hanssel and Gretel short and gretel in darkness-2.docx -...

Hansel and Gretel (Brothers Grimm)
Once upon a time a very poor woodcutter lived in a
tiny cottage in the forest with his two children, Hansel
and Gretel. His second wife often ill-treated the
children and was forever nagging the woodcutter.
"There is not enough food in the house for us all.
There are too many mouths to feed! We must get rid of
the two brats," she declared. And she kept on trying to
persuade her husband to abandon his children in the
forest.
"Take them miles from home, so far that they can
never find their way back! Maybe someone will find
them and give them a home." The downcast
woodcutter didn't know what to do. Hansel who, one
evening, had overheard his parents' conversation,
comforted Gretel.
"Don't worry! If they do leave us in the forest, we'll
find the way home," he said. And slipping out of the
house he filled his pockets with little white pebbles,
then went back to bed.
All night long, the woodcutter's wife harped on and
on at her husband till, at dawn, he led Hansel and
Gretel away into the forest. But as they went into the
depths of the trees, Hansel dropped a little white
pebble here and there on the mossy green ground. At
a certain point, the two children found they really were
alone: the woodcutter had plucked up enough courage
to desert
them, had mumbled an excuse and was gone.
Night fell but the woodcutter did not return. Gretel
began to sob bitterly. Hansel too felt scared but he tried
to hide his feelings and comfort his sister.
"Don't cry, trust me! I swear I'll take you home even if
Father doesn't come back for us!" Luckily the moon
was full that night and Hansel waited till its cold light
filtered through the trees.
"Now give me your hand!" he said. "We'll get home
safely, you'll see!" The tiny white pebbles gleamed in
the moonlight, and the children found their way home.