SYNOPSIS

Hansel and Gretel

Hansel and Gretel were the young children of a poor woodcutter. When a great famine settled over the land, the woodcutter and his wife had a plan to leave their children in the wood. Hansel and Gretel have overheard them. After the parents had gone to bed, Hansel sneaked out of the house and gathered as many white pebbles as he could, then returned to his room, reassured Gretel that God would not forsake them. In the first chance, the children could return home safely because they followed the pebbles which were thrown by Hansel. But in the second chance, Hansel couldn’t gather many pebbles so they threw the bread as a sign the way home. Unfortunately, they lost in a deep wood because the bread have eaten by the birds.

After days of wandering, they followed a beautiful white bird and discovered a cottage built of gingerbread and cakes with window panes of clear sugar. The children began to eat the rooftop of the candy house, when the door opened and a "very old woman" emerged and lured the children inside, with the promise of soft beds and delicious food. Their hostess was a "wicked witch" who waylaid children to cook and ate them. The next morning, the witch locked Hansel in an iron cage in the garden and forced Gretel into becoming a slave.

The witch fed Hansel regularly to fat him up. Due to the witch’s blindness, Hansel cleverly offered a bone he found in the cage and when the witch felt it, she was thinking that Hansel was still thin. But the witch grew impatient and decided to eat Hansel and Gretel. She prepared the oven for Hansel, asked Gretel to keep the oven hot enough. Gretel pretended that she didn’t understand what the witch asked. Infuriated, the witch demonstrated, and Gretel instantly shoved the witch into the oven, slammed and bolted the door shut, the witch screamed in pain until she was died. Gretel freed Hansel from the cage and the pair discovered a vast treasure and precious stones. Put the jewels into their clothing, the children set off for home. A swan ferried them across an expanse of water and at home they found only their father; his wife has died from unknown cause. The father has spent all his days lamenting the loss of his children, and is delighted to see them safe and sound. With the witch's wealth, they all lived happily ever after.

From this story we know that we must not deny what we have and keep it as we can. Besides, we can learn that helping each other is really needed to solve the problems we get.