Once upon a time, there lived a woodcutter, his wife, and his two children,
Hansel and Rapunzel. They had just enough food for two, and not quite
enough for four. So they were always hungry.
One night Rapunzel was lying awake -she never had an easy time getting comfortable because of her long, long hair- and she heard her parents talking in the next room. "We should just get rid of them! We barely have enough food for ourselves, let alone two kids," she heard her father say.
"Ok! What a great idea!" her mother agreed.
"Tomorrow we'll take them deep into the woods, then abandon them," her father voiced.
"Great idea, husband of mine," her mother praised.
Silence fell, and Rapunzel lay in bed wondering what she and Hansel should do. Then it came to her, she woke her brother up and told him everything she had heard, then her plan. She bent down and let her hair drape over her face. Hansel took a knife and cut a thick lock of hair from her head. Rapunzel took the bunch of hair and split in half, giving half to Hansel.
The next day as they walked through woods Hansel and Rapunzel each left a hair every few feet. Their parents led them deep into the woods. When they had made it very near the heart of the woods their parents said, "Stay here while we got chop wood."
"Okay," said Hansel and Rapunzel in unison. Soon after their parents had left, they fell asleep, because they hadn't been able to sleep the night before.
They slept the day away, and were awakened by the chill in the air. When they saw that the sun was setting, and their parents hadn't come for them, they were glad they had left a trail to follow.
They started following their trail of hair but they had soon lost the trail in the dark, and were hopelessly lost. They stumbled into a clearing that looked strangely similar to the last three they had passed, and decided to rest for awhile before going on.
The next morning they continued on their way. Soon they came to a stream. They drank gratefully before wading across. On the other side of the stream they saw a cottage that was a bigger model than theirs. They went up to the cottage and knocked. A giant answered the door.
He smiled a big toothy grin when he saw the two kids standing there. They smiled back, a nervous smile, but still a smile. "Come in! Come in!" the giant cried in delight.
Once in the cottage, Hansel and Rapunzel told the giant- whose name was Henry, and who turned out to be quite nice -all of their problems over a cup of hot cider and gingerbread. Henry was very sympathetic; he listened hard and made little noises like, "Oh," "Wow," and, "Uh-huh," throughout their story.
As they were drinking their cider and eating their gingerbread, Hansel and Rapunzel decided that they very much liked Henry. When thy finished their story, they were struck by an idea. "Can we stay with you?" asked Hansel.
"Please," added Rapunzel, "We won't be any problem."
"We'll help you with the house work."
"Pretty please let us stay."
Henry was touched that they wanted to stay with him, and they seemed like nice kids, and he was lonely, but still.
"Oh. all right," he gave in.
"Yee haw!!!" Hansel and Rapunzel cheered.
Their parents were having trouble living with abandoning their kids on their consciences' So they went looking for Hansel and Rapunzel. It wasn't long before they came to Henry's cottage. When they knocked and Henry answered, he didn't smile as he had for Hansel and Rapunzel. "Come in," said Henry slowly.
Inside, they asked if he had seen two kids, Henry couldn't bring himself to lie, it just wasn't in him, so he said he had, and called Hansel and Rapunzel in.
When Hansel and Rapunzel saw their parents they gasped in horror. Their parents said "Oh Hansel, Rapunzel, can you ever forgive us for leaving you and come home?"
"No," Hansel answered.
"You'll just abandon us again," added Rapunzel.
Upon hearing this, their parents attempted to grab Hansel and Rapunzel, but Henry stepped in the way and almost yelled, "They said NO!"
Hansel's and Rapunzel's parents were so frightened that they ran back to their house, where they lived out the rest of their days in shame.
One night Rapunzel was lying awake -she never had an easy time getting comfortable because of her long, long hair- and she heard her parents talking in the next room. "We should just get rid of them! We barely have enough food for ourselves, let alone two kids," she heard her father say.
"Ok! What a great idea!" her mother agreed.
"Tomorrow we'll take them deep into the woods, then abandon them," her father voiced.
"Great idea, husband of mine," her mother praised.
Silence fell, and Rapunzel lay in bed wondering what she and Hansel should do. Then it came to her, she woke her brother up and told him everything she had heard, then her plan. She bent down and let her hair drape over her face. Hansel took a knife and cut a thick lock of hair from her head. Rapunzel took the bunch of hair and split in half, giving half to Hansel.
The next day as they walked through woods Hansel and Rapunzel each left a hair every few feet. Their parents led them deep into the woods. When they had made it very near the heart of the woods their parents said, "Stay here while we got chop wood."
"Okay," said Hansel and Rapunzel in unison. Soon after their parents had left, they fell asleep, because they hadn't been able to sleep the night before.
They slept the day away, and were awakened by the chill in the air. When they saw that the sun was setting, and their parents hadn't come for them, they were glad they had left a trail to follow.
They started following their trail of hair but they had soon lost the trail in the dark, and were hopelessly lost. They stumbled into a clearing that looked strangely similar to the last three they had passed, and decided to rest for awhile before going on.
The next morning they continued on their way. Soon they came to a stream. They drank gratefully before wading across. On the other side of the stream they saw a cottage that was a bigger model than theirs. They went up to the cottage and knocked. A giant answered the door.
He smiled a big toothy grin when he saw the two kids standing there. They smiled back, a nervous smile, but still a smile. "Come in! Come in!" the giant cried in delight.
Once in the cottage, Hansel and Rapunzel told the giant- whose name was Henry, and who turned out to be quite nice -all of their problems over a cup of hot cider and gingerbread. Henry was very sympathetic; he listened hard and made little noises like, "Oh," "Wow," and, "Uh-huh," throughout their story.
As they were drinking their cider and eating their gingerbread, Hansel and Rapunzel decided that they very much liked Henry. When thy finished their story, they were struck by an idea. "Can we stay with you?" asked Hansel.
"Please," added Rapunzel, "We won't be any problem."
"We'll help you with the house work."
"Pretty please let us stay."
Henry was touched that they wanted to stay with him, and they seemed like nice kids, and he was lonely, but still.
"Oh. all right," he gave in.
"Yee haw!!!" Hansel and Rapunzel cheered.
Their parents were having trouble living with abandoning their kids on their consciences' So they went looking for Hansel and Rapunzel. It wasn't long before they came to Henry's cottage. When they knocked and Henry answered, he didn't smile as he had for Hansel and Rapunzel. "Come in," said Henry slowly.
Inside, they asked if he had seen two kids, Henry couldn't bring himself to lie, it just wasn't in him, so he said he had, and called Hansel and Rapunzel in.
When Hansel and Rapunzel saw their parents they gasped in horror. Their parents said "Oh Hansel, Rapunzel, can you ever forgive us for leaving you and come home?"
"No," Hansel answered.
"You'll just abandon us again," added Rapunzel.
Upon hearing this, their parents attempted to grab Hansel and Rapunzel, but Henry stepped in the way and almost yelled, "They said NO!"
Hansel's and Rapunzel's parents were so frightened that they ran back to their house, where they lived out the rest of their days in shame.
