Gransel and Hetal

Deep in the woods lived a Woodcutter, his wife and their two children Gransel and Hetel.

Times were hard and food scarce and the Woodcutter and his wife found it difficult to keep the family fed particularly since Gransel and Hetel loved their food. It was one of the two things the children loved, they loved food and they loved lazing about the house.

In fact, if Gransel and Hetel had just helped in the house and garden just a little bit it is quite possible that the whole family would not have been so badly off. With just a little help the vegetable garden would have grown stronger and with just a little more care the chickens and cow would have produced more food.

But Gransel & Hetel were happy just to sit about all day and shout for the things they wanted.

One evening there was a discussion, a serious discussion. “Things can not go on like this,” said one. “They must make an effort,” said the other. If we see no change tomorrow then we must lead them out into the Woods where they will be lost forever. Without them things must get better,” they both agreed.

The next day was no different so at night they hatched a plan. As the sun came up in the morning the Woodcutter and his wife were woken to the sound of crying from the children’s bedroom. When they went through only Hetel was in the room.

“It’s Gransel, it’s Gransel,” she cried. He went outside in the night into the woods and he hasn’t come back. You can hear him shouting if you listen carefully.”

The Woodcutter and his wife listened carefully but they couldn’t hear a thing.

“But you must, you must,” said Hetel. “Listen he is screaming for you.”

The Woodcutter and his wife listened again but still they could not hear anything.

“It must be because you are old and your ears are useless,” said Hetel, “You must go out into the woods and find him. You must keep walking and walking until your silly old ears can hear him.”

The Woodcutter and his wife changed into their threadbare clothes and set off into the woods. It didn’t matter how far they walked they could not hear Gransel’s voice. On and on they went until the sun set and the moon lit their path but still they could hear no sound.

Eventually they realised they were lost, cold and very, very hungry and without any hope of finding Gransel or ever getting home again.

Back at their house Gransel & Hetal sat on the floor eating the last of the food and laughing. How stupid their parents were not to realise that Gransel had only hidden under the bed and pretended to be missing.

Out in the woods the Woodcutter and his wife saw a light in the distance. When they got nearer they saw a beautiful little house that looked so good to their hungry eyes it was as if it had been made of food. “Perhaps Gransel got this far,’ they said and went up the path and knocked.

The door was opened by a Witch who spoke before they could even stare at her. “Ah,” said the Witch, “The Woodcutter and his wife, I’ve been waiting for you. Come in, come in.”

As they stepped in they saw a table laid with food. The Witch could hear their stomachs rumble at the sight. “Sit down,” said the Witch, “Sit down and eat your fill, I cooked this food for you.”

The Woodcutter and his wife ate like animals, quickly and greedily.  When they had finished and sighed in contentment the Witch asked them to come over and look into the cauldron that sat bubbling over a raging fire. They walked over and could feel the intense heat as they got nearer.

“You must lean right over and look deep deep down to see and hear the things you must,” said the Witch moving up quietly behind them.

As they leant over one their tiptoes and stared into the bubbling liquid they could see the room in their house. They could see Gransel & Hetal eating the last of their hard earned food and they could hear them laughing at how stupid and old their parents were and how silly the were to fall for their trick.

Some days later the Witch, the Woodcutter and his wife were living a beautiful life in the little house in the woods. They worked hard together and shared what they grew and made. Each gave more than they took and each cared for the others more than themselves.

Each night they would stare in the cauldron and watch Gransel & Hetal grow thinner and thinner. Even though the children were hungry they were not prepared to do anything to help themselves. They had got too used demanding things and now expected everything to be done for them.

One evening the Woodcutter and his wife leant over the Cauldron and saw that Gransel & Hetal were no longer moving. The Woodcutter and his wife looked at each other and a tear formed in their eyes. Whether the tear was for the children or for how stupid they had been they didn’t know.

“Dinner,” said the Witch as they turned towards the table.