Hansel and Gretel
A Play Â
Cast: Hansel_______________________________________________________ Gretel________________________________________________________ Father________________________________________________________ Stepmother____________________________________________________ Witch________________________________________________________ Swan_________________________________________________________ Narrator 1_____________________________________________________ Narrator 2_____________________________________________________
The Setting:
A house in the deep countryside of Germany. This story takes place many centuries ago.
Scene 1: Setting:
A Hungry Family A little house in the countryside, long, long ago
Narrator 1:
Once upon a time, long ago, there lived a farmer. He was quite poor. He had a boy,
Hansel:
named Hansel.
Narrator 2:
and a girl,
Gretel:
named Gretel.
Father:
Their mother died long ago.
Narrator 1:
And their father married another woman.
Stepmother:
That’s me. I’m a tough customer.
Narrator 2:
Times were hard because they were very poor,
StepMother:
but they got even worse...
Father:
when it stopped raining.
Hansel:
Then the crops stopped growing
Gretel:
and we had little to eat.
Scene 2:
A Desperate Plan
Setting:
In the kitchen, late at night
Narrator 1:
One night, after the children had gone to bed,
Narrator 2:
The parents stayed up talking.
StepMother:
We are running out of food.
Father:
I know! But what can we do?
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StepMother:
I have a plan.
Father:
I am listening.
Narrator 1:
Little did they know that Hansel and Gretel were still awake.
Narrator 2:
And Hansel and Gretel were listening, too.
Father:
What is your plan?
StepMother:
Let’s get rid of the kids.
(Hansel and Gretel gasp.)
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Father:
What?
StepMother:
We have too many mouths to feed. If we lose the kids, you and I can survive.
Father:
That is a terrible plan!
StepMother:
Listen. Tomorrow we will take the kids deep into the forest. We will wander off and then we’ll never come back.
Father:
But what will Hansel and Gretel do?
StepMother:
They’ll be stuck in the forest! And we’ll be rid of them! Two less hungry mouths to feed!
Father:
I could never do such a thing.
StepMother:
Oh sure you can! Just listen to your stomach rumbling. With no more kids to feed, there will be enough food for the two of us.
Father:
But how will they survive in the forest?
StepMother:
Quit worrying! The kids will be perfectly happy in the forest. They can pick berries. They can collect nuts. They will probably like it better in the forest than they do here.
Father:
I can’t do it. I won’t do it.
Stepmother:
You must do it! Listen to me. We’re running out of food. Those brats are eating us out of house and home. If you want to survive, you’ll ditch the kids.
Father (sighing):
I’ll do it, but I don’t like it.
Narrator 1:
Meanwhile, Hansel and Gretel could not believe their ears.
Gretel:
What’ll we do?
Hansel:
I have a plan. Tomorrow morning, I’ll collect bright pebbles. Then, as we walk to the forest, I’ll drop the pebbles along the way.
Gretel:
And at night, the pebbles will light our way home.
Narrator 2:
And that’s just what they did.
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Scene Three:
Abandoned!
Setting:
Deep in the forest
Narrator 2:
The next day, when they were deep in the forest, the parents said,
Parents:
We’ll be back in just a minute…stay right here.
Stepmother (whispering):
Father (whispering):
Race you home!
Hansel:
They’re not coming back for us, are they?
Gretel:
No.
Hansel:
Not to worry. When darkness falls, we will simply follow the bright pebbles home.
Narrator 1:
And that is just what they did. The children followed the pebbles for miles and miles until at last they reached home.
Narrator 2:
Meanwhile the parents were enjoying a feast.
Stepmother (eating):
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C’mon! Let’s scram!
So much food!
Father (eating):
So delicious!
Stepmother:
We could never have eaten like this with those kids around.
Father:
I know what you mean. I miss them, but I don’t miss having to share my food with them! Pass the gravy.
Stepmother:
I told you we should ditch them. Pass the steak!
Father (eating):
I have happy mouth! I have happy mouth!
Narrator 1:
Just then the children walked through the door.
Hansel and Gretel:
Surprise!
Narrator 2:
The parents were so shocked they nearly choked on their food.
Stepmother:
What? How? And most importantly, why?
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Father:
Oh kids! So many conflicting emotions! Love of food! Love of my children!
Stepmother:
Yeah, it was weird cause we looked for you everywhere.
Father:
And we couldn’t find you...so we just came home.
Hansel:
Well, we were looking for you.
