Children love stories. Pre-schoolers and toddlers too enjoy stories when their parents read out to them. Tales that have an element of fun and learning in them are interesting for kids. Reading bedtime stories has lots of benefits and is recommended by health experts for a good night’s rest. From improving communication to learning life lessons, moral stories like Panchatantra or Aesop Fables help children enhance their knowledge and learn morals and values. Hansel and Gretel is one such popular fairy tale with a very strong moral that is a good read for kids. Given that the story’s pivotal characters are two kids, it becomes more interesting and relatable.
Origin And History Of The Story Of Hansel And Gretel
The fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel is believed to have originated in the medieval period when the Great Famine (1315-1321) occurred. The period is said to have driven many families to desperate measures to avoid the disastrous effects of the famine. Many have believed to have abandoned their dependents or left them in the woods to fend for themselves. It is also said to refer to European tales where children outwit ogres and witches when faced with unforeseeable circumstances.
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Apart from highlighting the danger faced by children and the cleverness with which they handle it, the tale also relates the importance of food where the mother or stepmother wishes to prevent her family from going hungry, and the witch lures them to the candy house to eat them.
The Brothers Grimm published the story in 1812. It was their way of retaining the German culture and preserving their identity when they were on the brink of being taken over by Napoleon, the French ruler. As folktales garnered interest, the story went through a lot of interpretations. In some versions, the parents abandoned their children, and some others refer to the witch luring them away. Most of the stories written by Brothers Grimm had references to peasants and the living conditions of the middle class and aristocrats.
In the original version, both parents agree to send the children into the forest. In the version post 1857, the wicked stepmother hatches this plan. There is an earlier version from Italy by Giambattista Basile where the cruel stepmother demands that the two children are sent to her, and the father leaves a secret trail back to the house for the children to find their way. In a later version by Brothers Grimm, the trail of oats is eaten by a donkey, and the children find their way home by a trail they leave themselves.
The Story Of Hansel And Gretel For Children
Once upon a time, there lived in the forest two siblings- Hansel and Gretel. They lived with their father and their stepmother. The father was a poor woodcutter but loved his little boy and girl. Their stepmother, on the other hand, did not like the children and tortured them. She did not give them food to eat, and on most days, the children just got crusts of the bread leftover after their stepmother finished her meal.
Hansel and Gretel tried to speak to their father about their hunger, but he did not pay attention as he was busy trying to work. He only listened to his wife to please her. The stepmother secretly wished that the children went away from the house forever. She started feeding them very less food every day and made them do all the household chores even if they felt weak and tired.
One day the stepmother made Hansel and Gretel do all the work until they were exhausted. She served very little food for dinner, and Gretel cried, asking for more as they were very hungry. The stepmother then yelled at them and refused to give them any more food. She also called both the children ungrateful and blamed them for not having any food left in the house.
That night, Hansel and Gretel slept outside the cottage as their stepmother punished them for crossing the lines. It was biting cold, and the children shivered in the weather and tried to keep each other warm. Their clothes were also too thin to keep them warm. The brother and sister tried to console each other.
The next morning when they woke up, Gretel told her brother that she was not happy with the way their stepmother treated them. She made a plan to escape to a place in the woods where they can find some food. Gretel assured Hansel that they would come back home before it got dark. Although Hansel did not want to go on the hunt, he decided go along, but along the way to the forest, he dropped a few crumbs of bread so that they could follow the trail to return home.
As Hansel and Gretel went deeper into the forest, they realised that they were out on a lost cause. They could not find any food whatsoever. They decided to turn back, follow their train and head home. But alas their trail had disappeared! Instead, on the ground, they spotted a bird with a crumb in its beak. They realised that the birds had eaten up all their crumbs. It had gotten very dark and scary in the forest. They even heard a wolf howl. They got frightened and hugged each other. They were lost in the middle of the woods and were starving.
Gretel then noticed a tiny light in a house in the dense forest. The two children made their way to the house, hoping they would find something to eat. They ran towards the house, and as they came close, they noticed that the house looked strange.
The house was shaped like a candy with a gingerbread roof and frosting on the walls. There were candies on the walls too, which got Hansel and Gretel excited, and they started licking the candy and relishing its taste. Suddenly, they heard a sharp voice from inside, “ Who is licking my walls?” Hansel and Gretel stopped and turned to notice a witch standing behind them. Gretel replied, “We were passing by and saw your house. We are very hungry and wanted a bite.”
The witch invited them inside. She said, “I can give you some food”. Hansel and Gretel were excited and went in and filled their stomach with the food. Once they were done, they saw a pile of bones around the house. They wondered how these bones reached here, but they were too tired to ask anything and fell asleep soon.
When Hansel woke up, he was shocked to find himself locked up in a cage. The witch had turned out to be evil. She told Gretel, “Your brother will remain in the cage, and I will feed him till he becomes fat so that I can have him for dinner!” She laughed and said to Gretel, “You will do my household chores!”.
