Hansel and Gretel: A Soul for A Soul

Every footstep was followed by a nerve wracking CRUNCH, as they walked through the forest disturbing the blanket of leaves that covered the ground. The afternoon was colder than usual for it being late February. A steady chill in the air pierced their skin like a warning to turn around.

Hansel slowed down, “Nobody goin’ to hurt you, if I’m around! If anyone tries huntin’ us out here, my Pa will banish all, up to Gallow Hills”, he said.

Greta snubbed her nose at him, shaking her head. Hansel was an adventurous boy, no stranger to a whoopin’ from his Pa. Although Greta was more cautious, she allowed him to talk her into a lot. That’s exactly what she loved to hate about him, often worried that his lack of fear may be the death of him one day. Seldomly, he listened to the rules that were put in place.

As Hansel and Greta continued their journey into the forest in search of skull rock, the bare trees swayed back and forth in the wind, eerily seeming nervous. The tale of skull rock intrigued Hansel, but Greta was spooked because of it. Skull rock is the meeting grounds for the evil witches that hid in the forests. According to the Puritans, the witches perform their rituals to cast spells on the Plymouth Colony, at Skull rock. It was told to generations, as a warning to stay vigilant.

Greta stomped her foot on the forest bed, “Hansel I need not go forward! My Pa bid us any Puritans found at Skull rock will be witchin’ prey! Look what happened to Mrs. Grace Noble-Adams… both her boys perished in 1651! It were witches that casted spells upon Abram and Able! We need not seek the witches meeting spot!”

Hansel grabbed Greta’s hand, “We walk amongst witches posing to be us, living as a neighbor, the witches in these woods, different they are not,” he reassured her.

They continued on their journey, Greta shaking in her boots. Hansel lead the way and before they knew it, they arrived at skull rock.

Hansel quickly ran over and climbed to the top, “I bestow Skull rock! It’s just as the tale bid us, Greta”, he yelled down.

She looked into the bleak winter sky, noticing it to be hard and gray like the layers of rock that Hansel climbed. She examined the indents that would appear to be the eyes and nose, wondering if it were ever a man turned into rock for disobeying the witches rule. All of a sudden Greta jumped back, gasping! That’s when she noticed Hansel, from her peripheral vision, he quickly landed on a lower level of the rock, holding his hand out. Hesitating for a moment, she reached out as he hoisted her onto the rock. Steading her feet to climb behind Hansel, Greta got a chill that went right to the bone.

Finally at the top of the rock, she said, “The air feels thick like the butter, Mama churns before dinner.”

“I cannot disagree it…”, Hansel was interrupted by the screech of a crow, feathers black as ink.

Greta froze, “Mama bid us the scream of the crow is the warnin’ that danger is a comin’, Hansel.”

In one swipe, he grabbed her hand pulling her down the rock, swift like the wind pulled the leaves off the trees. With every foot that hit the ground, they were startled by every snap they heard, trampling over small branches tucked in, under the leaves. Greta seen the crow coming from the left, gliding through the air, before it landed in front of them. Instantly they noticed, what seemed to a necklace or collar of some sorts around its little neck, hanging above its chest area. Hansel embraced Greta, while the crow cocked its head to the right in observation.

Hansel pulled Greta closer, “when I take my hand from your back, run and get my Pa, RUN… I will run at the crow and distract it. I say I be damned of bein’ witchin’ prey”, he whispered.

Before she knew it, his hand was away from her back and she was running as fast as she could. All of a sudden she heard leaves rustling behind here. She was plagued with terror, not wanting to look back to see what it was. She heard Hansel yelling her name “GRETA! WAIT…No witchin‘ happened! I’ll be fooled it were just a crow. A lousy old crow! I bid to you that nothin’ was goin’ to happen”, Hansel boasted, while kicking piles of leaves into the air.

“On the contrary Hansel, not am I happy even the littlest. Our Mamas and Pas bid us to not put foot into the forest. I am not listenin’ no more to you, Hansel!”, Greta scolded him!

A sense of calm fell over them with the edge of the forest in sight. The crow perched on a branch just before the boundary of Puritan territory.

