Epilogue:
It has been true knowledge that forever Faerie Tales of old bring us great stories of hope. They preach moral lessons, romance, violence, and the deepest well of human emotion. Many carry temptation, and the darker side of things. Of course, all tales are open to their own brand of interpretation. And keeping that in mind, we pass now to the Broken, Twisted Tale of Hansel and Gretel. It may not be as sweet as you remember it to be.
Chapter One: A Starving Home
The problem with being raised on a poor farm is that one was always at mercy of the seasons. If drought or flood hit the land, then no crops would grow. No money would be made, and no food would be set upon the table. Of course, this leads to empty stomachs and a sour disposition.
Gretel was raised in such a place. The daughter of her father's first wife, their small family had lost the addition of their mother when a sweeping plague of wet lung spread across the country. Though his small daughter had survived, the man soon found that a single pair of hands to do the required planting, and to mind his child, was not enough.
After the customary mourning period had passed, he quickly sought himself a new wife, Laudia. Chosen due to the harshness of the circumstances, his new bride brought a coffer of coins and two cows as her dowry. It was not a match based on personality or any sort of kind feeling. Rather, it was a convenient solution to both their losses. And with her, she brought her own daughter, only a year younger than Gretel.
It was clear early on at this arrangement, that Gretel was not particularly liked by her step-mother. The woman's own child was lazy and forced Gretel to work doubly hard at the tasks they were given to avoid the nightly beatings.
Now that is not to say that the step-mother was 'evil' in a historical sense of these tales and step-mothers. She was merely hard working and stern minded. The laziness was no excuse to get a chore done, and with Gretel being the oldest of the pair, it was pushed upon her to assume the responsibility of the daily chores. Thus, she became the scapegoat at Brianna's poor tasks.
Our story picks up some seven years after this merger occurred. Gretel is but twelve summers old, her golden hair and wide blue eyes awkward on a face that promised beauty in the coming years. Famine had once more scorched the fields into fallow and grain was becoming increasing short. As time passed, with no hope of rain to sooth the parched earth, Laudia turned to her husband one night and discussed their options.
"We have too many mouths to feed, husband. At the rate of two growing children, and sustaining ourselves, the food will be gone well before the summer ends." Listening to his wife, the farmer replied, "Then what are we to do? Neither is old enough to marry. We have no dowry even if they were. No merchant or farmer would take them in as laborer or worker, their own stores are short."
As they both fell into silence, Laudia finally voiced the thought that had been stirring in her mind all day. "We must send Gretel into the mountains and the forest. In the morning, we will tell her to gather us blueberries. And that she may not return home until her basket is full."
Protesting a moment, the farmer responded, "There are no blueberries that would survive in this weather. To send her on such an errand, she would surely lose her way and be lost to the wilderness."
Non-phased, his wife pressed on. "If she does find them, think of the money we would gain. Just a single basket would surely feed us all for a month. And if she does not return, then our own stores will last. My own daughter does not eat nearly as much as your own."
Unable to argue with those words, the farmer finally relented. Though he certainly had a father's affection for the child, if she did not leave, then they would all die of starvation. And if she did happen to find the precious berries, then they could be spared another month of waiting for the rains to fall.
With the situation decided, the pair rolled over and were quickly off to sleep.
***
Unbeknownst to this scheming pair, darling Gretel had awoken shortly before their conversation. Thirsty, and in want of a drink of water, she had crawled out of the bed shared by Brianna and crept her way quietly to the door. As she heard their conversation, her skin, tanned by the days pulling weeds and doing chores beneath the harsh sun, paled greatly.
If she went alone into the forest, she would certainly lose her way. Such trips were always done in the presence of her father, whom knew the secrets of the woods that would tell him which way was home again. Filled with pain at the betrayal, and anxiety of the trip, she went to the single window of her room and pulled open the sashes.
As the cool air of the night permeated the room, she felt herself calming. She was a smart girl, and ever resourceful. It was then that an idea fell upon her. Taking a swift look at her sleeping sister, she gathered up her traveling smock and took their small stool to the window. Climbing up and out, she spent the next hour filling the pockets with as many small rocks as she could find and carry.
Satisfied with herself, once the pockets were full, she climbed back inside. Closing the sashes again, she stored her smock away for morning and eased herself back into bed.
Even with a plan in mind, however, the poor girl was plagued with nightmares. Wolfs and bears, and all sorts of creatures threatened her. It was a restless night indeed.
***
The next morning, as they had discussed, Laudia demanded that her step-daughter take a basket into the forest and fill it with blueberries. Without even giving the child a chance to break her fast, she pushed a basket with a single measly crust of bread and the mold rind of last week's cheese into the girl's arms. Then, telling her to get dressed, she would be leaving before the sun had even fully colored the sky.
