Hansel and Gretel w/ Intro

Welcome to the Merced County Dial a Story. The story you will be listening to today is Hansel and Gretel, performed for you by the Merced library theater players. NARRATOR: Once upon a time, there were two good children named Hansel and Gretel who lived in a cottage near the forest with their father and stepmother. Their father was a woodcutter, but times were difficult and they were experiencing poverty. HANSEL: *waves to camera and then yawns* Another day of hard work done, time for bed! GRETEL: *entering, looking stressed* Oh no… HANSEL: Gretel! What is the matter? You’re supposed to be in bed! But I know it’s hard to go to sleep when your stomach is so empty. *rubs stomach sadly* GRETEL: Sorry Hansel, I heard Mom and Dad whispering. With the harsh winter, we just haven’t had enough wood to cut, and soon we won’t have enough food for all of us to eat! Oh they’re thinking of going hungry just so they could feed us. HANSEL: That is terrible! We have to do something. GRETEL: But what can WE do? We are just kids! HANSEL: *gets an idea* I know! I heard is a rumor about a treasure hidden in the woods. If we can find it, we can bring it back here and we would never have to worry about money again! Just think of all the food… *daydreaming* GRETEL: *excitedly* That’s a great idea, Hansel! We’ll go first thing in the morning! *Both go to sleep* Goodnight. NARRATOR: The next day, the children woke up early and set out into the forest to find the treasure. As they walked, Hansel dropped pebbles that he had found near their cottage and had stored in his pockets. HANSEL: One pebble, two pebbles, three pebbles, four…five pebbles, six pebbles, seven pebbles more! GRETEL: Good job, Hansel! We can use these to find our way back home. *looking ahead* Treasure, here we come! NARRATOR: They searched the forest until sundown, but did not find any treasure and had to turn back. The pebbles shone in the moonlight and showed them the way home. HANSEL: *sadly, yawning* It is hopeless, Gretel. We’re never going to find the treasure. GRETEL: *yawning too* We can’t give up yet, Hansel. We’ll try again tomorrow. HANSEL AND GRETEL: Goodnight! *go to sleep* NARRATOR: The next morning, they set out again into the forest, full of hope that they could save their family. HANSEL AND GRETEL: We’re going on a treasure hunt; we’re going on a treasure hunt! We’re not scared! HANSEL: *dropping pebbles* Can’t go over it… GRETEL: Can’t go under it… HANSEL: Can’t go around it… HANSEL AND GRETEL: We have to go through it! HANSEL: *stopping* Uh oh… GRETEL: *stopping too* What’s wrong, Hansel? HANSEL: I ran out of pebbles…I traded some of the shiniest ones so we could have a snack for our long journey. *holds up a loaf of bread* GRETEL: We can’t go home without the treasure…*thinking* I know, what if we use the bread crumbs like you’ve been using the pebbles? *both look at the bread sadly* HANSEL: *sniffling as he drops crumbs* Goodbye, delicious but slightly stale bread… NARRATOR: But little did they know that as they went further into the woods, some hungry birds flew down after them and ate up all the bread crumbs. NARRATOR: Hansel and Gretel once again searched the forest until the sun went down. But when they went to find their trail of breadcrumbs, it was gone. GRETEL: *exasperated* Oh no Hansel, the birds must have eaten our trail! HANSEL: *also exasperated* No treasure, no bread, and mean birds ate our way home? We are having the worst day ever! NARRATOR: Hansel and Gretel wandered this way and that way, but they could not find their way back home and ended up going even deeper into the forest, where they walked until morning. GRETEL: Oh no Hansel, oh no, we are thoroughly lost. We’re never going to get home! *begins to cry* HANSEL: And I am so hungry I could eat a h…ouse? *stops and stares off into the distance in confusion* GRETEL: *stops crying* Wait what, eat a house? Hansel, that’s not how the saying goes. The saying is that you’re so hungry you could eat a horse…wait…what IS that? *she stops and looks too* HANSEL: It’s a house made of sweets! sniffing* It smells like gingerbread! … Let’s go! NARRATOR: Now, Hansel and Gretel usually knew better than to just walk up to a stranger’s house, but they were very hungry, and the house looked so delicious. GRETEL: One bite couldn’t hurt right. *both Hansel and Gretel start nibbling at the house* WITCH: *wandering