Little did the woodcutter and his wife know, Hansel and Gretel had been listening to their whole conversation.
“Our Mother does not want us anymore,” Gretel wailed.
“Shh, Gretel! Father will not allow her to get rid of us,” Hansel replied, attempting to calm Gretel down.
“Oh, but what will Father do once we are left alone with our Mother?” Gretel asked.
“I'll think it through,” he replied.
Now, Hansel was very smart. His plans of action were always calculated and efficient. The next day, before they were ordered to start on the household chores, Hansel ran
half a mile down to the lake. He gathered dozens of skipping stones.
When he returned home, Hansel could see that his mother and sister were packing up for what looked like a normal journey into the woods – though Hansel knew that this time
their mother had different plans for them.
