Hansel and Gretel

Hansel and Gretel

Characters (6): Narrator, Woodcutter, Wife, Hansel, Gretel & Witch

Narrator: 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.

Wife: 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. 

Woodcutter: They are after all my children. How can I get rid of them?

Wife:  I tell you, you got to dump them somewhere. We do not have enough to feed everyone!

Woodcutter: But where do I leave them?

Wife: Take them to the forest and leave them there. They will be miles away  from home and will never be able to find their way back! Maybe someone will find them and give them a home.

Narrator: The woodcutter became sad on hearing his wife. But he was a very weak man and could not stand up to her. He didn't know what to do. Meanwhile, Hansel and Gretel, overheard the conversation between their father and stepmother.

Gretel: Brother, will father really leave us in the forest? What will we then do?

Hansel: Don't worry Gretel! Even if father leaves us in the forest, we'll find our way home.

Narrator: Hansel comforted his sister and slipped out of home. When he returned, his pockets were filled with white pebbles. Soon the family had dinner and the children went to bed. But their stepmother kept egging her husband to get rid of the children the very next day. The woodcutter unwillingly agreed.

Woodcutter: Hansel! Gretel! Come, let us go to the forest and collect them firewood.

Hansel & Gretel: Yes father. Here we are. Let’s go.

Narrator: The woodcutter, along with his children began walking in the direction of the forest. As they went deep into the forest, Hansel began to drop the white pebbles on the mossy green ground. At a certain point, their father decided that they had walked far enough to leave the children and return home.

Woodcutter: Now children, you sit right here until I come back. We will all then go home.

Narrator: The children sat as bid by their father. Evening gave way to night, but their father did not return. Gretel began to sob bitterly. Hansel too felt scared but he tried to hide his feelings and comfort his sister.

Hansel: "Don't cry, trust me! I swear I'll take you home. See, even though it is nightfall, the moon above is full and bright. We will find our way home.

Gretel: But how can we? We have come so far away from home and we don’t know the way back?

Hansel: Now give me your hand! You’ll see that we'll get home safely. See, how my white pebbles are gleaming in the moonlight. I scattered them when father brought us here. Now they will guide us back home.

Gretel: Hansel, how clever you are! I am so proud and happy that you are my brother.

Narrator: The children followed the pebbles and reached home. They crept through a half open window, without wakening their parents. They were cold and tired from the adventure, but they were thankful to be home again. They slipped into bed and slept peacefully.

Next day, when their stepmother discovered that Hansel and Gretel had returned, she became furious.

Wife: How did these brats come back? I am sure you didn’t leave them far enough! No wonder they have found their way back here!

Woodcutter: No, no. I promise you that I left them miles and miles away from home. I have no clue how they’ve managed to get back.

Narrator: The ill-tempered wife did not believe the woodcutter. She kept yelling at him for failing to listen to her. The weak woodcutter protested. He was torn between shame for having left his children in the woods, and fear of disobeying his cruel wife. The wicked stepmother kept Hansel and Gretel under lock and key all day with nothing for supper but a sip of water and some hard bread. She quarrelled with her husband all night until he agreed to once again leave them still deeper in the forest the next day.

Hansel: (speaking to himself): I have to do something to save ourselves tomorrow. Well, I will not eat these slices of bread. Instead I will scatter them and leave a trail to mark our way when father will take us to the woods!

Narrator:  Hansel carried out his plan as the three of them started out to the woods the next day. He left a trail of crumbs behind him to mark the way. But the little boy did not see the hungry birds that lived in the forest. When they saw Hansel throw the crumbs, they flew along behind and in no time at all, had eaten all the crumbs. As it became evening, the woodcutter once again made an excuse to leave the children alone. Night fell and he did not return.

Hansel: I've left a trail, like last time! Don’t worry Gretel. We’ll soon get home.

Narrator: But to his horror, Hansel saw that all the crumbs had gone.

Gretel: What will we do now? How will we get home? 'm frightened! I'm cold and hungry and I want to go home! (Gretal began to weep loudly)

Hansel: Don't be afraid. I'm here to look after you!

Narrator: Hansel tried to comfort his sister, but he too shivered from fear when he saw shadows in the darkness. All night the two children huddled together for warmth at the foot of a large tree.

When dawn broke, they began to wander about the forest, looking for a path that might take them home. But all hope soon faded and they were truly lost. They continued to walk till suddenly they came upon a strange cottage in the middle of a glade.

Hansel: This is chocolate! (He gasped in surprise as he broke a lump of plaster from the wall).

Gretel:And this is icing! (She squealed with delight as she put a piece in her mouth)

Narrator: The children who were starving, were happy as they began to eat pieces of candy broken off the cottage.

Gretel: Isn't this delicious? We’ve never eaten anything like this before!

Hansel: Most certainly! It’s yummy. We'll stay here.

Narrator: As the children gleefully began to munch the nougat and were just about to try a piece of the biscuit door, it quietly swung open. An old women peered out.

Old Woman: Well, well! And haven't you children a sweet tooth? Come in! Come in, you've nothing to fear!

Narrator: Unluckily for Hansel and Gretel, however, the sugar candy cottage belonged to an old witch. This was her trap for catching unwary victims. The two children had come to a really nasty place.

Old Woman (witch): You're nothing but skin and bones! I shall fatten you up and eat you! (She locked the children as she spoke to them). By the way, what are your names?

Narrator: Fear gripped the children. In soft, frightened tones, they told her their names.

Witch: Okay then. Gretel, you can do the housework. Then I'll make a meal of you too!

Narrator: As luck would have it, the witch had very bad eyesight. Gretel saw her chance. She smeared butter on the witch’s glasses. The witch could barely see what was before her.

Witch: Hansel, let me feel your fingers! Let me see if you have become fatter.

Narrator: Gretel was clever. She brought her brother a chicken bone, and when the witch went to touch his finger, Hansel held out the bone.

Witch: You're still much too thin! When will you become plump?

Narrator: As the days went by, the witch grew tired of waiting.

Witch: Gretel, light the oven. We're going to have a tasty roasted boy today!

Narrator: The witch had now become impatient. The thought of eating Hansel up, made her feel very hungry. She could barely wait for the oven to heat up.

Witch: Gretel, run and see if the oven is hot enough.

Gretel: I can't tell if it is hot enough or not.

Witch: (Angrily screaming): Useless child! All right, I'll see for myself.

Narrator: When the witch bent down to peer inside the oven to check the heat, Gretel gave her a tremendous push and slammed the oven door shut. The witch met her end. Gretel then set her brother free. Together, they made sure that the oven door was tightly shut behind the witch and also put a large lock to fasten it. Hansel and Gretel continued to stay in the cottage for several days to eat some more of the house. One day, they discovered a huge chocolate egg amongst the witch's belongings. They opened it.

Gretel: Hansel, see what is inside it!

Hansel: A casket of gold coins! Wow, we are now rich. The witch is burnt to a cinder. So we'll take this treasure with us.

Narrator: The children filled a large basket with food and set off into the forest to search for the way home. They became lucky this time. As they walked and walked, they saw their father come towards them. He was weeping.

Woodcutter: Your stepmother is dead. Come home with me now, my dear children!

Narrator: The two children hugged the woodcutter.

Gretel: Promise me father, that you'll never ever desert us again. (Gretel threw her arms round her father's neck).

Woodcutter: I promise, I promise you, my dear children. I will never leave you.

Hansel: (opened the casket) Look, Father, what we have with us! We're rich now . . . You'll never have to chop wood again.

Narrator: And they all lived happily together ever after.