Family Guide to
Hansel and Gretel By Engelbert Humperdinck
The Story nce upon a time, two children named Hansel and Gretel lived in a small cottage next to a forest with their parents. They were poor and did not have much food to eat. Deep in the forest lived an old Witch who was known for taking little children and baking them into gingerbread for her to eat. One day, their mother came home angry because Hansel and Gretel did not do their chores around the cottage. Hansel and Gretel’s mother sent her two children into the forest to gather food for everyone. Before they knew it, the forest became very dark as Hansel and Gretel lost track of time. They followed a shimmering light named Sandman, the Bringer of Dreams. Sandman sprinkled Hansel and Gretel with golden dream-sand that made them dream of 14 guardian angels in their sleep. Soon after, a Dewfairy appeared and woke Hansel and Gretel up from their sleep. When they awoke, Hansel and Gretel were very hungry as they had not eaten since breakfast the previous day, so they began looking for food. Finally, they came across a house made of gingerbread, biscuits, cakes, and chocolate.
Hansel greedily began to eat the house until an old, ugly woman dressed in black appeared. Before the children knew it, she captured poor Hansel and took him into her house! Gretel followed right after. Using a magical branch, the Witch cast a spell on Hansel that locked him in the oven because she wanted to bake him and then eat him. For many years, she would capture little boys and girls and turn them into gingerbread that would decorate her house. When she went away, Gretel took the same magical branch to reverse the spell and unlock the oven. When the Witch returned, she did not know that Gretel had reversed her spell and was surprised when Hansel ran quickly out of the oven. Suddenly, the two children pushed the Witch into the oven. As the Witch baked in the brick oven, the house made of gingerbread, biscuits, cakes, and chocolate began to crumble. Gretel used the magical branch once again to bring each boy and girl back to life. The Witch’s house caught fire and finally exploded into pieces! Eventually, Hansel and Gretel’s parents found them and hugged them because they were so happy to find them safe and sound. Hansel remembered his dream from the night before, looked up at the sky, and saw 14 smiling guardian angels that had kept them safe from harm.