out* Are those squirrels on my roof again? HANSEL AND GRETEL: *jumping back* STRANGER DANGER! WITCH: Oh! *sees Hansel and Gretel, smiles sweetly* Hello, and who are you two lovely children? *Hansel and Gretel look at each other* GRETEL: Sorry, ma’am, my name is Gretel and this is my brother Hansel. We were wondering through the woods when we got lost. HANSEL: Sorry for eating your house. We’re just so very hungry. WITCH: Oh my, you poor dears! You must be cold and tired too. Why don’t you come inside and get all warmed up, and I’ll fix to eat you two…I mean…fix you two something to eat? Please come in. HANSEL AND GRETEL: Yes please! HANSEL: After all, only nice strangers have houses made of candy, yea? NARRATOR: Once inside, the old woman gave them something warm to drink. WITCH: There you are, children. Now let’s get you two something to eat. Hansel, would you mind fetching that bread over there? HANSEL: Bread?! That looks delicious, it doesn’t even look stale! *rushes over to the bread* NARRATOR: But little did they know that the old woman was actually a witch who used her tasty house to lure children inside and eat them. And Hansel had just walked into a cage. WITCH: *cackling* Ha ha ha! You’re trapped now! GRETEL: No, Hansel! *going over to the cage* Let him go! WITCH: No my dear, he’ll be my dinner! *to Gretel* And do I have plans for you. You’ll be my servant and help keep Hansel nice and fed so he can get plump for me! *handing her a broom* Now clean! HANSEL: This is a terrible, very bad, horrible no good day. NARRATOR: So poor Hansel and Gretel were trapped in the witch’s house, with no hope of escape. Every day Gretel cleaned and the fed Hansel, and every day she told him to stick out his arm so she could see if he was getting nice and plump. But Hansel and Gretel were clever, and Gretel snuck Hansel a chicken bone to stick out of the cage instead of his arm. The witch could not see very well, and so this is how they tricked her. WITCH: Hansel stick out your hand now. *feeling the chicken bone* Argh, this will not do, you are still skin and bones. More food! Feed him more food! *walks away* GRETEL: *whispering to Hansel* Good work Hansel. Don’t worry, We’ll figure out a way for you to escape! HANSEL: I hope so…I’m actually getting tired of eating delicious bread all the time. How can you get tired of bread?? NARRATOR: But as much as they tried, Hansel and Gretel could not get Hansel out of the cage. And after a few days, the witch was tired of waiting. WITCH:*frustrated* I’m tired of waiting! I’m getting so hungry. My big dinner will be tonight. Gretel, go check to make sure the oven is hot enough. HANSEL: Don’t do it Gretel! She’ll eat you too! GRETEL: *cautiously opening the oven* Wait…how am I supposed to know how hot to make the oven? I’m just a kid. WITCH: *throwing up her hands* Some servant you are! Out of the way, I’ll check it myself. *opens the oven* NARRATOR: And as the witch leaned in to check the oven, Gretel saw an opportunity. She was about to push her in, when… WITCH: Hold on, oh what’s in here? I forgot I was making cupcakes! *pulls out a cupcake* GRETEL: *confused* What? Why do you just eat those, instead of us? WITCH: Oh no, these are for my house, for luring children to me. HANSEL: *from inside the cage* Wait, you’re telling us you’ve never eaten any of these delicious baked goodies? But they have to taste so much better than little children! WITCH: *eyeing the cupcake* Well…I suppose I can try … *takes a bite* Mmm…They certainly taste much better. Mmm mm! I can get used to eating these. From now on I will just eat things I make myself. Oh lovely children I am so sorry I put you through all this trouble. Please take theses as an offering for my apology, and a map so that you can make it home safely. Go on now. GRETEL: *holding the crown, nodding to the witch* Thank you. *also to the camera* That’s the last time we ever talk to strangers! HANSEL: *to the camera* Or eat their delicious houses! NARRATOR: So, having discovered what was so great about baked goods and sweets, the witch let Hansel and Gretel go and decided to open up her own bakery. WITCH: Oh yes I can’t wait to open up my own bakery. NARRATOR: Upon their return home, their family was able to sell the treasure for enough money that they never had to worry about having enough food to eat ever again. And everyone, including the witch, lived happily ever after. THE END