Early in the morning Gretel had to go out and hang up the kettle full of water, and light the fire. "First we´ll bake," said the old dame; "I´ve heated the oven49 already and kneaded the dough." She pushed Gretel out to the oven, from which fiery flames were already issuing. "Creep in," said the witch, "and see if it´s properly heated, so that we can shove in the bread." For when she had got Gretel in she meant to close the oven and let the girl bake, that she might eat her up too. But Gretel perceived her intention, and said: "I don´t know how I´m to do it; how do I get in?" "You silly goose!" said the hag, "the opening is big enough; see, I could get in myself," and she crawled toward it, and poked her head into the oven. Then Gretel gave her a shove that sent her right in, shut the iron door,50 and drew the bolt. Gracious! how she yelled, it was quite horrible; but Gretel fled, and the wretched old woman was left to perish miserably.51
Gretel flew straight to Hansel, opened the little stable-door, and cried: "Hansel, we are free; the old witch is dead." Then Hansel sprang like a bird out of a cage when the door is opened.52 How they rejoiced, and fell on each other´s necks, and jumped for joy, and kissed one another!
And as they had no longer any cause for fear, they went in the old hag´s house, and here they found, in every corner of the room, boxes with pearls and precious stones.53 "These are even better than pebbles," said Hansel, and crammed his pockets full of them; and Gretel said: "I too will bring something home," and she filled her apron full. "But now," said Hansel, "let´s go and get well away from the witch´s wood." When they had wandered about for some hours they came to a big lake.54 "We can´t get over," said Hansel; "I see no bridge of any sort or kind." "Yes, and there´s no ferry-boat either," answered Gretel; "but look, there swims a white duck;55 if I ask her she´ll help us over," and she called out:
"Here are two children, mournful very,
Seeing neither bridge nor ferry;
Take us upon your white back,
And row us over, quack, quack!"
The duck swam toward them, and Hansel got on her back and bade his little sister sit beside him. "No," answered Gretel, "we should be too heavy a load for the duck: she shall carry us across separately."56 The good bird did this, and when they were landed safely on the other side, and had gone for a while, the wood became more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw their father´s house in the distance. Then they set off to run, and bounding into the room fell on their father´s neck. The man had not passed a happy hour since he left them in the wood, but the woman had died.57 Gretel shook out her apron so that the pearls and precious stones rolled about the room, and Hansel threw down one handful after the other out of his pocket. Thus all their troubles were ended, and they lived happily ever afterward.58
My story is done. See! there runs a little mouse; anyone who catches it may make himself a large fur cap out of it.59
1. Forest: The forest is a recurrent image in German fairy tales, in part because over a quarter of the country is comprised of forest land. In the Grimms´ tales, the forest is a supernatural world, a place where anything can happen and often does.
According to Jungian psychology, the forest is a representation of the feminine principle and is identified with the unconscious. The foliage blocks the sun´s rays, the sun being associated with the male principle. The forest symbolizes the dangerous side of the unconscious, its ability to destroy reason (Cirlot 1962) and (Matthews 1986).
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2. Woodcutter: Woodcutter was one of the lowliest, least paying occupations (Matthews 1962). Jack Zipes explores the tale as a story of triumph of the working or plebian class over the higher class. The family is ultimately victorious over poverty and the witch -- who like the richer and higher classes -- has more than enough storage of food and treasure that could be shared to lessen the suffering of the lower classes. The "hatred which the peasantry felt for the aristocracy as hoarders and oppressors" is represented by the killing of the witch (Zipes 1979).
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3. Hansel: In the original manuscript of the story, the brother was referred to as Little Brother. The Grimms´ chose the name Hansel for the character and included it in the first edition of their tales. Hansel is a common name used for a male character in German folktales. Hansel is essentially the same as "John Doe" representing an anonymous or "everyman" character.
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4. Gretel: In the original manuscript of the story, the sister was referred to as Little Sister. The Grimms´ chose the name Gretel for the character and included it in the first edition of their tales. Gretel/Gretchen is a form of the name Margaret, or Margarita in Latin, meaning "pearl." It is also a common name used for a female character in German folktales. Gretel is essentially the same as "Jane Doe" representing an anonymous or "everywoman" character.
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5. Famine: The famine is an addition to the fifth edition of the tale by the Grimms. They added it as a justification for the parents´ actions (Rolleke 1988).
