Dear Readers,
In my Drama class we had to rewrite "Hansel and Gretel" into the three types of plays. This is my rendition of "Hansel and Gretel" as a melodrama. I do not own any characters.
Sincerely,
Serafimo's Pretense
Narrator: There once was a woodcutter who lived with his wife and two children, Hansel and Gretel. The woodcutter, though poor financially, had wealth morally. He had a kind and nolbe heart. His children, Hansel and Gretel, were kind and helpful. But, the woodcutter's wife, the children's stepmother, was evil and selfish. The children feared and loathed her, but the woodcutter was blind to her true nature. There came a time of great poverty throughout the land, in which the evil stepmother showed her true self.
Woodcutter: We are running out of food and have no more money left. What are we going to do?
Stepmother: We must get rid of the children!
Woodcutter: I won't do it!
Stepmother: We must! If we keep them, then we'll all die.
Narrator: The woodcutter loved his children very much, but could not resist his wife. She planned to take the children into the woods and leave them there. Unbeknownst to their parents, Hansel and Gretel heard every word. Hansel gathered white pebbles from the garden and planned to leave a trail behind so that they could find their way back home.
The next morning, the woodcutter and his wife lead the children deep into the woods and convinced them to take a nap. Once the stepmother was sure the children were asleep, she left with the woodcutter. Night came, and Hansel woke up.
Hansel: Gretel, wake up. Gretel, wake up!
Gretel: Where's Papa?
Hansel: Our evil stepmother took him away. We have to go home.
Gretel: She can't get rid of us that easily.
Narrator: Hansel and Gretel followed the white pebbles home. The moon served as their only light. They walked for hours without stopping until they finally reached their home. Dawn was approaching. The woodcutter was overjoyed that his children found their way back, but his wife was furious that her plan didn't work. The stepmother convinced the woodcutter that the children needed to be gone, again. She hatched a plan to be rid of them once and for all. She planned to lead them to the witch who ate children. Again, the children overheard their stepmother's plan. Gretel saved her bread so that she could use the crumbs as a trail back home.
Once more, the woodcutter and his wife lead the children into the woods, but this time headed towards the witch's house. Weary from all the walking, the children rested and fell asleep. The stepmother dragged her husband away, leaving the children to die. A short while later, Gretel woke up.
Gretel: Hansel, wake up. Our stepmother has left us in the woods again.
Hansel: She is such a wicked woman! Let's follow the bread crumbs back home.
Narrator: Little did Hansel and Gretel know that the trail they were following led to the witch's house. They followed the beaten for hours.
Gretel: Hansel, I'm hungry and tired.
Hansel: We're almost there, Gretel. (pause) Do you smell that? It smells like…
Gretel: Sweet cakes!
Hansel: And sugar!
Narrator: Hansel and Gretel ran down the path and stopped in front of a gingerbread house. Hungry, they started to eat the house. But all of a sudden, a booming voice said…
Witch: Who's eating my house?
Hansel: It's only the wind!
Narrator: The children went on eating. Suddenly, the witch burst out of the house. Hansel and Gretel, stunned and frightened, stopped eating the house, immediately. The witch saw the children and her stomach grumbled with hunger, for she too had not eaten, due to the wave of poverty. The witch pretended to be kind and invited Hansel and Gretel inside. Hansel and Gretl, though wary of the witch, believed her lies. The witch fed Hansel abundantly, wanting to fatten him up. One morning, Gretel figured out eh witch's plan and told Hansel.
Gretel: Hansel, she's going to eat us! Dear God, help us!
Hansel: I have a plan, Gretel. Calm down. We'll see Papa soon.
Narrator: Hansel began to tell Gretel his plan. When the witch asked Gretl to check if the oven was hot enough, Gretel; was to trick the witch into climbing into the oven herself. Then, they would run away.
Witch: Gretel, dear, check the oven for me.
Gretel: How am I to check it?
Witch: Climb in.
Gretel: I cannot.
Witch: Why?
Gretel: The door is too small.
Witch: It's big enough.
Gretel: No, it isn't.
Witch: Yes it is! Look!
Narrator: The witch climbed in the oven and Gretel closed the door behind her. Hansel turned on the oven and the witch burned to death. Hansel and Gretel ran home and were greeted by their father.
Woodcutter: Children, I've missed you!
Hansel: We've missed you, Papa. Where is our stepmother?
Woodcutter: Unfortunately, she died while you were gone.
Gretel: Oh. Well, we're happy to be back home, again.
Woodcutter: I'm happy to have you back.
Narrator: The woodcutter and his children, Hansel and Gretel, lived happily ever after.