Hansel And Gretel, A Timeless Tale – Being Parents

There are stories that stand the test of time. One of them, very famous, is that of Hansel and Gretel, a very important tale in the field of children’s literature, especially because of its enormous contribution in terms of teaching values.

Hansel and Gretel is a classic story that comes to us from Germany and was picked up by the Brothers Grimm. They took on the task of producing a softer and more subtle version than the original story, specially dedicated to children.

Hansel and Gretel: a brief summary of the story

The story goes that a lumberjack lived in a forest with his wife and two children. Their reality was very complicated because they had almost nothing to eat. One day, Hansel and Gretel decided to leave their home to find food. When they wanted to return, they realized that they were lost in the middle of the woods.

They walked without stopping until they reached another clearing, where there was a little house made of cakes and sweets. They were so hungry that they ran in his direction and began to eat.

It was at this point that an old woman came out and, with a kind smile, invited them in. Hansel and Gretel ate until they were completely satisfied; the old lady made a bed for them and tucked them in. In reality, this old woman who seemed so kind was a malicious witch. His plans were, of course, very different.

The witch wanted the children to work for her. Gretel was in charge of the cooking and cleaning, while Hansel was in charge of pulling the cart. However, he was very thin and weak, so the witch decided to lock him up and make him fat.

The flight of children

One day, the witch got tired of waiting for him to get fat and decided to release him. Despite his physical condition, she tied him to the cart. It was there that Hansel and Gretel realized it was time to escape.

As it was the day of the bread kneading, the witch had ordered Gretel to heat the oven well. The little girl knew that if the witches breathed linden smoke, they would disappear, so she asked the witch to come closer to see if everything was okay.

When she opened the oven, smoke escaped and the witch was reduced to ashes. Before escaping, the children took food for the trip and discovered something extraordinary: chests of gold and silver.

The cubs escaped, and  when they reached the lake, a huge white swan offered to help them across. Their father was on the other side. Moved by their reunion, they returned home and were all happy together.

Tales and values

Storytelling is one of the most effective and fun ways to transmit and teach values ​​to young people. Whether they are classic tales or more modern stories, they all contain a moral which, in the majority of cases, corresponds to a real life situation, a situation that children will one day have to face.

Teachings of Hansel and Gretel, a unique story

The story of Hansel and Gretel is mainly about the relationship between a brother and a sister who collaborate with each other and think of a strategy to get out of a bad situation.

They demonstrate to the world, and to themselves, that by uniting their efforts, they succeed in overcoming this problem and coming out victorious from this situation. This story therefore emphasizes the importance of unity in overcoming obstacles.

Other morals and values

Another moral that Hansel and Gretel’s story is known for is one that tells us not to always trust appearances. These are often misleading. A person’s appearance reveals nothing of his wit, cunning, or ability; not everything that seems “good” to us at first glance is necessarily so, as the witch illustrates.

We also find this idea of ​​gratitude towards the food, the home and, above all, the family and the love between its members. This is extremely important for well-being. It also emphasizes the support that is present in situations where people are in danger or facing a crisis.

To conclude,  Hansel and Gretel is a story worth including in children’s stories. It is captivating in itself but it also helps to think about and learn things about everyday situations, which children will surely have to face one day or another.