Hansel and Grethel
Another week has gone by without a word or sign from my dad.
The last time I saw him and my stepmother was almost six months ago. During those six months, my sister and I have
been at the orphanage in downtown Oklahoma City, waiting for their return.
The thing is, our family has a secret, but I didn’t think it
would abandon to them abandoning us. At least, I didn’t think my dad would
because I knew how much he loved us, but I also knew it wasn’t really my dad’s
doing.
Our stepmom, Lisa, is another story, however. I knew she
never liked us, even when my dad first introduced us to her a few years ago.
There were times when she made my sister and I feel like the outsiders in the
family. The way she controlled my father made zero sense at first until I saw what
she was.
“Grethel, I think it’s time we leave here,” I suggested one
evening. “I have a feeling I can find dad and we can be reunited again.”
Initially, I could tell Grethel was excited by my
proposition, but then a worried expression crossed her face.
“But what about Lisa?” she whispered. “What if we find dad
and she doesn’t let us see him?”
Everything I knew about Lisa and her past came to the
surface, but I was afraid to tell Grethel. I mean, how do I tell my sister that
Lisa is actually a witch and cursed our father? An honest to goodness witch,
and not anything remotely close to Glenna the Good Witch.
Lisa has powers that no one knows about but my dad and I.
One night a while back I saw her mixing potions into baked goods and homemade
candies. My father walked in as she was finishing and forced him to eat the
candy and freshly baked cookies. After that she had complete control over my
dad. She even forced him to leave us at the orphanage.
“The only way to find dad is to follow to trail of candy
Lisa left behind,” I told Grethel. “I also have something else to tell,” I
whispered.
It was time Grethel understood the danger we were about to
embark on. We were not just on a mission to save our father, but we were on a
mission to save our father from a very powerful witch. It was only a matter of
time that the candy trail Lisa left behind would lead us to their whereabouts.
I only hoped that we weren’t too late.
Author’s Note: I
based my story loosely on that of Hansel and Grethel. I chose to do the style
through the mind of Hansel’s. The reason I chose this style is because I enjoy
hearing the narration of stories through the main character. I like that it
follows the thoughts of the main character and tells the story from his/her
perspective. In the original Hansel and Grethel translated by Margaret Hunt,
Hansel and Grethel’s father was being bossed around by their new stepmom. The
family was so poor that the stepmom suggested getting rid of the kids by
leaving them in the forest. While the stepmom discussed this with the father,
Hansel was listening and decided on a plan. He gathered stones from outside the
house so the next day when their father and stepmother led them into the
forest, Hansel left a trail of pebbles behind him so they could find their way
back home. Once the children are home, the stepmom wants to leave them in the
forest again. This time she locks the door so Hansel is unable to gather stones
to leave a trail. He instead leaves a trail of breadcrumbs, which is ate by
birds and they are unable to find their way home. While they are lost, they
come across a house made of candy. They begin to eat it and the owner comes out
the front door and invites them in. That’s when they discover she is a witch.
She locks Hansel away to fatten him up to eat later and forces Grethel to do
chores. Grethel then finds a way to rescue Hansel and lock the witch away. They
escape with her riches and make it back home. Upon arriving home they find
their dad and find out their stepmom is dead. They all live happily ever after.
Bibliography: This story is
Hansel and Grethel from Brothers
Grimm Unit by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, then translated by Margaret Hunt
(1884).
