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Alicia SantaMaría González (40.1)

M. del Consuelo Santos Rodríguez (40.1)

Rocío Morillas Arméndariz (40.1)

Carolina Tercero Bernardo (40.1)

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Why have we chosen this story and resources?

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Why have we chosen this story and resources?

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We have chosen this story to introduce the students of 4th grade to one of the classics from the Grimm brothers and to its characters.

With this bank of resources we want t o develop the child's interest in reading as well as t o develop listening and comprehension skills and t o improve pronunciation and production through role-play.

We also want the children to understand literature as a way of learning and to stimulate the students creativity and imagination.

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Hansel and girl adapted and printable story

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Hansel and girl adapted and printable story

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http://www.shortkidstories.com/story/hansel-and-gretel/

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In this video children can sing the song

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You can print activities about the story

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Printable Hansel and Gretel Word Search #1 | Fairy Tale Puzzle

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This Hansel and Gretel word search puzzle is based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Hansel and Gretel are left in the woods and find a witch's cottage. Set #1

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This is a video in which the children dramatize the story

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Teatro de Hansel and Gretel en inglés (Subtitulado en inglés)

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En este vídeo veremos un teatro en inglés de Hansel y Gretel, un cuento creado por los hermanos Grimm. Está subtitulado

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In this link you can download theater plays.

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In this link you can find resources and activities about the story

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We love powerpoints! Great for supporting your teaching on this topic, they can be used as discussion starters and during whole-class teaching. An absolute must!This resource is available in Standard.

Please Log In or Join for FREE to suggest a change for this resource.

Twinkl updated the Main Version on Jul 17th

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hansel and gretel story powerpoint - hansel and gretel

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We love powerpoints! Great for supporting your teaching on this topic, they can be used as discussion starters and during whole-class teaching. An absolute must!This resource is available in Standard. Please Log In or Join for FREE to suggest a change for this resource.

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In this link you can see a themed birthday party

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Mariah of Giggles Galorehad a sweet idea for a joint party for her twins Parker and Piper: a Modern Hansel & Gretel Inspired Woodland Birthday (in the local park)! Taking advantage of an outdoor party, she prepared a 'hobo' sack lunch, an incredible life sized witch house (matching the adorable sugar cookies!) and a 'Follow the Crumbs' scavenger hunt into the woods!

PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for:

DIY cardboard Hansel and Gretel witch candy house

Tree stump cupcake stands on candlestick holders

'Follow the Crumbs' scavenger hunt & paper candy cottage decorating activity

Themed Hansel and Gretel Birthday cake, mini cinnamon buns & Make your own trail mix!

PARTY DETAILS, as told by Mariah...

Follow the trail of lollipops and gum drops to a sweet birthday celebration! Venture into the woods for this fairy tale Hansel and Gretel inspired 4th birthday party...or as my twin's called it their "Handsome and Gretel" party!

I wanted to incorporate as many details from the story as possible and create a fairy tale setting ideal for my twins birthday celebration. I hosted our Hansel and Gretel party at a local park with lots of trees and natural elements to recreate that woodsy scene from the story. I worked with Anders Ruff to bring my vision for this party to life and used the printables to add whimsy and charm to our rustic outdoor setting.

DECORATIONS
One of the focal points was the life size cottage my husband created from cardboard boxes. It was set back in the woods and provided lots of giggles and entertainment as the kids pretended to raid the witch's cottage. I wanted to play up the natural elements of our setting and chose to keep decorations simple. Tables were covered in brown craft paper from the Dollar Store and pops of color were added with the gumdrop trail scattered down the table, the candy cottages and fabric "hobo" lunch sacks. My dad cut tree stumps for me to use throughout the party and one of my favorite uses was my tree stump cupcake stands.

FOOD & SWEETS
Before diving into all the sweets our party guests enjoyed a simple lunch which was wrapped in fabric "hobo" sacks. Hansel and Gretel were sent into the woods with a simple sack of bread and I decided to echo this part of the story with our simple lunch of PB&J, fruit and a bag of chips. After lunch we ventured "into the woods" for birthday cake and sweets.