”Oh Greta and Hansel. Are those the names of the children I see”?, they heard the faint whisper in the wind.

A woman appeared behind them, she was beautiful. Her eyes as green as the ripest apple, ever seen.

Hansel pushed Greta, signaling to follow directions from earlier. She ran out of the forest to get his Pa.

The woman pointed at Hansel with her pointy nails, “Boy why are you here?! Puritans are forbidden from the forest”, she said.

”I can do whatever hell I want Ma’am. No witch scares me. I won’t be witchin’ prey”, Hansel yelled.

The woman’s blonde hair glimmered under the dull sky. It looked as if Rumplestiltskin weaved her hair into gold. Hansel watched her every move, as she walked towards him. She flicked her wrist and the crow black as ink, landed on Hansel’s head.

“Little boy, I have eyes everywhere in my forest. Your kind banished me to this forest when I was your age. My mother was hung at the gallows upon sunrise. Your kind cared not of the children seekin’ refuge in these woods”, she glided her nail his chin.

What the woman and Hansel didn’t know, his Pa and the rest of the men were setting up to catch this woman.

Hansel partly hypnotized, spoke slowly, “Witch you will walk this forest no more! I’ll be bettin’ my life to truth.”

”Hansel you look so much like your Pa with those dark eyes and dark hair. I’ve been watching you for years. Henry should have warned you not to come ’round here. Far ahead, he never thought… much like you. ‘Member watchin’ the hay cart burn brightly or your Mama cry ’cause your brother of 2 weeks did not proceed in this life. oh! I ’member. Finally the boy I get to meet. A Daughter with no mother isn’t a bad as a father no son”, she smiled.

Before the crow could alert them of danger, they heard the sound of a smoothbore musket, soon after a wailing woman fell to the ground. Hansel quickly fell out of his trance, for a second he heard unknown voices yelling his name and the cry of that beautiful woman, following the cries of the frantic crow.

”Hansel my boy! Get away from that monster, born from a witch

herself”, Hansel’s father warned!

Three men followed from behind, while two men came from the left.

The men grabbed the woman violently! At that moment the crow screamed as it tried pecking them in the face. The men flailed their arms around to free themselves from loosing an eye or two.

As Greta’s dad hoisted his musket into the air, he aimed at the crow. the woman cried out, “Sage, Go! Fly away my beauty…find the others and take them to safety.”

The musket let out a roar and the shot just missed the crow.

Screeching, the crow flew around in circles before disappearing. Where it went, nobody knew. They heard the cries of the crow in the sky, as the men drug the woman with gold hair to Gallow Hills.

Greta ran over to Hansel with sad eyes. She embraced him, pleading, “I thought you were witchin‘ prey. Runnin’ I got my Pa, quickest I did not know how fast we could save you.”

”Greta, she knew my Pa! She knew of the hay cart burnin’, Mama’s baby that passed. I never got her name, but I fear for this family… dead or alive, she will live on. That crow has a name.”

In the distance they heard the woman, “Henry I have eyes all over. Perished or not, I will live on. Prudence will allow no mercy for your boy, his boy”.

The cries faded. Hansel and Greta trailed to the very edge of the forest. As they stepped foot out, Greta continued to cry. Hansel heard the faint snap of a branch, slowly turning his head, he saw the crow. What he saw next, he couldn’t explain. The crow landed on a tree branch. Instantly fog appeared, turning into a girl, maybe a few years younger than he. He froze. She had those apple green eyes, but hair the color of the red maple leaves that lined the forest in Autumn. His eyes locked on the necklace that hung on the crow, now draped around this young girls neck. At that moment he knew that the woman was a mother. Witches are real. His stomach turned as quick as he turned his body, dragging Greta out to Puritan territory.

_______Ten years later______

Seasons changed, family perished or moved on as they created families. Babies were born, two beautiful babies were Hansel and Greta’s. In 1680 Hansel Thomas Adams III arrived into this world. Gretel Mary Adams followed in 1681. Known as Irish twins, they both grew into children, encapsulating the best parts of their parents.