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6. Bread: Bread plays an important role in this story. It appears in many forms with several metaphoric meanings.
Bread is the food of the poor. It is also seen as the most basic life-sustaining food (Matthews 1962). The struggle to provide bread for the children illustrates the family´s poverty and quest for basic survival.
The story is one of transformation for the children from childhood to adulthood. The bread itself symbolizes transformation. "The path from the production of the grain to the bread is a path of transformation of a natural product into a specifically human form of nourishment" (Dieckmann 1986).
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7. Be rid of them: Maria Tatar states that in poverty-stricken families child abandonment and infanticide were not unknown practices even up to the time when the Grimms were collecting their stories in the early 1800s (Tatar 1987).
Many psychologists, including Bruno Bettelheim, consider this tale to be about children´s fear of abandonment and their oral greed. Children have a fear of abandonment by their parents. They are also orally greedy and fear starvation from their parents if they are overly greedy. The tale supposedly helps them come to term with these fears. Many psychologists have not considered the opposite themes of parental abuse and poverty until recently. One of the earliest articles on the topic is:
Hoyme, James B. "The ´Abandoning Impulse´ in Human Parents." The Lion and the Unicorn. 12:2. December 1988. 32-46.
I also recommend Maria Tatar´s commentary found in:
Tatar, Maria. Off With Their Heads!: Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1987.
Buy the book in paperback.
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8. Alone in the wood: Julius Heusher states that the woods represent the loss of security and previous values (Heuscher 1974).
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9. She left him no peace till he consented: In the Grimms´ source text, both parents agree to abandon the children. The Grimms added the description of the father´s reluctance, perhaps due to their own father worship and patriarchal viewpoints.
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10. Husband: The father/husband´s role in the tale is an interesting one. While the father is usually the birth father of the children, he has different levels of responsibility for the abandonment across versions of the tale. In some versions he willingly leaves the children in the forest. In other versions, he ineffectively protests their abandonment. The textual hint that the wife´s wishes will win over the children´s safety comes from the word choice of "husband" over "father" to describe the man´s primary role.
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11. Heard: Some critics have considered Hansel and Gretel to be a subversive tale, encouraging children to eavesdrop on their parents, trespass, commit murder, and steal property. The children are not ideal role models in the conservative sense, but one can credit them for being survivors in a harsh world. If they had not done these things, they would most likely be dead.
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12. Step-mother: The image of the evil stepmother occurs frequently in fairy tales. She is associated with jealousy and cruelty (Olderr 1986). "In masculine psychology, the stepmother is a symbol of the unconscious in a destructive role" (von Franz 1970). The stepmother figure is actually two sided, in that while she has destructive intentions, her actions often lead the protagonist into situations that identify and strengthen his or her best qualities.
The stepmother is a convention added by the Grimms in their successive editions of the tale of Hansel and Gretel. The original draft of the story has both the birth mother and father deciding to abandon the children.
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13. I´ll be able to find a way to escape, no fear: Hansel takes the leader role at the beginning of the tale, comforting his sister and working to save their lives. He is the dominant character while Gretel follows him. Later, Gretel will become the leader by killing the witch and finding a way home across a lake. Gretel´s growth through adversity is an interesting progression through the story.
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14. Moon: In the time before electric lighting, a full moon would be the best source of outdoor light at night.
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15. White pebbles: Pebbles symbolize justice. In ancient Greece, a vote with a white pebble indicated that the voter thought the suspect was not guilty. White pebbles have also been used as gravesite gifts to ensure rebirth of the spirit (Olderr 1986).
Dieckmann explains that the pebbles represent the children´s rigidity and their refusal to change (Dieckmann 1986).
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16. God will not desert us: Bruno Bettelheim discusses the religious themes in the tale as representing the culture in which it was created orally. He assumes that the religious aspects are included since religion was a central to daily life when the story was first created (Bettelheim 1976). However, Bettelheim did not do his research because most, if not all, of the religious symbols and comments such as this one were added by the Grimms in their second edition of the tales. Jack Zipes has some interesting commentary on the change of emphasis in the story from essentially nonreligious or pagan children to devoted Christians battling the evil incarnate in the form of a witch (Zipes 1997).
It is also important to note that since their earthly father has abandoned them, the Grimms have the children turn to God the Father to save them (Zipes 1997).