I combined natural elements like moss and tree stumps with the colorful sweets. The store bought chocolate cake was transformed into a beautiful display with the amazing fondant Cottage and Hansel and Gretel from Love and Sugar Kisses. I loved all the details like the trees and mini lollipops she created to help bring the story to life on our cake. The colorful cupcake toppers added a touch of whimsy and looked so pretty sitting on my rustic tree stump cupcake stands. Love and Sugar Kisses also made the woodsy chocolate covered Oreos that were scattered around the table (and tasted divine!) I love ordering cookies from Sugarlilly Cookie Company, her attention to detail is amazing and these cookies were no exception. I couldn't get over how adorable Hansel and Gretel were and that cottage was AMAZING!

Guests could also fuel up before they headed back out to the woods with a "Make Your Own Trail Mix" station. I provided small brown paper sacks for the kids to fill with nuts, M&M's, dried fruit and popcorn before heading back out to explore in the woods.

ACTIVITIES
The story was brought to life and guests were kept entertained with a fun "follow the crumbs" scavenger hunt, decorating paper candy cottages and exploring the woods and playing in the life sized witches candy house. It truly was a sweet celebration for my little "Handsome and Gretel."

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Modern Hansel and Gretel Inspired Woodland Birthday// Hostess with the Mostess®

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Mariah of Giggles Galorehad a sweet idea for a joint party for her twins Parker and Piper: a Modern Hansel & Gretel Inspired Woodland Birthday (in the local park)! Taking advantage of an outdoor party, she prepared a 'hobo' sack lunch, an incredible life sized witch house (matching the adorable sugar cookies!)

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In this link you can see how a teacher prepared a party about the story

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Last year for teacher appreciation we had 3 days of "food carry in's" for the teachers. We asked the parents at the school to bring in breakfast one day, lunch one day, and sweets one day. Each day we decorated and geared the food choices to a different book or book series. For sweets day we picked the most obvious book about sweets - Hansel and Gretel. We used the book covers propped up on easels, buntings, and candy to decorate the tables. We asked parents to bring in the sweets of their choice. We decorated a gingerbread house for the centerpiece of the table. We also crumbled bread crumbs on the tables as a final touch. The next post in this series will be teacher appreciation day - lunch.

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Last year for teacher appreciation we had 3 days of "food carry in's" for the teachers. We asked the parents at the school to bring in breakfast one day, lunch one day, and sweets one day. Each day we decorated and geared the food choices to a different book or book series.

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You can print it and have fun.

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Free Coloring Page Friday: Hansel and Gretel Maze - Manelle Oliphant Illustration

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This week's coloring Page is a Hansel and Gretel Maze. Click the link underneath to save, print, and have fun. [download id="84″] As always you can find all my other coloring pages here. Click here for More Hansel and Gretel Activities and my Hansel and Gretel eBook.

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In this link you can dowload coloring page and ebook Hasel and Gretel

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Some of you all probably saw this coming.

This week's Free Coloring Page is from my new eBook Hansel and Gretel.

Click the link below to download. Then Print and Color.

[download id="80″]

To Download Past Coloring Pages Go Here!

To Check out the eBook go Here!

Get your colored page displayed on this site.

When you're done coloring scan and email your picture to me and I'll post it in visitors Gallery. Then lots of people can see your beautiful picture. Visit the gallery for more information.

Plus!

Like my Facebook page for updates on coloring pages, blog posts and new videos.

If you scroll to the bottom of this page and hit the "Like to Download" button you can download the exclusive Medieval Times coloring page pack. There is only one way to get it and that is it. (When you hit the button you'll like my Facebook Page and the free download is sent to your computer.)

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Free Coloring Page Friday: Hansel and Gretel - Manelle Oliphant Illustration

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Some of you all probably saw this coming. This week's Free Coloring Page is from my new eBook Hansel and Gretel. Click the link below to download. Then Print and Color. [download id="80″] To Download Past Coloring Pages Go Here! To Check out the eBook go Here!

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In this link we can learn to draw an easy Girgerbread house in 3D

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Learn to draw an easy Gingerbread house in 3D

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http://www.manelleoliphant.com is where to find more videos, free coloring pages, beautiful art prints, and fun ebooks. Find free coloring pages at http://ma...