Gretel worked hard on the chores given to her, and Hansel was forced to keep eating until he was full. Every morning, the witch would inspect Hansel to see how fat he had grown. Hansel would hold a finger out of the cage for the witch to inspect. The witch would scowl and huff, waiting for him to grow plump.
Hansel was scared and kept urging his sister Gretel to come up with a plan to escape this danger. Gretel was exhausted but she was extremely worried about her brother. She wanted to help him escape from the evil hands of the witch. She came up with a plan when the witch was asleep.
The next morning as Gretel was cleaning, she picked up a bone and slyly handed over one to Hansel. She said to him, “Hold this bone out when the witch comes to inspect your fingers.” Hansel did as told, and when the witch came to check him, he held the bone out instead of his finger.
When the witch felt Hansel’s finger, she touched the bone and frowned, thinking it was the boy’s finger. She said, ”Hmm, it seems like it will take time for you to get fat!” Both Hansel and Gretel let a sigh of relief as they managed to delay the witch’s attack on Hansel.
Every morning, the witch would check Hansel, and he continued to hand out the bone. One day, the witch got annoyed and yelled, “I am tired of waiting for you to get fat and plump. I have decided to have you for dinner even though you are skinny!” The witched ordered Gretel,” Go an ignite the fire for the oven. It must get red-hot.” Gretel worked slowly on purpose and noticed that the witch had a grin on her face.
The witch said, “Go inside and see if the oven is hot enough to put your brother in it.” Gretel was worried and did not know how to react. She thought, ”Will the witch push me into the oven?” As she looked at the flame, she thought of a plan. She told the witch, ”I am not sure how to tell if the oven is hot. Can you please show me how it works?”
The witch was getting impatient and grumbled, ”You silly little girl! This is how you do it.” She then stepped inside, and the moment the witch went inside the oven, Gretel shut the door. The witch was trapped inside the hot oven.
Hansel cried out in excitement, “Look, Gretel! You saved us!” Without wasting any time, Gretel began to look for the key to the cage to unlock Hansel. She found the key hidden in a vase and freed Hansel. Gretel thought there was something else in it too. When she checked, she found that the vase was filled with precious jewels and stones.
Hansel and Gretel filled their pockets with the gems and ran as fast as they could from the witch’s house. They soon found a small path which led to a bigger one that brought them to the main road. They waited on the road for someone to offer them a ride. A horseman passing by spotted them and Hansel and Gretel waved their hands for him to stop. They offered him a tiny jewel in return for a ride. The horseman was happy and offered to drop them home.
Hansel and Gretel reached home. Their father was happy to see them and could not control his joy. He had been worried since the day they had gone missing and was lonely. Hansel and Gretel learnt that their stepmother had passed away soon after they had left for the woods. The children told their father all that had happened and showed him the treasure they had found. The father felt sorry for them and promised that they would now live together as a happy family. Hansel and Gretel finally united with their father and lived happily ever after.
Moral Of The Story Of Hansel And Gretel
Hansel and Gretel is a children’s story with a moral. There are a lot of things to learn in the short story of the siblings, which dates back to medieval times. When read as a story with pictures, the story of Hansel and Gretel is a beautiful way of teaching children a lot of values and morals. A few things that could be taught to kids are:
“Do not trust strangers, even if they treat you well.”
Children should know that they should not trust any strangers. In the story, the witch lures them with food, and they follow her. It is only later that they realise that the witch had a hidden agenda.
“Take initiative and think on your feet.”
Children must know how to use their thinking and analytic capacity when facing a difficult situation. Hansel and Gretel did not escape due to someone’s help or intervention but due to the cleverness of Gretel.
“Always stay close to your siblings and support each other”
Children must know that they must share a good bond with their siblings. Hansel and Gretel found their way home because they helped each other and supported each other to escape from the evil witch.
FAQs
1. Why Did Their Stepmother Want To Get Rid Of Hansel And Gretel?
Their stepmother was unhappy with their poor living conditions and believed that Hansel and Gretel were the reason for their family’s struggles. She thought that if they were gone, she could have more food and a better life.
2. What Is The Significance Of The Breadcrumbs?
When they were lost in the forest, Hansel, with remarkable foresight, used the breadcrumbs to mark a trail back home. However, the breadcrumbs, consumed by birds, caused a temporary setback.
3. How Does The Story Hansel and Gretel Short Story End?
After being captured by the witch, Hansel and Gretel outsmart her. They push her into the oven, escape, and return home to their father, who has regretted his actions. The family is reunited, and they live happily ever after.
4. What Happened When Hansel And Gretel Returned Home?
When Hansel and Gretel returned home, they found that their stepmother had died. Their father was overjoyed to see them alive and well. With the treasure and jewels they had taken from the witch’s house, the family lived comfortably ever after.
Moral stories for children are a wonderful way of connecting with them and teaching them essential lessons for life. Fairy tales, Aesop fables, and Panchatantra are great books to read to children at the pre-school age. It instils a lot of good beliefs and encourages children to follow the path of righteousness.
Also Read:
Princess and The Pea Story for Kids with Moral
The Boy Who Cried Wolf Story with Moral for Children
The Lion and the Mouse Story for Kids with Moral
