Near the forest lived a woodcutter with his son named Hansel, Gretel and the daughter of the second wife. Contrary to what the woodcutter worked from morning till night, his family was starving. One night, when the children are asleep, the wife said to her husband:
- It can not go on like this. Tomorrow is set aside in the forest your children and leave them there.
- What are you saying, crazy woman. If the children remain in the forest, they die - cried the woodcutter.
- They will die if they stay here. Do not die of a wild animal, and from hunger. And so we will be able to live - continued stepmother.
Children heard a terrible conversation. Hansel went secretly out of the house and collected white pebbles. The next morning, the whole family went into the woods. As they walked, Hansel threw stones on the road.
Noon stepmother said:
- Stay here and eshte bread! And so we go cut wood, and then come back and pick you up.
- Do not worry! Coming soon the moon to light the stones, which I threw on the road.
And so it happened. Stones glittered and children returned home for him. When they saw the father, very happy, but the stepmother did not have time to hide his displeasure.
Some time has passed. Wife again brought up this conversation with her husband. Hansel, who is no longer trusted his stepmother, listened attentively to the conversation, which she started with his father. When I heard what they think them again leave in the forest, I wanted to leave the house to gather white pebbles, but dve was closed.
The next morning the stepmother gave one piece of bread for each child, and they went into the woods, four. Hansel crumbled bread on the road, then to go back on the crumbs. Soon parents left the children and left.
Gretel began to cry:
- Leave us alone again, Hansel! What are going to do?
- Do not worry sister. Go to the trail behind me. Crumb of the bread will show the way to the house - tried to calm her brother.
How much time has passed. Birds pecked all the crumbs. This time the children get lost. Went wandering through the woods, and when it was dark pryanechny saw one house, and the windows were made of sugar. Children close to the house and Hansel broke off a piece of the wall, which was made of chocolate. Gretel feast beginning part of the window.
When the children ate with gusto, they heard a voice:
- Who eats my house?
And at that moment there was a smiling old woman who told them:
- Come on, come on, kids! Are you lost? Do not worry, I'll feed you.
So she did. Thereafter he prepared a clean bed and put my brother and sister sleep. The children were fascinated by the warmth and care, so they slept. But when I woke up the good-natured old woman turned into a terrible witch, which closed in the cage Hansel, Gretel and made all clean, wash and cook ...
Every day the girl was cooking one large dish of food and wore his brother according to the commandment witches. Every night before going to bed, the wicked witch came to the cell and said:
- Show me your hand, I want to touch her if she plumper.
And Hansel enjoyed the fact that the witch was blind, she filed a bone found in the cell. And all the old woman wondered why the boy did not like not fullness of sound and fatty foods.
When the witch got tired of waiting, she said Gretel:
- Tomorrow I'll eat your brother, whether thin or thick it is.
At dawn, the witch ordered to light a fire and put a big vat of water. When all was ready, the wicked old woman wished that the girl shoved her head into the oven to check if it is hot enough warm.
Gretel guessed that want to bake it, and innocent voice said:
- I do not know how to open the oven, be so kind to show me.
Impatient old lady replied:
- Good! What you are useless and stupid! Not fit not for anything! Well, that will soon be over my expectation.
Witch opened the stove, and bent down to stick his head in. The girl pushed her inside and closed the lid with all his strength, so that the witch could not get out. Once I opened the cage with his brother and told him that the old woman died. The children opened the closet where the witch kept the jewels and treasures, put in a bag and quickly went from there.
They walked for several hours until they came to the river, but the bridge was not around. Then Gretel suggested to his brother:
- Hansel, look! Let's ask the white duck to move us to the other side.
They said than done. White duck them transferred to the other side and the children have learned this piece of wood. We went down the path and came to his home, his father saw his children, and cried with joy, that they are alive. A stepmother anger died.
The children told their father what had happened, gave him a bag of jewels, which took home the witch, and from that moment began to live happily ever after three.
