In an old mill house, there lived a brother and a sister named Hanson and Greta. Their father was laid off from his job as a timber faller, and they were having trouble getting enough food to eat.

One night, Hanson and Greta overheard their father and stepmother arguing.

“I don’t know how we’re going to get through the summer,” their father said. “At least during the school year, the school provides them lunch so they can have one meal a day. We don’t have enough money to feed them.”

“Surrender them to the state,” their stepmother said. “We can’t afford to feed them. They will live better lives as wards of the state.”

That night, Hanson and Greta made plans to leave the old mill house.

“We’ll seek our fortunes elsewhere,” Greta said. “I’ll walk dogs to support us. We won’t go hungry or have to be separated from each other.”

“I can help too,” Hanson said. “I’ll mow lawns.”

They left in the morning before their parents woke.

“What if we change our minds?” Greta asked. “How will we get home?”

Hanson pulled one of Greta’s many beaded bracelets off of her hand. “We’ll leave a trail of beads,” he said.

They walked along the road, leaving a trail of beads on the curb.

Then, they entered the woods, leaving the trail of beads along the path.

“I’m not sure about this,” Greta said. “Maybe we should go home.”

They looked for their path and saw a crow flying into the air with a bead in its mouth. The other beads had vanished.

“The crow took all of my beads,” Greta moaned. “What will we do now?”

Hanson pointed at a house. “Let’s see if they have a phone. Maybe we can call home and our parents will come to get us. They’ve probably changed their minds by now. Since we’ve been gone, I’m sure they’ve realized they’d miss us too much to give us up.”

So Hanson and Greta walked to the house in the woods. As they approached the house, their stomachs rumbled, and they longed for even a crumb of food.

“The house looks like it is made out of candy,” Hanson said.

“I must be imagining it because I am so hungry,” Greta said.

Hanson put his hand on the wall of the house. He broke off a part of the house. He ate it. “It’s so good.”

Greta, too, began to eat the house. “It’s a real house of candy!”

“Stop!” a shrill voice screeched. “Stop! That’s my house you are eating!”

Hanson and Greta stopped.

“We’re sorry,” Hanson said. “We were just so hungry.”

“Come inside,” the witch said. “I will feed you.”

They went inside and the witch fed them a frozen pizza, potato chips, fruit salad, and large ice creams for dessert.

“Thank you so much!” Greta said. “What can we do to repay you?”

The witch laughed. “Have a nice rest,” she said.

Hanson and Greta fell asleep at the table.

When he woke up, Hanson was in a cage.

“What did you do to my brother?” Greta asked.

“He’ll stay in the cage,” the witch said, “so that you will do as I say.”

The witch put Greta to work. Greta cleaned the candy house from top to bottom. She repaired the wall that she and Hanson had eaten. She cooked the witch three meals every day.

Hanson stayed in the cage.

One day, the witch said to Greta, “Get into my oven. I feel like eating little girl today.”

“No,” Greta said. “I won’t fit.”

The witch laughed. “You’re small. You will fit.”

“I don’t believe you,” Greta said.

“Here,” the witch said, “I’ll show you.”

The witch went to stand beside the oven.

Greta tipped the oven over on top of the witch.

Trapped under the oven, the witch screamed. “Let me out!”

Greta ignored her. She stole the witch’s keys that the witch always wore around her neck. She freed Hanson.

She and Hanson called their dad.

Their dad was able to figure out where they were based on their description and came to pick them up.

“We missed you so much after you left,” their dad said. “We searched for you everywhere. And while we were searching, your stepmother and I both found jobs so you won’t ever have to go hungry again.”

And they all went home and lived happily ever after.