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In this link we can download Hansel&Gretel Finger Puppets and color them

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Free Coloring page Friday: Hansel and Gretel Finger Puppets - Manelle Oliphant Illustration

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This week's Free Coloring Page are Finger Puppets from my new eBook Hansel and Gretel. 1. Click the links to download. 2. Print your puppets on some heavy paper or card stock. 3. color the puppets 4. Cut them out on the dotted lines. 5. Put your fingers through the holes to make their legs.

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In this link, we can download Hansel&Gretel bingo

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Here is a fun Bingo game I made to celebrate the release of my eBook Hansel and Gretel

[download id="83″]

The Game is in full color with 8 different bingo cards.

1. Click the link to download the PDF

2. Print the game on heavy paper or card stock.

3. Cut out the small cards on the dotted lines. (keep the non-dotted cards as your bingo cards)

To Play the Game

1. Give all the players a bingo card and some candy for marking.

2. Shuffle the small cards (the ones you cut out) and place them in a bowl or a hat.

3. Pull the cards randomly out of the bowl/hat and mark they spots that are called.

4. First person to fill up a row calls Bingo!
Don't forget to check out the Hansel and Gretel eBook page to download the ebook and find more fun Hansel and Gretel Activities.

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Hansel and Gretel Bingo - Manelle Oliphant Illustration

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Here is a fun Bingo game I made to celebrate the release of my eBook Hansel and Gretel [download id="83″] The Game is in full color with 8 different bingo cards. 1. Click the link to download the PDF 2. Print the game on heavy paper or card stock. 3.

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In this link we can see how tdecorate a cardboard gingerbread house step by step

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Do your kids enjoy decorating gingerbread houses? Do they wish they could build and decorate gingerbread houses all day long over and over? Do you have an empty cereal box on-hand?? Here's a little DIY toy project to try!

First, you will need to download and print out our free gingerbread house template. Each cereal box provides enough cardboard to make one gingerbread house. Trace the template onto the inside of an empty cereal box, cut it out, and fold along the indicated lines. For the roof, you will need half of a cereal box side that is folded in half.

If your kids enjoy building and decorating over and over, you can add bits of self-adhesive Velcro ® - the hook side is perfect for adding pom-poms, or felt pieces! I even used the Velcro to hold the house together, so it could be taken apart later.

It should look something like this:

Then, it's time to play!! Invite your child over to build the gingerbread house, and decorate it with pom-poms, or felt pieces for doors and windows! Pipe cleaners made great candy canes, but needed a bit of fuzzy Velcro added so they would stick.

Mmmm... looks almost good enough to eat!

I love how Clara enjoyed decorating her gingerbread house, and even cut out her own little pieces of felt for decorations! When she was all done, the entire thing can be taken apart and laid flat for easy storage. We kept all of the decorations in an empty egg carton.

Fun, festive, and very frugal!

Have fun!!

More Cardboard Fun to Explore:

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DIY Cardboard Toy Gingerbread House - Inner Child Fun

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Do your kids enjoy decorating gingerbread houses? Do they wish they could build and decorate gingerbread houses all day long over and over? Do you have an empty cereal box on-hand?? Here's a little DIY toy project to try! First, you will need to download and print out our free gingerbread house template.

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In this link we can download Hansel&Gretel game

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Your little ones can have hours of fun with this Hansel and Gretel themed board game!Hansel and Gretel Board Game contains:

Instructions and Dice [PDF]

Board 4xA4 [PDF]

Board 2xA4 [PDF]

A4 Board [PDF]

This resource is available in Standard.
Please Log In or Join for FREE to suggest a change for this resource.

Twinkl updated the Main Version on Aug 9th

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Your little ones can have hours of fun with this Hansel and Gretel themed board game!Hansel and Gretel Board Game contains: Instructions and Dice [PDF] Board 4xA4 [PDF] Board 2xA4 [PDF] A4 Board [PDF] This resource is available in Standard. Please Log In or Join for FREE to suggest a change for this resource.

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This is the recipe to make a cake

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In her final post in this 3-part series, Fiona Faulkner shares a great recipe and expert advice for keeping the food easy when hosting a party for the kids at home. She suggests that you save yourself time and stress and host an informal picnic on an old blanket on the carpet, or serve food in party boxes to keep mess to a minimum.

