Fairies and Hard Facts: The Reality of Folktales

Abstract

Near a large forest lived a poor woodcutter with his wife and two children. The boy's name was Hansel and girl's Gretel. The woodcutter had little to eat, and once when a great famine swept country, he was no longer able to earn even their daily bread. One evening when he was lying in his bed and tossing about and worrying, he sighed and said to his What's to become of us? How can we feed our poor children when we've nothing left for ourselves? Do you know what, husband, answered the first thing tomorrow morning we'll take children out into thickest part of forest. There we'll kindle them a fire and give each a little piece of bread; we'll go about our work and leave them there alone; they won't find way back home, and we'll be rid of them. No, wife, said man, that I won't do. How could I have heart to leave my children alone in forest; wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces. O you fool, she said, then all four of us will starve to death; you might as well start planing boards for our coffins, and gave him no peace until he agreed. But all same I'm sorry for poor children, said man. The two children hadn't been able to get to sleep either, because they were hungry and heard what their stepmother said to their father. Gretel wept bitter tears and said to Hansel, Now it's all up with us. Be quiet, Gretel, said Hansel, Don't worry, I'll get us out of this, of course. 1