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17. Daybreak: In the time before strong artificial light, the work day for the lower classes would begin at dawn with daytime´s free, natural light. An early start also allows the parents to lose the children deeper into the woods before they find their own way home.
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18. Looked back at the house: Hansel is looking back at the house so he can place the pebbles along the path. However, looking back is an important concept in many stories. One of the most famous stories is of Lot´s wife who is turned to salt when she turns and looks back at the city her family is fleeing, an act she has been forbidden to do. Consequently she is turned into a pillar of salt.
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19. Kitten: Cats are associated with the feminine (von Franz 1970). In this instance, the cat on the roof may represent the dead biological mother, especially since the kitten was added by the Grimms who changed the mother into a stepmother.
Julius Heuscher believes that the kitten represents the children´s need to stay close to home (Heuscher 1974).
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20. White: White symbolizes light, innocence and purity (Matthews 1986). White is also associated with faith and peace. It is a recurring color in this version of the tale and is frequently mentioned. With the exception of the witch´s red eyes, it is the only color mentioned.
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21. Fire: Fire is associated with life, warmth and spirit. In some traditions it is also the "bringer of consoling thoughts, driver away of evil terrors" (Matthews 1962).
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22. Heard the strokes of the axe: The Grimms added this disturbing element of the parents´ trickery to the tale. Their reasoning is unknown. Earlier versions glossed over the decision to abandon the children without details of the planning or method used.
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23. By the hand: This is one of the few popular tales in which two siblings work together with affection and concern. Another tale is Snow White and Rose Red in which the two sisters are described as often exploring the forest hand in hand.
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24. New threepenny bits: Threepenny bits were coins worth three pence (or pennies) in Britain.
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25. Naughty children: Note the stepmother´s defense mechanism of blaming the children for their absence to avoid her own incrimination. The stepmother is continually abusive in her language towards the children, calling them naughty, donkeys, fools, and lie-abeds. The Grimms added most of this language to intensify her nasty character.
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26. If a man yields once he´s done for, and so, because he had given in the first time, he was forced to do so the second: The Grimms are preaching their own philosophy concerning a man´s role in his home. Once again, their patriarchal view is emphasized in the story. This patriarchal element is thought to be one reason why the tale was so popular after its publication.
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27. Barred the door: Before the common use of door knobs and intricate locks, doors were often secured by placing large pieces of wood or metal, usually in the shape of a bar, across the door. These bars were often heavy and difficult for a small child to lift, especially with the stealth needed in this situation.
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28. Crumb: Note that just as bread provides life sustaining sustenance, the children are now depending on it to save their lives beyond it´s true purpose.
Bettelheim states: "Starvation anxiety has driven him [Hansel] back, so now he can think only of food as offering a solution to the problem of finding his way out of a serious predicament" (Bettelheim 1976). Unfortunately, Hansel appears to have forgotten that birds will eat bread crumbs and destroy his trail.
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29. Pigeon: Pigeons are birds having a heavy body and short legs. They can be wild or domesticated (WordNet). Since pigeons are often domesticated birds, they are associated with the desire to return home in dream interpretations.
Pigeons are considered death omens in some superstitions. "A strange pigeon, especially if white, alighting on the house or flying in front of one indicates death" (Opie & Tatem 1989).
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30. Birds: Birds are predominant throughout this story. They keep the children trapped in the woods by eating the breadcrumbs. A bird leads the children to the witch´s house. A bird also provides the final means of their escape by helping them cross the water (Tatar 2002).
A bird can symbolize air, wind, time, immortality, the female principle, aspiration, prophecy, love, and freedom (Olderr 1986).
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31. Third: Three symbolizes hope and resolution of conflict. It is generally a favorable number (Olderr 1986). Three is a popular number in fairy tales, usually offering change or resolution in the third instance of a certain event or series of actions. Since it is the third morning in the story, we know that Hansel and Gretel are about to have a new experience.
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32. Snow-white bird: Following an animal in a forest and being led to a confrontation with an evil being occurs in other tales (von Franz 1970). Because the bird represents salvation, joy, and peace through its color, Dieckmann states that the children are supposed to meet the witch with positive results. The encounter is for their good (Dieckmann 1986).
Julius Heuscher believes the white bird or dove symbolizes the need to never forget home after one has left it (Heuscher 1974).