Frequently haunting Hansel, he never told a soul what he seen that day, ten years ago. He often wondered and worried if she would seek revenge on his family. He thought about moving when Greta conceived his first child, but inheriting his Pa’s popular haying business, kept him here. That witch with hair of gold, always came to mind when he seen the bundles of hay. Hansel couldn’t stand the hay bails, so he allowed his brother to oversee that job. So Hansel became a wood-cutter and merged the businesses, as one.

Prudence plagued his mind, it’s like her soul placed itself to live on within Hansel’s head, after she perished when hung! He and Greta never spoke of that woman who proclaimed herself as Prudence. Although they always warned Hansel and Gretel of the danger lurking in the forest.

Little did they know Hansel and Gretel snuck to the forest, always pushing themselves to go a little further. Hansel and Greta we’re diligent when it came to keeping eyes on their children, but it‘s impossible to have eyes on them all hours. Adventurous Hansel knew what to say to his cautious sister.

It was thought to be one of the safest times in Salem, 1694. The Puritans hunted and killed all of the witches within the forest and living as their neighbors in the community, so they thought. Never realizing there were hidden homes as the far forest edge, under cliffs that were unreachable to the hunters.

However, Hansel lead Gretel to them, seeking adventure and fun, “Gretel, vacant this little home of white birch, stand hidden on the cliff side. You will be lovin’ what I found. Safe, it is… I entered, searchin’ with Pa’s musket, days ago”, Hansel proclaimed as he helped his sister down the ledge.

Gretel installed with fear trusted her brother even though he was irrational at times.

”Hansel, what if you forget how to lead home”? Gretel questioned.

”I won’t. I left marked rocks on the way. The forest bed is cleared of leaves for Autumn isn’t here yet”, he responded.

Gretel’s eyes lite up, arriving to this cute little home. It reminded her of a doll house that the little girls with wealth, had. She and Hansel ran inside to find a home furnished and clean.

Opening a cabinet, Hansel said, “Look! Sticks of cinnamon, vanilla and molasses and honey jars, Gretel”!

Gretel noticed in the window, a crow with feathers black as ink, perched on the window sill. The curious bird observing, as Hansel walked over to Gretel, handing her a cinnamon stick and jar or honey. He found breads and spices, too.

“This honey is the sweetest I ever tried. Mama always bid us to eat the molasses covered bread, ever so slowly. Takin’ the taste in, ’member Gret”?

Gretel didn’t answer him. Instead, she said, “Hansel look at this peculiar crow... it has a necklace on its neck.

”I’ll be damned... It does“, Hansel replied, astonished.

Gretel turned her head slightly, reaching out for a stick of vanilla to spread on a piece of bread that Hansel was handing her. It was a second, passed and the bird was gone when she looked back at the window. Within a moment they heard the clank of what sounded like metal latching from the outside.

Hansel ran to the door and it was locked. As he reached every window in panic, nothing budged.

Pure terror washed over their faces, tears filled Gretel’s eyes like they were now two blue buckets, overflowing. Hansel grabbed his sister and pulled her into his chest. She felt his heart pounding, as hard as Pa’s saw hitting the logs.

A fog engulfed them. There stood a beautiful woman with hair the color of red Autumn leaves and eyes like two green emeralds.

”Hello sweet children! My you are lookin’ so much of Hansel and Greta. I’ve been waitin’ for you to stumble upon my home... take a seat, you will be here awhile long. I do believe I have much owin’ to my Mama. A Daughter without no Mama isnt nearly as bad as a Pa without no son or a Mama without no daughter. Gone is the best of their worlds”, Sage said.

Sage flicked her wrist and the sun wasn't shining in the windows anymore, they were covered instantly. She smiled at the children as they were pleading for their lives. She pranced towards them, another quick flick and Hansel and Gretel were silenced as they fell to the floor.

”Oh sweet children, know not what I plan to do, so sleep tight until revenge is hung over the heads of your Pa and Ma”, she whispered to the sleeping children as she guided their sleeping bodies through the air, lowering them on the bed.

She looked to the little cabin roof with her arms opened wide, “Mama I will get you back. Just rest now awhile to long in Hansel’s head. Oh sweet revenge, I’ll trade a soul for a soul, so you are back within this realm of land.”

-Author Amanda Burke Jaworski