Keep the food simple and don't over cater - kids never eat as much as you think they will, she advises. Finish the party with her show-stopping cake - the kind of thing they'll remember forever.

Hansel & Gretel Cookie Cake Recipe

Ingredients

1.2kg plain flour

4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

12 tsp ground cinnamon

500g unsalted butter - cut into pieces

600g caster sugar

8 tbsp maple syrup

For the icing 'glue':

250g icing sugar

Juice of 1 lemon - strained so no pips etc

Plus various sweetie decorations of your choice.

You will also need:

4 cardboard template shapes - see NOTE below!

Baking trays x 2

Greaseproof paper

A piping bag with a very thin nozzle OR a disposable piping bag with approx ½ cm cut away

400g tins of food x 4 (to use as support)

Method

Create the dough in two separate batches - i.e. divide measurements in half and make the dough twice (unless you have a very large mixing bowl).
Prep Time: Approx 3 hours - plus decoration time
Cook Time: Approx 45 minutes
Creating and cooking the cookie dough:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / fan 180 / gas mark 6. While you're waiting for the oven to heat up, create your cardboard templates - see below. Once that's done, place a sheet of greaseproof paper on a large chopping board or surface and put the kettle on...

2. Sift the flour, bicarb of soda and cinnamon into a very large mixing bowl. Meanwhile melt the butter, sugar, and maple syrup in a saucepan, stirring regularly until thoroughly combined.

3. Add the contents of the saucepan to the dry ingredients in the bowl and - using a large metal spoon, then your hands - stir and combine. The mix should become a wet dough-like consistency. Add just a tablespoon or so of warm water from the kettle to help the last bits come together.

4. Take out approx a quarter of the mix. Roll it out on the greaseproof paper to a thickness of about ½ cm (you may find it easier to press it down with your hands) and using your first cardboard template, cut away the front panel of your house - leaving about a centimeter all around the edge of the cardboard panel - i.e. so it's a bit bigger than the cardboard. (Place any left-over dough back in the bowl to be mixed through and re-used). Place the dough shape directly on one baking sheet (still with the greaseproof paper underneath so you don't have to pull it off).

5. Using more greaseproof paper on your surface, do this again so you have the back panel (place that on a second baking tray). Bake these both for 8 minutes. While they're cooking, get on with creating the two roof sections in the same way (leaving an edge of about 1cm all around).

6. When the front and back panels are cooked for eight minutes, very carefully (so you don't burn yourself) place the cardboard template back on top of each one and this time use a sharp knife to cut more precisely around the exact edge of the template. Then place them both back in the oven for a further 2-4 minutes until slightly more cooked and hardened. After that, let them sit on the baking trays for a minute or so before carefully sliding off onto a flat surface / chopping board (and then you can re-use the same baking trays). Continue exactly like this to create the two roof sections, the two side panels and the hidden roof support. Read the tips below in point 7.

7. About half way through, you may wish to add just one more tablespoon of warm water from the kettle to help the mix come together. If you need to, sprinkle a little flour when you are rolling it out to help prevent sticking. Create small cookies with any leftover bits of dough - cook these for nearer 5-6 minutes...

Creating the icing glue and decorating the cottage:

1. When everything has cooked and cooled, create your icing 'glue' by sifting the icing sugar into a bowl.

2. Very gradually stir through the lemon juice.

3. Spoon it into your piping bag.

4. Next, decorate your panels as you wish, using the icing glue to hold everything into place (press down carefully). *Only use 'flat' sweeties on the back panel of the house (for now).

5. LEAVE IT ALL TO DRY FOR AT LEAST ONE AND A HALF HOURS. (Store the icing in a sealed container).

Putting the cottage together:

1. Take a chopping board that you will be happy having as the base for your cottage. Perhaps cover it with foil or tissue paper to create a pretty effect?

2. Having your tins of food nearby, place the *back house section face-down with the pointy roof end towards you.

3. Take both side panels and figure out which sides are flattest and would sit most evenly against the front house section.

4. Pipe your icing glue along the side of one of the side panels and then 'glue' it to the back panel of the house, ensuring that it's evenly spaced and flat at the bottom.