Gretel:
But unlike you, we didn’t give up until we found you.
Stepmother:
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How did you find us, exactly? I mean we left you way out in the forest.
Hansel:
Just lucky, I guess.
Gretel:
Hey, we’re starving. Can we have some of that food?
Father:
Sure, but---you kids must be exhausted!
Stepmother:
It’s way past your bedtime!
Father:
And you’ve walked for miles and miles!
Stepmother:
Go straight to bed!
Scene Four:
Yet Another Desperate Plan
Narrator 1:
And the truth was the children were exhausted. After all, they had walked for miles
Hansel:
and miles
Gretel:
and miles.
Hansel:
Gotta rest my weary bones.
Gretel:
You’re only 8.
Narrator 2:
And they fell into a deep sleep.
Narrator 1:
In fact, they were so deeply asleep that they could not possibly hear...
Narrator 2:
the conversation taking place downstairs.
Stepmother:
Drats! They’re back!
Father:
It’s for the best, my sweet. I loved that dinner we had, but I think I love my kids even more.
Stepmother:
Don’t you get it? Don’t you understand? You can’t have your kids and your food. It stopped raining. The crops won’t grow. It’s a famine. You have to choose: keep your kids and starve or ditch the kids and eat.
Father:
Is there a third option?
Stepmother:
No.
Father:
I can’t choose! You choose for me.
Stepmother:
I say we ditch the kids.
Father:
But they’ll just come back, like a boomerang.
Stepmother:
Not this time. We’ll wake them at dawn and take them even farther out to the forest.
Father:
And this time, they’ll NEVER find their way back….I mean, unfortunately.
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Scene Five:
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Abandoned, again!
Narrator 1:
And that’s just what they did. The very next morning, before Hansel and Gretel even had time to brush their hair, their parents took them out even deeper into the forest.
Narrator 2:
Then they said,
Parents:
Be back in a minute!
Father:
I love you….(to himself) but I love surviving more!
Gretel:
They’re not coming back, are they?
Hansel:
No. And this time I didn’t have my bright pebbles to light our way home. I had no time to collect them.
Gretel:
Don’t worry. We’ll find a way.
Narrator 1:
All night long, Hansel and Gretel walked through the tangled forest.
Narrator 2:
At dawn, they saw a house in the distance.
Gretel:
Is that a house I see before me?
Hansel:
Am I dreaming? Is that a house made of‌
Gretel:
candy!!!!!
Narrator 1:
The children ran to the house and started eating it.
Narrator 2:
The walls were made of gingerbread.
Narrator 1:
The windows were made of jellybeans.
Narrator 2:
The chimney was made of chocolate.
Narrator 1:
The children ate and ate and then suddenly, the door opened and out came a little lady.
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Scene Six:
Witch:
Greetings! You look like delicious children!
Hansel and Gretel:
Delicious children?
Witch:
Did I say “delicious”? I meant to say “delightful.” Do come in and I shall give you a healthy meal.
Narrator 2:
But as soon as the children went inside, the old woman shoved Hansel into a cage.
Witch:
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Watch out for the witch!
I meant what I said. You do look delicious. You shall make a fine supper. I love roasted children!
Hansel:
What?
Narrator 1:
Then the witch turned to Gretel and said,
Witch:
And you shall help me around the house. After all, I am partly blind and can hardly see.You shall be my servant for the rest of your life.
Gretel:
No way!
Witch:
Yes, way! Who’s going to save you? Nobody, that’s who!
Hansel:
Please don’t eat me!
Witch:
Oh, I’m not going to eat you today. You are far too thin to be truly tasty. No, no, I’m going to feed you and fatten you up. Then, you shall have some meat on your bones. It will take a few days or weeks at least. And then, and only then, will I roast you with some lemons and a sprig of parsley.
Narrator 2:
When the witch was asleep, Gretel and Hansel whispered to each other.
Hansel (whispering):
Gretel---help me! Get me out of here!
Gretel (whispering):
I have to get the key to this cage----but it’s hanging on a necklace around her neck!
Hansel (whispering):
Well, go get it! But be careful not to wake her.
Narrator 1:
Gretel approached the witch and very gently reached for the necklace.
Witch (semi-awake):
Roast child with parsley!
Hansel:
Try again, Gretel!
Narrator 2:
So Gretel reached for the necklace again.
Witch (turning in her sleep):
Roast child with gravy!
