Once upon a time, there lived two siblings, Hansel and Gretel , on the edge of a forest . They were very curious and loved to think and learn . Every evening their father would tell them:
“True courage is being able to use your brain.”
One day, their father said he was going to the woods to gather firewood. Hansel and Gretel wanted to go with him. Their father agreed, but he cautioned them:
— Don’t believe everything you see in the woods. Not everything shiny is good.
Hansel memorized these words as if he were putting them in his pocket .
Lost in the Forest
While they were gathering wood, a fog suddenly descended. The father couldn’t see his children and called out to them, but the voices were muffled. Hansel and Gretel were left alone .
Gretel began to get scared:
What if we can’t find our way?
Hansel remained calm:
— If we panic, we can’t think. Let’s stop and think first.
Hansel had noticed some small, shiny stones on the way. He put them in his pocket. He then placed the stones on the ground to mark the path they had taken.
“That’s why it’s important to walk while looking,” he said.
Sugar House
Following the stones, they saw a small house deep in the forest that looked like it was made of sugar . Its walls were colorful, and its roof gleamed.
Gretel was excited:
— What a beautiful house! Perhaps they will let us in.
But Hansel paused:
— What did my father say? Not everything that looks good is safe.
The door opened. An elderly but smiling woman came out:
— Are you hungry, children?
Just as Gretel was about to answer, Hansel asked:
“Why does this house look like candy?”
The woman paused. It was then that Hansel realized something was wrong .
Wisdom and Cooperation
Hansel and Gretel whispered to each other:
“Let’s go together,” said Hansel.
“I’ll be the distraction, you look for the escape route,” said Gretel.
As the woman tried to lead them inside, Gretel exclaimed loudly, “What wonderful books you have!”
As the woman proudly looked at the books, Hansel noticed the lock on the door and managed to open it .
The two brothers quickly went outside.
Homecoming
They followed the stones and emerged from the forest. On the way, they found their father. He was very happy to see them.
“How did you manage it?” he asked.
Hansel smiled:
— By thinking.
Gretel added:
— And by acting together.
The moral of the fairy tale
From that day on, the following saying spread in the village:
“In difficult situations, it’s not panic but reason that saves us; it’s not acting alone, but acting together.”
Hansel and Gretel were no longer just curious children, but wise ones .