5. Hold it for a few minutes, then secure with a tin of food sat inside and outside to support it while it dries.

6. Repeat with the second side panel, using more tins of food to hold steady. Then glue on the front of the house, which should be easier to secure as it will balance on top while the icing 'glue' dries.

7. LEAVE TO DRY FOR ANOTHER ONE AND A HALF HOURS OR MORE. Meanwhile you could very carefully continue to decorate the front panel of the house if you wanted.

8. Once you're happy the 'shell' of the house has glued together, carefully place it the right way up. Then glue the top edges of the side panels so that you can sit the hidden support across the two 'walls'.

9. Finally glue and pitch the roof sections together, using the hidden support to rest the bottom edges of the roof. Again, allow to dry fully before adding any further decorations.

TEMPLATE NOTES:
Use a couple of cereal boxes, scissors, a pen and ruler to create the following:
Template 1: The front and back panels of the house - 15cm (at the base); 12cm in height; and a further 12.5cm in (pitched) roof height.
Template 2: The two roof sections - 21cm x 11cm
Template 3: The hidden roof support -17cm x 17cm
Template 4: The two side panels - 15cm base x 12cm height

(You'll only need one cardboard template of each).

Enjoy!

Fiona.x

Fiona Faulkner is a writer, broadcaster, kids' food expert, and author of "25 Foods Kids Hate & How To Get Them Eating 24"
Find out more at www.fionafaulkner.co.uk

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Children's Party at Home Part 3: Hansel & Gretel Cookie Cake Recipe - Party Pieces Blog & Inspiration

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In her final post in this 3-part series, Fiona Faulkner shares a great recipe and expert advice for keeping the food easy when hosting a party for the kids at home. She suggests that you save yourself time and stress and host an informal picnic on an old blanket on the carpet, or serve food in party boxes to keep mess to a minimum.

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In this link, we can see how make Hansel and Gretel´s costumes

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Happy Halloween, y'all!

It's a freezing, cold day over here. So of course the kids will need to wear jackets over their costumes. Sigh.

I agonized over what they would be this year. It truly is the last year I have any say in Chaucer's attire, so I wanted to make it count. I wanted it to be agonizingly adorable.

And then, like a lightbulb that flickers on in a storm, I figured it out.

Hansel and Gretel.

How cute, right? I already had a skirt and shirt for Coco-both found at the thrift store last year for about $.50. I made another trip to my wonderful thrift store and found this awful red tuxedo shirt. That was pretty much all I needed to get going.

Everything was made with a glue-gun and heat 'n' bond. Cause I don't sew. Here's a few pointers if you're interested in replicating this look:

For Gretel:

A white blouse, or white long-sleeved shirt. You could even use a small women's blouse and just cinch it in where needed.

A peasant-looking skirt. This one was from Gap and is made from a wool-blend, but I think you could get the same look with one of those 50's felt skirts. There's a tutorial here.

A head scarf.

Ricrac, lace, buttons, and any other trim you fancy.

A basket for her breadcrumbs {wink}.

For Hansel:

A white collared shirt-extra points if you can get your hands on a peter-pan collar.

A pair of leggings, a few sizes up. I cut a pair of Coco's, and used the heat 'n' bond to adhere "cuffs."

A straw hat. The one I used was from the dollar section in Target. I glued a little band around it to coordinate with Coco's outfit.

Knee socks.

Ricrac, lace, buttons, and yah, whatever else you want to trim it with.

I pretty much eye-balled it while I glued on the trimmings, and I had a few safety-pins handy after I put them in their costumes. They held up nicely with how active my kids are. And we got TONS of compliments! I'm so pleased with how they turned out.

We went to a little festival over the weekend and I just took these photos with my phone. I'll get a BUNCH more tonight! So for now, here ya go!

Do you have plans for today? What are your kids dressed up as?

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Happy Halloween, y'all! It's a freezing, cold day over here. So of course the kids will need to wear jackets over their costumes. Sigh. I agonized over what they would be this year. It truly is the last year I have any say in Chaucer's attire, so I wanted to make it count.

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In this link you will find some questios about the story

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A short quiz to test understanding of the story.

