Historical context: This story is set during the Great Depression, around the mid-1930s. This was a time of economic hardships on many Americans due to the stock market crashing in October 1929. “Hoovervilles” were communities of people living in tents because couldn’t afford their housing. Named after President Herbert Hoover, they were often dirty, violent, and overall not an adequate place to reside.

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In the massive Hooverville of New York, in a time of great poverty and depression, there lived a poor man with his wife and their two children. The man struggled to get work, so the family had very little to eat.

The man lay next to his wife on their makeshift bed one evening, unable to find sleep.

“What will we do?” he asks. “I can’t find work anywhere. We cannot feed the children, nonetheless ourselves.”

“I’ll tell you what we’re going to have to do,” answers his wife, “we’re going to have to send them away.”

“And where to?” says the man.

“Your sister Carla will take them. She’s still in her house, and her husband’s got a job working directly for some big manager, am I right?”

“You are right, but we can’t separate. I won’t allow it.” The man declares indignantly. “We may not have food, but we are a family and we stick together.”

“Are you stupid?” The man’s wife hisses, “We will all die, and who will afford us coffins?”

The woman did not let him rest until he agreed to send the children to his sister’s house.

The children, like their parents, had not been able to sleep. They laid quietly in their shared mattress nearby and listened to every word their parents had discussed.

“We’re gonna die,” wept Gretel inconsolably.

“Shut up, Gretel. I’ll figure this out.” replies her brother, Hansel. They laid for a while longer, listening to the sound of their parents’ breathing. When Hansel heard the deep breathing of their slumber, he rose as quietly as possible.

Hansel put on a coat and walked out of their tent. Hooverville was coated in the white glow of the moon, bright and eerie. Many fires from the evening before were dwindling down to ash.

Hansel quickly found who he was looking for, Charles. Charles was the guy you went to for anything in Hooverville. As a collector of junk, he had all kinds of little trinkets you may need, although none of them seemed to alleviate hunger.

Charles was half-asleep and rather disoriented when Hansel approached him.

“I need a map.” Hansel told him.

“A map?” Charles sniffed.

“Of the city,” said Hansel, anxiously shifting his weight between feet.

Charles rummaged through a bag with one hand, grunting and using his other hand to rub his tired eyes.

“What do you need this for?” Charles asks.

“I can’t say.” Hansel replies. He leaves Charles’ tent and returns to his family.

Gretel was still awake.

“Calm down, little sis. I got this.” Hansel joins her on their mattress and they soon fall asleep.

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The next morning brought chirping birds and a bright sun, as though the world below was just as perfect as the sky above.

The children’s mother came to awaken them. “Come on, sleepyheads. We’re going on an adventure today!”

Hansel and Gretel woke. Gretel followed her mother out of the tent, and Hansel carefully slipped the map from under his pillow into his pocket.

Outside of the tent, their mother was handing them each a piece of bread.

“Eat this for lunch, and not any sooner.”

Then, she took their hands in hers and led them on a walk.

It was a long walk. Gretel complained of cramping legs, and Hansel’s feet were very sore.

“Don’t worry, children,” their mother finally said, “we’re here. You two get to ride the bus! Isn’t that so exciting!”

Hansel and Gretel both knew they were being separated from their parents, and despite the fear and sadness that came with that, they were both in awe that they got to ride a bus for the first time.

“You’ll get to stay on the bus for six stops.” Their mother continues, now handing Hansel a coin. “After six stops, get off and your Aunty Carla will take you to her house for a little vacation!”

And with that, Hansel and Gretel were left alone to wait for the bus.

When it finally came, they boarded and Hansel paid the driver their fare.

When they huddled together in a seat, Gretel began to cry.

“Now, don’t start crying.” Hansel told her, “We’re going on an adventure like Mom told us. Just we’re not really going to Aunty Carla’s house. We’re going to get off sooner and use the map to get home.”

Gretel calmed down with those words. She curled against Hansel and fell into a light sleep, but he woke her up soon.

“It’s been four stops.” Hansel said, “I think we better get off now.”

Once off, Hansel pulls the map out of his pocket, peering at it with confusion. Gretel chews on her stale bread and watches him hopefully.

Hansel was not sure where they had to go, but he didn’t want Gretel to see that. He led Gretel in the way the bus had come, hoping to be able to successfully backtrack by looking at landmarks, as the map was not apparently working.

After a while of wandering, however, the children had gotten nowhere.

“You can’t read the map.” Gretel whined accusingly.

“No, I can’t. I don’t see you trying.” Hansel snapped. He was tired and hungry and didn’t know what to do.

“Look at that…” Gretel said. She pointed down the street and Hansel followed her finger.

There was an automobile, painted a bright happy pink color. It seemed to be playing music, as well.

“There’s words on the side, Hansel. Oh, what do they read?” Gretel asks, tugging on Hansel’s shirt sleeve.

“Cakes and smeets.” Hansel tells her.

“What’s a smeet?” asks Gretel.

~part one~