"NARRATOR:" "Long ago, in a little hut near a forest, a" "Each day they played happily in the garden." "But this day they wanted to go and play in the fields outside." "Mother was worried, but at last she agreed." "She said they could go to the fields but warned them that they must not go too far or they might get lost." "They were so happy in the fields with the birds and the flowers and the butterflies, they quite forgot their mother's warning." "What was that?" "It was a squirrel." "And he ran off into the forest." "And Hansel followed the squirrel, and Gretel followed Hansel." "They were lost, deep in the forest." "And then suddenly they saw... a wonderful little house." "The walls were made of gingerbread and the windows were made of sugar and the roof was made of marzipan cakes." "The gate opened by itself and the children went in." "Hansel tasted and liked it and started to eat." "And Gretel tasted and liked it." "OLD WOMAN:" "Nibble, nibble, little mouse." "Who is nibbling up my house?" "Oh, you dear children." "Who has brought you here?" "Won't you stay with me?" "Oh, please do stay with me." "Look what I've got for you." "Now you'll stay with me." "Your feet can't move and your eyes can't see." "And now you'll have to stay with me." "(CACKLlNG)" "The wicked witch mounted on her broomstick and flew away, deep into the forest." "Their poor mother and father could not imagine what had happened to Hansel and Gretel." "And although their father searched and searched, he could find no trace of them." "Father told mother not to cry." "Tomorrow he would search again." "Come, Gretel." "You must work for me." "This was Hansel's chance and he quietly crawled away from the witch." "Little mouse who crawls away, come you back, with me to stay." "Sending Gretel off to work, the wicked witch put Hansel into a cage with a goose that she was fattening up for her Sunday dinner." "What was that?" "The squirrel again." "Gretel wept bitterly and told the squirrel that it was all his fault that they had got lost in the forest and had been caught by the witch." "The squirrel was sorry and said that he would do all he could to try to help them to escape." "Hansel cried and tried to get out, but he could do nothing against the magic of the witch's stick." "Why are you standing there?" "Lazy, idle, lazy girl." "On with your work, now." "On with your work." "You must bite the witch's stick." "Let me out and I will help." "Scrub it out and make it white, but first my broomstick handle bright." "(GOOSE HONKlNG)" "Wicked bird, wicked goose." "What idle thing has turned you loose?" "(witch screeching)" "(witch gasping)" "(witch EXCLAlMlNG)" "(squirrel SQUEAKlNG)" "Gretel quickly snatched up the witch's stick." "They had won." "The witch was in their power." "Then she broke the stick." "And the witch's magic broke, too." "And the witch broke into tiny pieces." "And the gingerbread house faded away." "And Hansel and Gretel and the goose were free." "They were so excited." "But they still didn't know the way home." "The goose didn't know, either." "But the squirrel said he would lead them through the forest." "(squirrel SQUEAKlNG)" "The goose couldn't keep up with them and wanted to stay behind." "But Gretel said he must come with them." "And the little deer, too." "Their parents could hardly believe their eyes when they saw Hansel and Gretel running towards them, with the goose, the squirrel and the little deer." "Their parents were overjoyed to see them again, and welcomed the goose and the squirrel and they all lived with them there in the hut ever after."