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http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/somethingspecial/stories/flash/story_spacebar.swf

This link is the story of "Hansel and Gretel". You must use the spacebar in order to continue the story. You can listen the story while you are reading it

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http://creativekidseducationfoundation.org/kids/opera/base.htm

In this link you can listen an opera about Hansel and y Gretel (music and pictures). You can move the characters and play with them.

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In this link we can watch the story

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http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/175/grimms-fairy-tales/3077/hansel-and-gretel/

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The embedded audio player requires a modern internet browser. You should visit Browse Happy and update your internet browser today!

Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when great dearth fell on the land, he could no longer procure even daily bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed, and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife: 'What is to become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves?' 'I'll tell you what, husband,' answered the woman, 'early tomorrow morning we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and give each of them one more piece of bread, and then we will go to our work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid of them.' 'No, wife,' said the man, 'I will not do that; how can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest?-the wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces.' 'O, you fool!' said she, 'then we must all four die of hunger, you may as well plane the planks for our coffins,' and she left him no peace until he consented. 'But I feel very sorry for the poor children, all the same,' said the man.

The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger, and had heard what their stepmother had said to their father. Gretel wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel: 'Now all is over with us.' 'Be quiet, Gretel,' said Hansel, 'do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us.' And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel stooped and stuffed the little pocket of his coat with as many as he could get in. Then he went back and said to Gretel: 'Be comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace, God will not forsake us,' and he lay down again in his bed. When day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying: 'Get up, you sluggards! we are going into the forest to fetch wood.' She gave each a little piece of bread, and said: 'There is something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you will get nothing else.' Gretel took the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the pebbles in his pocket. Then they all set out together on the way to the forest. When they had walked a short time, Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again. His father said: 'Hansel, what are you looking at there and staying behind for? Pay attention, and do not forget how to use your legs.' 'Ah, father,' said Hansel, 'I am looking at my little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me.' The wife said: 'Fool, that is not your little cat, that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys.' Hansel, however, had not been looking back at the cat, but had been constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road.

When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said: 'Now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may not be cold.' Hansel and Gretel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were burning very high, the woman said: 'Now, children, lay yourselves down by the fire and rest, we will go into the forest and cut some wood. When we have done, we will come back and fetch you away.'

Hansel and Gretel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe they believed that their father was near. It was not the axe, however, but a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards. And as they had been sitting such a long time, their eyes closed with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep. When at last they awoke, it was already dark night. Gretel began to cry and said: 'How are we to get out of the forest now?' But Hansel comforted her and said: 'Just wait a little, until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way.' And when the full moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand, and followed the pebbles which shone like newly-coined silver pieces, and showed them the way.

They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more to their father's house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Gretel, she said: 'You naughty children, why have you slept so long in the forest?-we thought you were never coming back at all!' The father, however, rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone.

Not long afterwards, there was once more great dearth throughout the land, and the children heard their mother saying at night to their father: 'Everything is eaten again, we have one half loaf left, and that is the end. The children must go, we will take them farther into the wood, so that they will not find their way out again; there is no other means of saving ourselves!' The man's heart was heavy, and he thought: 'It would be better for you to share the last mouthful with your children.' The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who says A must say B, likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to do so a second time also.

The children, however, were still awake and had heard the conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up, and wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. Nevertheless he comforted his little sister, and said: 'Do not cry, Gretel, go to sleep quietly, the good God will help us.'

Early in the morning came the woman, and took the children out of their beds. Their piece of bread was given to them, but it was still smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest Hansel crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a morsel on the ground. 'Hansel, why do you stop and look round?' said the father, 'go on.' 'I am looking back at my little pigeon which is sitting on the roof, and wants to say goodbye to me,' answered Hansel. 'Fool!' said the woman, 'that is not your little pigeon, that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney.' Hansel, however little by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.

The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again made, and the mother said: 'Just sit there, you children, and when you are tired you may sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and fetch you away.' When it was noon, Gretel shared her piece of bread with Hansel, who had scattered his by the way. Then they fell asleep and evening passed, but no one came to the poor children. They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said: 'Just wait, Gretel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our way home again.' When the moon came they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up. Hansel said to Gretel: 'We shall soon find the way,' but they did not find it. They walked the whole night and all the next day too from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest, and were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but two or three berries, which grew on the ground. And as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep.