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33. Cottage was made of bread and roofed with cakes, while the window was made of transparent sugar: Note that gingerbread is not used in the description of the house, only bread. Germany´s rich tradition of creating gingerbread houses and other items has caused the house to be described as gingerbread in subsequent rewritings and tellings. To read an excellent history of gingerbread as a food, visit The History of Gingerbread.
Cake is the food of the rich, a symbol of feasting and plenty (Olderr 1986). In a land where bread is a precious food, cake would be a luxury beyond the children´s imaginations. Sugar would also be a precious commodity in time of famine, especially appealing to children with their reputation for sweet tooths.
The witch´s cottage is one of the more popular elements in illustrations of the tale. To see several illustrators´ visions of the house, visit the Illustrations of Hansel and Gretel page.
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34. A regular blow-out: Blow-out is a colloquialism from the UK meaning "An excessive spree of drinking, eating, spending or sex" (Duckworth 2003). Andrew Lang considers phrase this to be an example of Hansel´s vulgarity in a footnote to the story in The Blue Fairy Book.
The children would get physically sick if they gorged on the house after being near starvation for so long.
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35. "Nibble, nibble, little mouse,/Who´s nibbling my house?": Note the woman´s gentle words despite Hansel and Gretel´s wanton destruction of her house. The children are literally eating her out of house and home, but she is not upset. She only becomes abusive later after she has locked up Hansel and is sure of her prey.
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36. "Tis Heaven´s own child,/The tempest wild,": The children are trying to make the woman believe the wind is causing the noise outside her house. I prefer Jack Zipes´ translation of the children´s reply for clarity:
"The wind, the wind; it´s very mild,
blowing like the Heavenly Child" (Zipes 2001).
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37. Ancient dame leaning on a staff: The woman has the appearance of a venerable grandmother or village wise woman. The children are placated by her harmless appearance.
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38. No ill shall befall you: This promise provides a sense of foreboding. Hansel and Gretel´s good fortune seems too good to be true and it is.
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39. Old witch: Belief in witches exists in nearly every culture worldwide (Leach 1949). In Jungian psychology, the witch is a personification of evil which eventually consumes itself. The witch symbolizes the destructive power of the unconscious (Luthi 1976).
According to Hans Dieckmann´s Jungian interpretation of the tale, the witch is evil incarnate with no hint of good in her (Dieckmann 1986).
Jack Zipes finds it interesting that the children never blame their parents for their abandonment. He states that the witch symbolizes the feudal system with her greed and treasures. When the children kill her, the story shows the "hatred which the peasantry felt for the aristocracy as hoarders and oppressors" (Zipes 1979).
In other tales of the "Children and the Ogre" Aarne-Thompson classification, the children do not necessarily encounter a witch. The villain may be a giant, ogre, or other monster. You can read more on the Tales Similar to Hansel and Gretel page.
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40. She killed, cooked, and ate him: The witch is a cannibal. Cannibalism is one of the most reviled crimes in the world. It is considered the quintessential expression of savagery and evil. Charges of cannibalism have long been used as justifiable reasons for enslaving or destroying a population or person.
Gerhard Mueller discusses cannibalism in his criminological analysis of the tale. He cannot find laws concerning cannibalism and its punishment in Europe during the Middle Ages. However, he finds it interesting that cannibalism appears often in fairy tales such as this one. He states that "in the minds of the people, cannibalism lived on, if only as a nightmare" (Mueller 1986).
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41. A regular feast-day: A feast-day is a day designated for feasting usually associated with a religious holiday or festival. Feast days are often associated with the Roman and Anglican churches. For example, the Feast of the Circumcision is a feast day celebrating the circumcision of Jesus; it is celebrated on January 1st (WordNet).
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42. Red eyes, and cannot see far: Red eyes are an image associated with sorrow and with demonic fury. Eyesight is associated with mental perception, indicating that the witch´s poor eyesight means poor reasoning ability, which allows Hansel and Gretel to best her (Olderr 1986). The Grimms are setting up the circumstances for Hansel and Gretel´s escape from the witch.
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43. A keen sense of smell: The giant in Jack and the Beanstalk is another popular fairy tale villain with a keen sense of smell.
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44. When he´s fat I´ll eat him up: Fat on animal meat is considered to add flavor and tenderness to the meat. Lean meat is considered tough and less of a delicacy in culinary circles.
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