Hansel and Gretel

Part 1

Hansel and Gretel re-write

Original by Grimm's Fairy Tales.

Mother POV:

I watched in bitter silence as my young children laugh and play in the garden. They made a little house of sticks for Hansel's white cat, Oliver, who happily purred and played along with their games. My heart sank when I considered their joyful eyes as they beckoned me over to come and play with them. No. I remind myself, I simply cannot develop these feelings for them. Feelings that a mother should have. They shall only lead to further heart ache, more than she already carried deep with her heart. Right beside the guilt for what she had done so long ago.

Flash back:

"Please Head Witch! I love him, I do! There is no one out there for me besides him." Rose pleaded on her knees before the witch. Rose, had fallen in love with a dashing young man from the village. His tall frame and kind brown eyes tugged at her heart strings the very first day she laid eyes on him. The only problem was that he was plain. He had no magical abilities and therefore by law Rose was not allowed to marry her lover.

"I cannot help you dear. There are rules in place for a reason. We must keep our blood lines pure! Mixing with that plain man will diminish all power from your future offspring. They shall be just as plain and useless as him." 

Rose chocked on a sob and clutched the Witch's dress tightly between her hands till her knuckles turned white. "I cannot live without him. I love him. Truly, deeply, madly. There has to be a way!"

The old witch pats the young woman's head slowly as she thought of a way for Rose's wish to come true. She was fond of the young woman and hated seeing her cry.

After much time spent in silent thinking, the witch came up with an idea.

"I have a way for your wish to come true dear child. You may not like what I have to say, but tis the only way."

"Please, I need to know! I'll do anything you ask," Rose whimpered as she looked up into the red eyes of the woman she clung to.

"One day, when your children are old enough to walk and talk, you shall leave them here in this forest as a sacrifice for being able to marry your lover. You shall leave them here to die."

Rose pushed away from the woman before her and clutched her heart. Leave her children. To die? Many thoughts began to circle around in her head as she weighed up her options. It was true that she cared deeply for this young man, but enough to one day sacrifice her own children?

The head witch, seeing the panic on her face sighed and crossed the room to hold her shaking form in her arms. "Do not worry child. Any children you bear after the sacrifice are yours to keep."

Closing her eyes with pain in her heart she sighed before nodding her head. "I accept your offer Head Witch. I shall sacrifice my children to you on the condition that I can marry my lover."

The memory from that day shall always remain seared in her brain. For she was the reason her children were about to die. Hard times had fallen on them as a family, and her husband being a failing wood cutter, didn't make enough money to feed all of them. Not even a single piece of bread.

That night, as Rose laid beside her husband in bed, he tossed and turned with great anxiety and she could see the bags underneath his eyes. He had been this way for the past two months and she worried if he would survive much longer should he keep deteriorating like this.