Chapter One

 

Once upon a time there were a brother and a sister, named Hansel and Gretel. Hansel was a handsome youth, well-proportioned, with blue eyes, and Gretel had grown into a very pretty girl, with long brown hair and a graceful figure. They lived in the middle of the woods with their father. Their mother had died when they were only children; as a result, though both brother and sister were now full-grown, they were innocent of the outside world, and in particular knew very little of the arts of love. Their pleasures were simple: the birds and animals of the woods, the plants and trees, the changing seasons.

One day they set off to walk in the woods. They were so happy talking to each other, picking flowers and listening to the birds singing, that they lost their way. For hours they wandered, trying to find their way back. At last they came upon a quaint little cottage in a clearing.

"Perhaps the people who live here will give us something to eat," said Hansel, who was hungry.

"I'm so tired," said Gretel.

They knocked on the door. It was opened by an old woman. She had a crooked nose and hardly any teeth and was very ugly. But Gretel spoke to her kindly.

"Please, dear lady," she said, "might we sit down and have a drink of water?"

The old woman gave a cackle. "Come in, my dears," she said. "Do come in."

She held the door wide. Hansel and Gretel entered and sat down.

"Are you lost, my dears?" the old woman croaked.

"I fear we are," said Hansel.

"Well," the old woman said, "let me get you something to eat and drink and then I will show you the way home."

She went into her kitchen and came back with some cups of milk and pieces of bread. The two young people ate and drank greedily. Gretel thought the milk tasted funny, but she was so thirsty she drank it all down. Then she started to feel even sleepier than before.

"Why don't you put your feet up for five minutes, dear?" suggested the old woman.

Gretel lay down on the floor in front of the fire and in a minute was fast asleep. Hansel did likewise. After what felt like a short sleep, Gretel woke up and rubbed her eyes. She was astonished to see that she was naked. The old woman was sitting in a chair staring at her. Gretel tried to get to her feet but found that her ankles were shackled together by an iron chain.

"What is this? What have you done to me?" she cried.

The old woman cackled. "You belong to me now, little girl."

"Where's Hansel?" Gretel demanded.

"I'll show you," said the old woman with a cruel smile.

She caught hold of Gretel and pulled her towards the door. The old woman looked frail, but she had an iron grip. She held Gretel so tight she hurt her. She took her outside; Gretel couldn't walk properly with the shackles on her feet. Round the side of the house was a small wooden cage. Inside was Hansel. He was naked too.

"What have you put him in there for?" Gretel cried.

"We don't want to take any chances, dear, do we?" the old woman said.

She took Gretel back inside. "Now get to work," she said. "There's a lot to be done round here."

"I'll not be your slave," said Gretel defiantly.

"We'll see about that," said the old woman. She picked up a whip and began to lash Gretel across her naked back. The whip stung like mad. Gretel tried to get out of the way, but the shackles made it hard to move fast.

"There's a pile of potatoes that want peeling, and then there are dishes to wash, and the floor to sweep, and clothes to darn. So get started," the old woman screeched.

With that she began lashing Gretel harder than ever. The whip fell on her back, her bottom, her shoulders and even on her delicate bosom. Gretel squealed and put up her arms to protect herself. At last the old woman put the whip down.

"Right," she said. "Get to work."

Gretel peeled the potatoes and did the dishes. The old woman put the potatoes on the stove to boil. Gretel realised how hungry she was. When the potatoes were done, the old woman set them in a bowl and put butter and salt on them, and sat at the table to eat.

"Where's my food?" Gretel said.

"Put the potato peelings on to boil. That's all you're getting tonight."

Gretel began to cry. She felt so tired and hungry and afraid. The old woman picked up the whip.

"Do you want some more?" she asked. The woman started whipping Gretel again. Gretel tried to stop crying, but she couldn't help snivelling. The whip stung dreadfully, and Gretel quickly put the potato peelings on to boil, as she had been told. When they were done the old woman took a few and tossed them out of the window so that they fell into Hansel's cage. Gretel had to eat hers straight out of the pot, standing up. The old woman was now eating a piece of cheese and an apple. But she didn't give Gretel any.

"This is where you'll sleep," the old woman said. She threw a dirty old blanket on the floor. By the fireside was a long, heavy chain fastened to the wall. The old woman padlocked it to Gretel's shackles.

"We wouldn't want you running off in the night, would we, dear?" she asked.

In the morning Gretel saw that she had red marks on her bosom from the whipping. She thought she must have even more on her back, because it felt sore. The old woman made her do two hours of chores before she was finally given a piece of dry bread and half a cup of water.

"Are you going to keep us here forever?" Gretel asked. "My father will come looking for us."

"He won't find you, my dear," said the old woman. "We're much too deep in the woods for that. But no, I've got plans for you."

"What sort of plans?"

The old woman leered at her. "You're a pretty little thing, aren't you? I think you'll fetch a good price. And so will your handsome brother. I know the sort of people who will pay good money for their pleasure."

"Pleasure? What pleasure?"

Living with her father in the woods, Gretel knew nothing of the world. Her father had told her very little about men and women and what made them different from each other. She and Hansel had talked about it once or twice, but he knew no more than she did. Now and again, however, some men had come to their cottage, charcoal burners and wood-cutters. They had looked at her in a way that made her uncomfortable, as though they might do something to her if they dared. But Gretel wasn't sure what sort of things they might want.

"The pleasure any man gets with a pretty young girl, of course," said the old woman, "or a youth." She made an obscene gesture, which even an innocent girl such as Gretel could not mistake. Gretel blushed bright red.

"My father told me always to keep myself pure," she said. "I mustn't let men touch me."

The old woman threw her head back and roared with laughter. "That's why they'll pay a lot of money," she said, "because you are so pure."