhere, and one
evening the children heard the mother say to the father,

WIFE: "We have again eaten up everything. We have only a half loaf of bread, and
then the song will be over. We must get rid of the children. We will take them deeper
into the woods, so they will not find their way out. Otherwise there will be no help for
us."

The man was very disheartened, and he thought;

HUSBAND: "It would be better to share the last bit with the children."

NARRATOR: The children were still awake and had overheard the conversation. When
the adults were asleep, Hansel got up again and wanted to gather pebbles as he had
done before, but the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. But he
comforted his little sister and said,

HANSEL: "Don't cry, Gretel. Sleep well. God will help us."

NARRATOR: Early the next morning the woman came and got the children from their
beds. They received their little pieces of bread, even less than the last time. On the
way to the woods, Hansel crumbled his piece in his pocket, then often stood still, and
threw crumbs onto the ground.

SAD MUSIC FIRE DANCE

NARRATOR: When the moon appeared they got up, but they could not find any
crumbs, for the many thousands of birds that fly about in the woods and in the fields
had picked them up.

NARRATOR: They started walking again, but managed only to go deeper and deeper
into the woods. If help did not come soon, they would perish. At midday they saw a
little snow-white bird sitting on a branch. It sang so beautifully that they stopped to
listen. When it was finished it stretched its wings and flew in front of them. They
followed it until they came to a little house. The bird sat on the roof, and when they
came closer, they saw that the little house was built entirely from bread with a roof
made of cake, and the windows were made of clear sugar.

HANSEL: "Let's help ourselves to a good meal."I'll eat a piece of the roof, and Gretel,
you eat from the window. That will be sweet."

NARRATOR: Hansel reached up and broke off a little of the roof to see how it tasted,
while Gretel stood next to the windowpanes and was nibbling at them. Then a gentle
voice called out from inside:

WITCH: NIBBLE, NIBBLE, LITTLE MOUSE

HANSEL AND GRETEL:

NARRATOR: They continued to eat, without being distracted. Hansel, who very much
like the taste of the roof, tore down another large piece, and Gretel poked out an entire
round windowpane. Suddenly the door opened, and a woman, as old as the hills and
leaning on a crutch, came creeping out. Hansel and Gretel were so frightened that they
dropped what they were holding in their hands. But the old woman shook her head and
said;

WITCH: "Oh, you dear children, who brought you here? Just come in and stay with me.
No harm will come to you."

DANCE WITH WITCH

NARRATOR: When four weeks had passed and Hansel was still thin, impatience
overcame her, and she would wait no longer.

WITCH: "Hey, Gretel!" (she shouted to the girl,) "Hurry up and fetch some water.
Whether Hansel is fat or thin, tomorrow I am going to slaughter him and boil him."
HEHEHEHEHE!

NARRATOR: Oh, how the poor little sister sobbed as she was forced to carry the water,
and how the tears streamed down her cheeks!

GRETEL: "Dear God, please help us," (she cried). "If only the wild animals had
devoured us in the woods, then we would have died together."

WITCH: "Save you’re slobbering,". "It doesn't help you at all."

NARRATOR: The next morning Gretel had to get up early, hang up the kettle with
water, and make a fire.

WITCH: "First we are going to bake,". "I have already made a fire in the oven and
kneaded the dough."

NARRATOR: She pushed poor Gretel outside to the oven, from which fiery flames were
leaping.

WITCH: "Climb in,"and see if it is hot enough to put the bread in yet.

NARRATOR: And when Gretel was inside, she intended to close the oven, and bake
her, and eat her as well. But Gretel saw what she had in mind, so she said;

GRETEL: "I don't know how to do that. How can I get inside?"
WITCH: "Stupid goose! “The opening is big enough. See, I myself could get in." And
she crawled up stuck her head into the oven.

NARRATOR: Then Gretel gave her a shove, causing her to fall in. Then she closed the
iron door and secured it with a bar. The old woman began to howl frightfully. But Gretel
ran away, and the godless witch burned up miserably. Gretel ran straight to Hansel,
unlocked his stall, and cried.

GRETEL: "Hansel, we are saved. The old witch is dead."

NARRATOR: Then Hansel jumped out, like a bird from its cage when someone opens
its door. How happy they were! They threw their arms around each other's necks,
jumped with joy, and kissed one another. Because they now had nothing to fear, they
went into the witch's house. In every corner were chests of pearls and precious stones.

NARRATOR: After walking a few hours the woods grew more and more familiar to
them, and finally they saw the father's house in the distance. They began to run,
rushed inside, and threw their arms around the father's neck.

The man had not had even one happy hour since he had left the children in the woods.
However, the woman had died. Gretel shook out her apron, scattering pearls and
precious stones around the room, and Hansel added to them by throwing one handful
after the other from his pockets. Now all their cares were at an end, and they lived
happily together.