Hansel & Gretel

In the modified version of the fable, The children's father does not care about the children's fate and does not debate his wife's suggestion to get rid of the kids. Hansel and Gretel spend the night in the forest as in the first tale but we can see that this experience is changing Hansel dramatically.

He has a violent dream and wakes to Gretel crying by the burning out fire. This is when he explains to her that has left pebbles along the path to signal the way to go home.

The next morning, when the children arrive back at their cottage, their parents are cruel and unsympathetic to them. Hansel and his father have a terrible argument and both refuse to talk. The adults lock the children in the house and so, Hansel does not have the opportunity to collect pebbles for the next trip which he knows will be the next day.

The next morning when the children are led away from home, Hansel crumbles his portion of bread on the path, but the birds eat it and the children are lost.

Hansel and Gretel come upon the house in the woods but it is not made of candy. It is a normal house and as the children get closer to it they see that there is no one home.

Hansel breaks a window and lifts Gretel up to go inside to look for food, but while she is inside the old lady who lives there comes home. The old woman cannot see or hear well and is carrying a bunch of berries as she has been out gathering all day. She is kind looking and happy. Gretel is frightened and looks out the window at Hansel who signals her to run away, but as she does she knocks over a tin can used as a vase for daisies.

To Be Continued...

By the way, the image is the working version of the Gretel Character for this fable. As you can see, she has no hair or hands. That just won't do.