Hansel 👦🏻 and 👧🏻 Gretel | English Fairy Stories | Bedtime Stories | Magicbox English Stories

Summary

Hansel and Gretel are two siblings who are abandoned in the forest by their wicked stepmother. Using their resourcefulness, they manage to find their way back home after being left behind once. However, when their stepmother attempts to get rid of them again, the children encounter a witch who lures them into her gingerbread house. After being imprisoned, Hansel and Gretel outwit the witch, freeing themselves and finding treasure. They return home to their father, who is relieved to see them safe, and they live happily ever after, free from hunger and the stepmother's cruelty.

Takeaways

• 😀 Hansel and Gretel live with their poor father and wicked stepmother in a small cottage near a forest.
• 😀 The stepmother, who is secretly a witch, plans to abandon the children in the forest because she doesn't love them.
• 😀 Hansel, being resourceful, gathers pebbles and uses them to mark the path, helping them find their way home after being abandoned.
• 😀 After their first escape, the stepmother convinces the father to take them deeper into the forest, where they lose their way after their breadcrumb trail is eaten by birds.
• 😀 Hansel and Gretel follow a sweet-singing bird and discover a gingerbread house with a roof made of vanilla icing and windows of sugar.
• 😀 The children begin eating the candy-covered house but are caught by a wicked old woman, who invites them inside for food and rest.
• 😀 The old woman is actually a witch who entices children into her home to fatten them up and eventually eat them.
• 😀 The witch locks Hansel in a cage to fatten him up, while Gretel is forced to do all the housework, including cooking his meals.
• 😀 Hansel tricks the witch by holding out a chicken bone instead of his finger to deceive her into thinking he is not getting any fatter.
• 😀 Gretel outsmarts the witch by pushing her into the oven, freeing Hansel, and escaping with him.
• 😀 Hansel and Gretel find treasure in the witch's house, and when their father arrives, they all return home, never going hungry again and living happily ever after.

Q & A

What is the primary conflict in the story of Hansel and Gretel?

The primary conflict revolves around Hansel and Gretel being abandoned in the forest by their stepmother, who is a wicked witch, and their struggle to survive and find their way home.

Why did the stepmother want to get rid of Hansel and Gretel?

The stepmother, who was a wicked witch, did not love the children and saw them as a burden. She wanted to get rid of them so she wouldn't have to worry about their survival, especially during times of food scarcity.

How did Hansel manage to help him and Gretel find their way home the first time?

Hansel gathered pebbles and dropped them along the path while walking through the forest, which allowed him and Gretel to follow the trail back home when they woke up from their sleep by the fire.

Why couldn't Hansel use breadcrumbs the second time they were abandoned in the forest?

Hansel used breadcrumbs instead of pebbles the second time, but the birds ate all of them overnight, leaving the children lost and unable to follow the trail home.

What did the children find in the forest after following the white bird?

The children discovered a gingerbread house with windows made of sugar and walls covered in cookies, cakes, and candy, which they eagerly began to eat.

Who did the children meet when they ate the candy from the house?

They met an old woman who seemed kind and invited them into her house for food and rest. However, she was actually a wicked witch who intended to fatten them up and eat them.

What was the witch's plan for Hansel and Gretel?

The witch planned to fatten Hansel up in a cage and eventually eat him. She also forced Gretel to do housework while she prepared to cook and eat Hansel once he was fat enough.

How did Hansel trick the witch into thinking he wasn't getting any fatter?

Hansel tricked the witch by holding out a chicken bone instead of his finger, making it appear that he was still too thin for her to eat, which delayed her plans.

How did Gretel ultimately defeat the witch?

Gretel outsmarted the witch by pretending not to know how to check the oven temperature. When the witch climbed in to demonstrate, Gretel slammed the door shut, trapping the witch inside and killing her.

What happened after Hansel and Gretel defeated the witch?

After defeating the witch, Hansel and Gretel found chests of gold and jewels in the witch's house. They were then reunited with their father, who had been searching for them, and they returned home with wealth, living happily ever after.