The Witch’s Account of What Truly Happened
The story of what happened to Hansel and Gretel is true, EXCEPT there was a lot of pertinent information missing. Of course, everyone feels sorry for these children- motherless, with a cruel step-mother, evilly abandoned in the woods, but…
My Cottage of Sweets was culinary perfection. To the eyes, a wonderful work of artistic confectionary genius. To the mouth, honey bliss. To the ear, each crunch, snap and pop was delightful. To the nose, baked bliss. Heavenly aromas of spices, sugars and satisfaction. To the fingers, there was delicious stickiness.
Cobbles of perfectly baked biscuits lined with sugar almonds led to a honeycomb bridge. The bridge crossed a happy brook of bubbly lemonade. Tart, refreshing but with the perfect amount of sweetness. In winter the brook flowed creamy hot chocolate lit by marshmallow lights. Sugarspun and Turkish Delight flowers in rainbow colours filled beds. Why, even the grass was made of coconut flakes growing in rich fudge! Then lifting your head you saw one of the Wonders of the World- my Cottage of Sweets. The walls were made of ever-fresh gingerbread. The windows were barley sugar. Window boxes overflowed with gumdrop bouquets. Pastry chefs, patissiers and confectioners drooled over my culinary marvel. They coveted my sugar-free, no artificial ingredients, enhanced minerals and high fibre recipes.
So Hansel and Gretel rudely stomped on the biscuit cobbles, smashing them to crumbs! They steamrolled over my perfect coconut lawn! Contaminated the fudge with their filthy bare feet! Splashed in the lemonade brook! Licked every gumdrop! Broke my lovely stained glass windows. Gobbled from my ravaged cottage!
No, no I would never have eaten the children! I just wanted to scare them a little. Teach them some good manners. Teach them lessons about respecting the property of others. These children were yahoos. They barged into my home uninvited dragging crumbs, sticky treacle and gooey chocolate. Vandals! Never saying please or thank you.
Hungry you say? They were RUDE delinquents! Absolutely no manners! They thought with their fat tummies without a care for personal property. I wept on seeing the destruction to my beautiful home!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleWhat a great story, Margarida. Talk about appealing to the senses – wow! Your picture is also absolutely delightful – a real magnet! Only one line seemed a bit strange: “They coveted my sugar-free, no artificial ingredients, enhanced minerals and high fibre recipes.” Although I laughed out loud at the irony, I had to question how Turkish Delight, Sugar Almonds, fudge, barley sugar, and so on could possibly be sugar-free! I guess… Read more »
Julie, thank you so much for your affluent comments. The witch had to portray herself as the victim rather than an over the top baker who caused cavities, over-weight and diabetes.
There are always two sides to a story! My goodness, my mouth is watering from your vivid descriptions of those culinary delights! And you now have me showing some sympathy for the witch! This is one of your best, Margarida, fabulous writing!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThank you, Linda for your opulent praise. It was great entertainment to write. Like Carrie, I am introducing a well-known story from a different angle.
As I am not sure if everyone is familiar with the story of “Hansel and Gretel”, you can read it here-
https://storiestogrowby.org/story/hansel-and-gretel-bedtime-stories-for-kids/
Thanks for the reference, Margarida. As I am not really familiar to it. But as I open and read it, I learned many lessons. Thanks again. Such a nice bedtime story for kids. I will surely share it to them.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleThe link above is only one version of the fairy tale “Hansel and Gretel” by the Brothers Grimm. I much prefer the summary in Wikipedia-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansel_and_Gretel
But your retelling is a bit more sweet than I thought. Your story filled in the missing details of the story. I am glad that you tell us the witch side of the story. And now I feel some sympathy for the witch. Deliciously crafted.
Thank you as always, Lotchie. Not sure if the witch was really a true victim deserving our sympathy.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleI really enjoyed this, Margarida. Your descriptions are really rather delicious, and I wish I had a witch’s magic to be able to make all that deliciousness sugar-free. It’s quite a coincidence you writing this as I started a Hansel and Gretel retelling a couple of weeks ago, although my characters are Ansel and Greta and they are young witches in a dystopian world where witches are hunted and put to death.
Thank you both for reading and your comments, Carrie. I guess the witch used stevia, honey, maple syrup and molasses a lot.
You have a great imagination to forge a Hansel and Gretel retelling as witches in a dystopian world. Will this be story be submitted to Voice.Club?
I’m not sure yet. I only have a few hundred words of where they’re in a witch pit written and the rest is just vague ideas of the world they live in, so in the very early stages. I intend doing a book of fantasy retellings of fairytales. I decided to share the Eleanora ones to see how well they go down.
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleMargarida, this was a fun story! What did this witch do to them? Did her anger get the best of her? We need a follow up on this version of Hansel and Gretel. So many yummy references to all sweets that I love! Enjoyed it!
Hansel and Gretel escaped, otherwise the witch would have zero sympathy. Thank you for your kind compliments.
LOL! I have lived in a neighborhood where a conscientious home and garden owner could relate to this hilarious story! Well done!
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To Leave Comments - Please SignIn with GoogleBlessings for reading and commenting on my short story. Hope that you will start writing again for Voice.Club.