The Gingerbread House

HANSEL AND GRETEL, SCARED AND ALONE, WANDERED THROUGH THE DARK WOODS.

The crows had followed the children since the moment they left the small house they lived in. A trail of breadcrumbs had been left behind, so the birds knew where to find young Hansel and Gretel as they wandered the forest, alone.

Their father, a Huntsman, had gone off to work, setting traps for helpless animals in hopes of catching enough dinner for his family.

Their mother, a wicked woman, sent them after him. Hansel and Gretel had no idea which way their father had gone, so they used their breakfast of a piece of stale bread to help them find the way back home.

It was late, and the trees started to look darker and scarier to the young children, so they turned around and started to head back the way they came. But they found their trail of crumbs had disappeared, for the crows had pecked the pathway clear!

Once the crows realised the children had no more bread to give, they started getting too close for comfort. They flew overhead and started pecking at Hansel’s hands and Gretel’s hair. The children took off running, but without the breadcrumbs they didn’t know which way they were running.

The trees were tall and scary, shrouding the forest floor in darkness. Hansel almost ran into a large oak trunk, missing it by inches when a branch came out of nowhere and caught the back of his tunic. Similarly, Gretel was almost blinded by her hair in her eyes and didn’t see the edge of the hillside coming close. She lost her footing trying to shoo the birds away but was caught by a very leafy bush that appeared all by itself.

It seemed to Hansel and Gretel that the trees were trying to help them, so they stood still, holding tightly to each other, and watched as the crows came closer and closer.

The treetops became busy with caws and shrieks of the animals, but they never reached the children on the ground. Branches and twigs grew quickly from the bark and wrapped themselves around the birds, stopping them from reaching the helpless children.

They even made a path for Hansel and Gretel to walk through, where there had once been trees so dense you could barely see through.

The birds fought against the trees, and though Hansel and Gretel got far, it wasn’t quite enough. The crows broke free, pecking fiercely at the bark with their beaks so the trees had no choice but to let go. They chased the children to the next clearing, and one of the crows managed to peck one of Gretel’s ribbons from her hair. It flew at them, the red lace hanging from it’s beak like blood.

In the centre of this clearing, amidst a few dead trees and animal skeletons, sat a beautiful house of gingerbread. The crows continued to chase the children to the door, but once they stepped inside, they flew away. Back to where they came from. The crow dropped the ribbon in the clearing, then went back to the trees.

The trees watched as the children slammed the door shut behind them. They stood still, watching the house, listening to the children's shouts.

A YOUNG GIRL, WHO ALWAYS WORE A RED CAPE, STEPPED OFF THE PATH TO HER GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE.

Little Red Riding Hood was supposed to take a basket of goodies to her Grandmother, who lived in a little house in the middle of the woods.

But Litte Red had spotted a field of flowers, blooming in the morning sunshine, and thought how wonderful they looked. Little Red wandered over, away from the path, and set about collecting a bouquet for her grandmother. Grandmother doesn’t have anything so beautiful growing for miles around her, thought Little Red. It won’t take long, thought Little Red.

A wolf was prowling around in the shadows and caught a whiff of something delicious. He smiled a broad, toothy smile, and slunk over to the field from where it came from. Little Red didn’t notice him stood there, watching her collect her flowers. Her basket was open beside her, already holding half a dozen dandelions and tulips. Little Red knew how much her grandmother loved colour.

The wolf startled Little Red, though after the initial shock of meeting a wolf in the forest, she began a conversation with him. He asked Little Red about where she was heading, and she was honest – she was going to visit her Grandmother in her house in the forest.

This intrigued the wolf, and though Little Red said he could keep her company, he decided to head off to see her Grandmother by himself first. The wolf had never ventured to that part of the forest before, as it was told to be the home of monsters. But he was brave and wanted to have some nice treats for himself.

Little Red took her time with the bouquet, and once she had as many flowers as her basket could carry, she set off again to her Grandmother’s house, not knowing the wolf was already waiting for her.

The trees responded to Little Red, letting her through the smallest of gaps on the old winding pathway. She swung the basket happily as she made her way to a large clearing. Her Grandmother’s house sat in its centre, a pop of life in the circle of dead trees around it.

Little Red went to the door and began knocking, asking to be let in. She knew how her Grandmother felt about people walking straight in.

THE PRINCESS RAN TERRIFIED FROM THE HUNTSMAN, BUT HE HELPED HER ESCAPE.

The woods had always scared Snow White since she was a child, as her mother had gone out one day and not returned. She promised herself she would never set foot in them alone unless her life depended on it.

One day, it did.

Her stepmother, the Queen, had employed a Huntsman to kill her, so she could be the most desirable woman in the kingdom. The princess was too beautiful, too kind, and too perfect, and needed to be removed from the monarchy. The kingdom wouldn’t survive with her as its ruler. Yes, the Queen reasoned, Snow White must die for the good of the kingdom.

Snow White was chased into the darkest part of the woods by the Huntsman. He seemed a kindly man, someone she imagined had children and would read them bedtime stories each night. His smile wasn’t that of a killer, which frightened the princess more.

The Huntsman did not kill Snow White; rather, he stood over her, eyes closed, taking in the summer breeze as it billowed around him. He lay down his axe and told her to run into the forest. There was a house there, where his family was. The Huntsman told her they would keep her safe. He then took the axe and turned it on an injured deer, carving out its heart to give in place of Snow White’s.

The princess ran and ran. She lost her dainty shoes miles ago, her feet getting sliced up by the uneven ground.

