Hansel and Gretel Deep, deep in a distant forest, lived a poor man with his wife and two children. His daughter's name was Gretel and his son's name was Hansel. Hansel and Gretel had an evil stepmother who didn't like children and wanted to get rid of them. The stepmother was very selfish and did not care at all about the well-being of the children. The family was short of food and the man was worried about what he would eat to survive. The father was a craftsman and did not earn much money. The evil stepmother suggested that the man take the children into the forest at dawn and leave them in the forest so that they would never return home. I can't imagine the thought of my young children being left in the forest with all the wild animals lurking. They will surely be eaten alive by tigers and lions, the man said. The man, very sad but desperate, finally agreed. When the sun began to rise the next morning, the stepmother and father took the children deep into the woods to cut wood. The stepmother gave each child a large piece of bread and said firmly: do not eat this bread until dinner. That's all you'll get, and you'll starve if you eat it too soon. Hours passed as everyone headed deeper into the woods. All the while Hansel had been tearing off small pieces of bread leaving a trail in case they got lost and couldn't find their way home. Eventually, night began to approach and it began to get dark and cold, so the father built a nice toasty fire. Sit down, children, and rest, said the stepmother. We have been walking all day and you must both be tired, said the wicked stepmother. Hansel and Gretel were so tired after the long day that they were happy to be able to rest. Eventually they both fell asleep. The next morning, when they woke up, they discovered that their father and stepmother had abandoned them. Gretel immediately began to cry and was extremely scared. What will we do now Hansel, said Gretel?