Hansel:
Don’t wake her!
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Gretel:
I’m not trying to wake her. She’s a very light sleeper!
Hansel:
Try one more time!
Narrator 1:
So Gretel tried again.
Witch (in her sleep):
Roast child with banana!
Hansel:
Oh Gretel! How are we ever going to get out of here?
Gretel:
We’ll think of something. In the meantime, take this chicken bone. When she asks to feel your finger---
Hansel:
I’ll stick out the chicken bone.
Gretel:
And she’ll think you’re still too skinny to eat.
Hansel:
That will buy us a little time while we think up a really proper plan.
Gretel:
I’ll get you out of here, Hansel. I promise.
Hansel:
Thanks, lil sis!
Narrator 2:
Weeks passed and each time, the old woman asked Hansel to feel his finger, Hansel put out the chicken bone.
Witch:
Drats! Still too thin!
Scene Seven:
Time for lunch!
Narrator 1:
Until one day, the witch woke up and said:
Witch:
Today’s the day! I’m sick and tired of waiting. I’m going to have Roast Child today for lunch and that’s that!. Gretel---turn on the oven for me!
Hansel:
Oh no!
Witch:
It has to be nice and hot before we put Hansel in there to roast.
Gretel:
I don’t think the oven is working.
Witch:
What do you mean?
Gretel:
There’s something stuck at the back of it.
Witch:
Well, what is stuck in there?
Gretel:
It’s your oven. Why not look yourself?
Witch:
I’ll thank you to watch your tone with me, young lady. Just because I’m about to eat your brother is no excuse for rudeness.
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Gretel:
I don’t know what’s wrong with your oven, ma’m.
Witch:
Well, let me take a look-see. I better take off my necklace so I don’t get stuck in there. Here, Gretel, hold this for me.
Narrator 2:
The witch stuck her head in the oven.
Witch:
I’m as blind as a bat so I don’t know what I’m really going to be able to see back here. Now, what did you say was the problem?
Gretel:
It’s way at the back of the oven.
Narrator 1:
The witch stuck her head further back in the oven.
Witch:
This far back?
Gretel:
No, it’s even farther back.
Witch:
Well, I’ve got my head, neck and shoulders in the oven now. And I still can’t see anything.
Gretel:
You’ve really got to kind of crawl into the oven, just really get in there.
Witch:
This is EXTREMELY unsafe. (crawling inside the oven) Don’t try this at home, folks.
Gretel:
You know what’s better than roast child?
Witch:
Huh? What?
Gretel:
Roast witch!
Narrator 2:
And with that, Gretel shoved the witch into the oven and slammed the door.
Witch:
Gretel! You open this door immediately! I’m supposed to be making lunch, not becoming lunch!
Narrator 1:
Gretel grabbed the key from the necklace and unlocked Hansel from the cage.
Hansel:
Nice move!
Gretel:
Told you I’d get you out of here!
Narrator 2:
And they raced out the door.
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Scene 9:
All the Way Home
Narrator 1:
They ran and ran until they came to a pond.
Narrator 2:
A beautiful swan was swimming by.
Swan:
Come children, I shall take you home.
Narrator 1:
And that’s just what the swan did.
Narrator 2:
The children found their father all alone.
Father:
When we ran out of food, your stepmother left. But then the rains started and the crops grew. And now we have plenty of food. Who’s hungry?
Gretel:
Wait. Before we eat, I think you owe us an apology.
Hansel:
A big apology.
Father:
I am really sorry for abandoning you in the forest.
Hansel and Gretel:
Twice.
Father:
I am really sorry for abandoning you in the forest twice. It was the wrong thing to do.
Gretel:
You can say that again. Hansel was nearly eaten by a witch.
Father:
Well, if I’d known that was going to happen, I never would have done it.
Hansel:
You should never have done it in the first place.
Father:
You’re right. I am truly sorry. Can you ever forgive me?
Gretel:
I don’t know... but I’m going to try.
Hansel:
I’ll try, too.
Gretel:
Just don’t take us for a walk in the forest anytime soon.
Father:
Scout’s honor. No more long walks in the forest.
Narrator 1:
In time, they forgave their father.
Narrator 2:
And the rain continued to fall...
Gretel:
not too much,
Hansel:
and not too little.
Narrator 1:
And there was plenty of food
Narrator 2:
and plenty of happiness to go around
Hansel and Gretel:
forever and ever.
All:
The End!
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