Hansel and Gretel

A poor woodcutter has two children, Hansel and Gretel. Their stepmother, cruel and jealous, convinces the father to abandon them in the forest to reduce the household's hunger. Hansel, overhearing the plan, secretly collects white pebbles that gleam in the moonlight. When the parents leave them in the forest, Hansel drops the pebbles one by one. The children follow them home in the darkness, to their father's joy. The stepmother, enraged, locks them in a room and forces them to return to the forest, this time deeper and farther. Unable to collect pebbles, Hansel uses breadcrumbs instead. But the birds eat the breadcrumbs, and the children become truly lost. Wandering, they discover a cottage made entirely of gingerbread, candy, and cake. Inside dwells an old woman—a witch who captures children and devours them. The witch imprisons Hansel to fatten him for her pot. Gretel must labor as her servant. But Gretel, through wit and memory of home and family, remembers a trick: when the witch asks her to test the oven, Gretel asks her to demonstrate. The witch bends to look inside, and Gretel shoves her in and closes the door. The children discover the cottage is filled with treasures—pearls, jewels, and gold—collected from her victims. They fill their pockets and flee through the forest. At a lake, they encounter a white duck who ferries them across to the familiar side of the woods. When they reach their father's house, he weeps with joy—the stepmother has died. The children give him the treasures, and they live in comfort and love forever after. Memory and hope for home sustained them through darkness.