When she couldn’t run any more, Snow White collapsed on the ground crying, her tears soaking into the moss at the base of a great oak tree.

As Snow White cried herself to sleep, the branches of the tree grew leaves so large they covered the princess like a blanket. The moss grew around her bleeding feet, soaking it up and cooling them down. The shoes that grew were soft as sheep’s fur, and Snow White was pleasantly surprised when she awoke to find a new pathway in front of her, leading the way through a bright and happy forest.

Snow White could barely feel the pain in her feet as she walked. She could hear animals in the bushes beside her, birds tweeting happily in the trees above. It was such a joyful place that she’d spent years afraid of. It wasn’t so scary, really.

The trees seemed to stay with her, keeping her company as she strolled down the newly made path. They were silent, aside from the leaves rustling in the breeze. She was comforted to know she wasn’t alone.

They soon came to a large clearing, with nothing in it but a house. The house was like nothing Snow White had seen before – it was made of candy!

The trees seemed encouraging, so she headed over by herself towards the gingerbread house. She could see another girl at the door, tentatively knocking against what looked like a giant wafer.

“Grandmother? It’s Little Red, can you let me in please? I have a surprise for you.”

Snow White saw the door open a smidge, and Little Red stepped inside. Before the princess could enter, however, the door closed in front of her. She could hear some strange laughter coming from inside but tried knocking anyway.

No answer.

Snow White tried the door, and it was unlocked, so she let herself in to the house.

And screamed.

***

THE HUNTSMAN FOUGHT TO SAVE THE GIRL FROM THE MONSTER.

The Huntsman, after gifting the deer heart to the Queen, decided to look for the princess, for fear she would be harmed or killed in the forest. His journey was troublesome, as the trees seemed to have grown denser and darked in the few days he’d been away from home.

He hadn’t told his children, Hansel, and Gretel, that he was working for the Queen, as he knew they wouldn’t approve. But he knew they were safe at home with their mother, which was why he sent Snow White to find his house. It was small and quaint, but safe all the same. And now he’d been paid by the Queen, he could afford all sorts of treats and delicacies for his family.

The Huntsman struggled to find his way home, but when he did, he was devastated. His beloved children were missing, and his wife said she had sent them after him days ago. He immediately left the house and tried to track which way they had travelled. He worked as a Huntsman for many years, and knew about following animals, but people were another matter.

The trees tried to fight against him, blocking his path many times in his efforts to find his children. He saw no sign of Snow White, either, and this worried him too.

Just when he thought he’d have to give up, he spotted a girl with a red cloak, prancing down a tiny, barely-there path. He wouldn’t have even noticed it if he didn’t witness the trees move out of the way for the girl as she skipped. He blinked once, twice, three times, and she was still there.

So the Huntsman tried his best to follow the girl, though the trees were making it difficult. He used his axe on one of them and got a nasty thwack to the back of his head by the branches, so he put away his weapon and continued on foot.

By midday, they reached a clearing. In the centre was a house made of food. It made the Huntsman’s mouth water to see it, and he realised he hadn’t eaten since he left the palace.

Little Red headed to the door and knocked. She was let in.

The Huntsman then saw Snow White head to the door and knock. No-one came to open it, so she let herself in.

The moment the door closed, she let out a blood-curdling scream, and then went silent.

The Huntsman paled, reached for his axe, and started running out of the shade of the trees towards the house. But the trees had hold of him, tying him in place to the muddy ground where he stood still, shaking and swearing at them.

A strange smoke came from the chimney of the gingerbread house, and at once was dispersed all across the woods.

The trees holding the Huntsman hostage all seemed to breathe in the strange purple smoke, and it covered them from leaves to roots in a pulsing, glowing colour. After a moment, they exhaled, and the colour flooded back towards the gingerbread house.

The Huntsman couldn’t see any sign of Snow White, but he spotted a red ribbon on the ground near the house. He almost cried when he realised it was Gretel's.

But the tears didn’t come.

The door opened, and Little Red emerged holding an armful of dead plants and a shovel. She dug four small holes and placed the four small dead trees in each one, adding to the circle of death that surrounded the building.

The Huntsman cried out again when he saw the other red ribbon of Gretel's, tied around one of the top branches of a dead tree.

His cry alerted Little Red, who looked up at him and smiled. She called to her Grandmother inside, who handed her a small vial of purple liquid. The same colour as the smoke.

Little Red wandered over to the Huntsman with a skip in her step, a gentle smile on her freckled face. She opened the vial and poured it in his mouth, which was being forced open by branches coming from all sides.

He reluctantly swallowed it, and immediately felt different.

His body became rigid, his legs fixed permanently to the ground. His hands became long and thin, and he grew enormously tall in but a few seconds.

His short brown hair became heavy, turned green and itchy. A crow flew to him and landed on what used to be his arm.

The Huntsman knew he should be panicked, but he was calm. Nothing bothered him anymore. All he wanted to do was bathe in the sunlight and listen to the birds chirping in the trees.

Little Red smiled at him and turned away. She collected her bouquet of flowers from her basket and set a few flowers down in front of the four graves she had just planted.

Now they could rest easy for another year, knowing the forest would continue to protect them, no matter the cost.

Little Red placed a flower in front of each small, dead tree in the clearing.

She even had enough spares to give some to their parents. She tied the tulips and dandelions around the branches of the tallest trees in the forest, and gave them all a wide toothy smile.

Then she went back inside, and swapped her cape for one made of wolf's fur.