It was now three mornings since they had left their father's house. They began to walk again, but they always came deeper into the forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness. When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when its song was over, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house, on the roof of which it alighted; and when they approached the little house they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear sugar. 'We will set to work on that,' said Hansel, 'and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and you Gretel, can eat some of the window, it will taste sweet.' Hansel reached up above, and broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted, and Gretel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes. Then a soft voice cried from the parlour:

'Nibble, nibble, gnaw, Who is nibbling at my little house?'
The children answered:

'The wind, the wind, The heaven-born wind,'
and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who liked the taste of the roof, tore down a great piece of it, and Gretel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed herself with it. Suddenly the door opened, and a woman as old as the hills, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out. Hansel and Gretel were so terribly frightened that they let fall what they had in their hands. The old woman, however, nodded her head, and said: 'Oh, you dear children, who has brought you here? do come in, and stay with me. No harm shall happen to you.' She took them both by the hand, and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before them, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and Gretel lay down in them, and thought they were in heaven.

The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a wicked witch, who lay in wait for children, and had only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast day with her. Witches have red eyes, and cannot see far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts, and are aware when human beings draw near. When Hansel and Gretel came into her neighbourhood, she laughed with malice, and said mockingly: 'I have them, they shall not escape me again!' Early in the morning before the children were awake, she was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking so pretty, with their plump and rosy cheeks she muttered to herself: 'That will be a dainty mouthful!' Then she seized Hansel with her shrivelled hand, carried him into a little stable, and locked him in behind a grated door. Scream as he might, it would not help him. Then she went to Gretel, shook her till she awoke, and cried: 'Get up, lazy thing, fetch some water, and cook something good for your brother, he is in the stable outside, and is to be made fat. When he is fat, I will eat him.' Gretel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in vain, for she was forced to do what the wicked witch commanded.

And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Gretel got nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little stable, and cried: 'Hansel, stretch out your finger that I may feel if you will soon be fat.' Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to her, and the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not see it, and thought it was Hansel's finger, and was astonished that there was no way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by, and Hansel still remained thin, she was seized with impatience and would not wait any longer. 'Now, then, Gretel,' she cried to the girl, 'stir yourself, and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean, tomorrow I will kill him, and cook him.' Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water, and how her tears did flow down her cheeks! 'Dear God, do help us,' she cried. 'If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together.' 'Just keep your noise to yourself,' said the old woman, 'it won't help you at all.'

Early in the morning, Gretel had to go out and hang up the cauldron with the water, and light the fire. 'We will bake first,' said the old woman, 'I have already heated the oven, and kneaded the dough.' She pushed poor Gretel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting. 'Creep in,' said the witch, 'and see if it is properly heated, so that we can put the bread in.' And once Gretel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too. But Gretel saw what she had in mind, and said: 'I do not know how I am to do it; how do I get in?' 'Silly goose,' said the old woman. 'The door is big enough; just look, I can get in myself!' and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt. Oh! then she began to howl quite horribly, but Gretel ran away and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.

Gretel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little stable, and cried: 'Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!' Then Hansel sprang like a bird from its cage when the door is opened. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other! And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch's house, and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels. 'These are far better than pebbles!' said Hansel, and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Gretel said: 'I, too, will take something home with me,' and filled her pinafore full. 'But now we must be off,' said Hansel, 'that we may get out of the witch's forest.'

When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great stretch of water. 'We cannot cross,' said Hansel, 'I see no foot-plank, and no bridge.' 'And there is also no ferry,' answered Gretel, 'but a white duck is swimming there: if I ask her, she will help us over.' Then she cried:

'Little duck, little duck, dost thou see, Hansel and Gretel are waiting for thee? There's never a plank, or bridge in sight, Take us across on thy back so white.'
The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back, and told his sister to sit by him. 'No,' replied Gretel, 'that will be too heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the other.' The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their father's house. Then they began to run, rushed into the parlour, and threw themselves round their father's neck. The man had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the woman, however, was dead. Gretel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness. My tale is done, there runs a mouse; whosoever catches it, may make himself a big fur cap out of it.

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The embedded audio player requires a modern internet browser. You should visit Browse Happy and update your internet browser today! Hard by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel and the girl Gretel.