Halloween is approaching and the most appropriate fairy tale for the occasion has to be "Hansel & Gretel". This dark fairy tale has been regarded as too violent and disturbing for children - children abandoned by their parents, encounter with a cannibal old woman and shoving this old woman into a pot to burn her to death.... Now you know why we never get to hear this fairy tale in school. But hey just like all fairy tales, despite the terrible encounters, there is always a "Happy Ending".

Enjoy. :)


Once upon a time, there lived two children, Hansel and Gretel, with their poor woodcutter father and stepmother.

The stepmother did not like the children as there were little enough to eat and there are too many mouths to feed. The stepmother finally persuaded the woodcutter to abandon the children in the woods in order for the both of them to survive.

The next day, they brought the children to the deep forest and told them to take a nap while the woodcutter and her continue their way to chop wood.

When they woke up, the fire was burned out and the moon rose high in the sky. They were all by themselves.

Hansel comforted Gretel and walked through the night when they finally came upon a cottage. What a wondrous cottage it was for its walls were made of gingerbread, its roof was made of frosted icing and candies, and its windows were made of biscuits.

“There,” Hansel pointed. “We shall have a glorious feast!”
The children ran to the house and began nibbling. Hansel grabbed a handful of the gingerbread wall. Gretel bit into the clear sugar window.

A sweet voice called from inside the house,
“Nibbling, Nibbling like a mouse. Who is nibbling at my house?"

The sweet voice belonged to an old woman and she came outside to see Hansel and Gretel nibbling at her house. The children were frightened but the old woman was kind.

 "My, my you dear children, who has brought you here? Come right in and stay with me. No harm will befall you."

They followed the old woman inside the house. They ate until they were stuffed and fell asleep in soft beds, thinking they were in heaven. Ah, but they were terribly deceived for the old woman was really an old witch with wicked intentions.  She built her house of sweets to entice children inside. Once she trapped the children, they became her…dinner!

The wicked witch locked Hansel in a glass chamber and forced Gretel to cook something good for her brother to fatten him up. Once he's fat, she will eat him up!

Weeks have past and the wicked witch decided today is the day to cook Hansel. She filled a huge pot with animals to extract flavors and nutrients. Once she get the right broth, she told Gretel to check the flames and simmer the broth. She was planning to push Gretel into the pot and eat her too.

Luckily Gretel saw what she was up to and pretend she did not understand the instructions and asked the wicked witch to demonstrate for her.

As soon as the wicked witch climbed up and placed her body above the huge pot, Gretel pushed her into the huge pot filled with piping hot soup! The witch is dead now!

Gretel quickly unlocked Hansel's cage.They took the gold and jewels in the witch's house and finally found their way home. It was a happy reunion for the children and the woodcutter - but not a happy one for the stepmother who has unexpectedly passed away in an accident too.

Hansel took out the gold and jewels,
"Look, Father! We're rich now . . . You'll never have to chop wood again and we'll never be hungry again."

And they all lived happily together ever after.

The End.