Hansel and Gretel – A Tale from the Silbenwald

At the very edge of the Silbenwald, where the first fireflies light their little lanterns each evening, there stood a small wooden house. In that house lived two children: Balduin — no, these two were called Hansel and Gretel. Hansel had curly brown hair and a laugh you could hear right across the clearing, and Gretel always wore her plaits tied neatly with blue ribbons. The two of them loved each other dearly and spent every day playing together on the little meadow in front of the house. Their father was a woodcutter — a kind man with large, quiet hands — and he loved his children more than anything else in the whole wide world.

One evening, when Hansel and Gretel were already tucked up in their beds, their stepmother spoke quietly to their father. She said the family had very little food left, and that the children would have to be led into the forest the next morning and left to find their own way. Their father was deeply sad, for he could not bear the thought of leaving his children. But their stepmother talked and talked until at last he gave in and hung his head. Now, Hansel had not yet fallen asleep, and he had heard every word. He leaned close and whispered gently into Gretel's ear: "I have a plan. Don't be frightened."

In the middle of the night, Hansel crept silently out of the house. The moon was shining bright, and the fireflies hummed softly all around him, as though they wanted to give him courage. Hansel gathered small white pebbles from the path — as many as would fit into his trouser pockets. In the moonlight, those little pebbles shone like tiny fallen stars. Then he crept back to bed and whispered to Gretel: "Everything will be all right, Gretel. I promise you." And Gretel smiled, closed her eyes, and fell peacefully to sleep, for she trusted her brother Hansel with her whole heart.

The next morning, their father led the children deep into the Silbenwald. He held their hands very tightly and kept looking back at them with his large, sorrowful eyes. Every few steps, Hansel quietly let a white pebble drop onto the path behind him. The lanterns hanging in the trees of the Silbenwald glowed warm and golden, and a soft mist lay over the moss like a cosy blanket. Their father made a small fire so the children could keep warm, and whispered: "Stay here. I'll be back soon." But he did not come back.

When darkness fell and the moon rose up over the trees, the white pebbles on the path began to glow — bright and steady, like a chain of tiny moons stretching all the way home. Gretel clapped her hands softly in delight, and Hansel grinned from ear to ear. Together they followed the pebbles, step by step, through the gentle mist of the Silbenwald. The fireflies danced along beside them, as if lighting the way just a little more brightly. And so Hansel and Gretel found their way home without any trouble at all. Their father threw open the door and pulled his children into such a tight embrace that his eyes grew quite wet with joy.

But the days went on, and the family still had very little to eat. Their stepmother spoke to their father once more, and this time every door in the house was carefully shut. Hansel could not slip outside to collect pebbles that night. The next morning, their father led them even deeper into the Silbenwald. This time, Hansel crumbled tiny pieces of bread along the path — bits he had secretly broken from his breakfast — hoping they would show the way home, just as the pebbles had done before.

When Hansel and Gretel went to look for the breadcrumbs later, they had all vanished. The little birds of the Silbenwald had pecked up every last crumb, chirping cheerfully as they did. Gretel took hold of Hansel's hand, and Hansel held Gretel's hand very firmly. "We'll find another way," said Hansel bravely, and Gretel gave a steady nod. On they walked and walked through the glowing Silbenwald, the warm lanterns in the trees seeming to comfort them as they passed. The fireflies flitted just a little way ahead, as if to say: "Come along, this way — everything will be all right."

Then, all of a sudden, Hansel and Gretel saw something quite wonderful glimmering through the trees. There stood a tiny cottage built entirely of good wholesome bread, with a roof of sweet cake and windows made of clear, sparkling sugar. A beautiful smell of freshly baked bread drifted through the forest. The children, who had not eaten for a very long time, carefully broke off a small piece from the edge of the wall. But at that very moment the door swung slowly open, and an old woman peered out. She spoke in a very gentle voice: "Come inside, dear children. Come in out of the cold."

The old woman gave Hansel and Gretel warm milk, sweet pancakes, and all manner of good things to eat. Then she tucked them into soft, cosy little beds to sleep. But the old woman was not nearly as kind as she seemed. She wanted to keep Hansel captive and force Gretel to work for her. Gretel, however, was both clever and brave. She watched everything very carefully and waited for just the right moment. When the old woman asked Gretel to peer into the great oven, Gretel pretended she did not quite understand how. The old woman leant forward to show her — and at that, Gretel gave her a small but firm push, so that the door snapped shut. The old woman was locked inside, but Gretel immediately opened the door just a little crack so that she had air. Then Gretel freed Hansel, and the two of them ran as fast as their legs would carry them.

Hand in hand, Hansel and Gretel ran through the Silbenwald, the fireflies lighting the way before them. The warm lanterns in the trees seemed to wink as they passed, as if to say: "You've done it!" After a while, they spotted their father's little wooden house glowing in the distance. Their father was already standing at the door with his arms stretched wide open. He wept with happiness when he saw his children coming, and held Hansel and Gretel close to his heart for a very long time. Their stepmother had gone away, and from that day on their father, Hansel, and Gretel lived happily together in the Silbenwald — wrapped in the light of fireflies, golden lanterns, and the soft, peaceful rustling of the trees.