Reading Notes, Grimm Brothers, Hunt, Part A

The stories in this section were particularly long. So I choose to read one that I heard as a child and compare the differences between the two. This happened to be Hansel and Grethel. Hansel and Grethel had a stepmother who, when times got tough and there was a lack of food, told their father that he needed to take them into the forest and leave them there. Though it was hard, their father consented, but Hansel heard the conversation and took white stones into the forest to find his way back. The came back and stayed for a while until times got tough, and their father took them into the woods and left them again. This time they could not find their way out so instead they followed a snow white bird. The bird led them to a house built with bread and covered with cake. The children began to eat the house and were interrupted by the owner, an old woman. The woman locked them up with plans to fatten them, and then eat them. Grethel tricked the woman and pushed her into the oven before harm could be done. On the way out they took the woman's pearls and jewels. They eventually found their way home, into their fathers arms who regretted what he had done. Their stepmother was death, and the little family lived happily ever after with the many jewels.

(Hansel and Grethel, Pinterest)

Bibliography: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm Link