By Engelbert Humperdinck
Hansel and Gretel live with their parents, Peter and Gertrude, near the forest. While their parents are out, they work at their chores—Hansel mends brooms for his father’s business, and Gretel knits. Gretel sings a song called “Susy, Little Susy” to distract them from their hunger.
Gretel shares a secret: their mother has a jug of milk in the cupboard. The children dance for joy. Their mother comes home and berates them for neglecting their tasks. In her anger, she accidentally shatters the jug. When Hansel laughs, their mother sends the children to gather berries in the woods.
Gertrude sings sadly about the difficulty of trying to maintain a household without enough money. Peter appears, singing happily about his success selling brooms that day. He has bought food for a festive supper, and is terrified to learn that Hansel and Gretel are in the forest. The wicked witch lives there, he says, and she eats children. Peter and Gertrude rush off to look for the children.
Hansel and Gretel pick berries happily. They listen to the cuckoo and eat their berries, and then they need to collect more for dinner.
Darkness approaches. The children are lost and frightened. The Sandman appears to sing a soothing lullaby. Hansel and Gretel sing their evening prayer, about fourteen angels protecting them. They sleep until the Dew Fairy awakens them for the new day.
By daylight, the forest looks beautiful and friendly again: especially a mysterious cottage that now appears, made of gingerbread and candy. The children break off pieces to eat. They hear a voice from inside, asking, “Nibble, nibble, mousekin, who’s nibbling at my housekin?”
 The children reassure themselves, “The wind, it’s only the wind!”
The witch emerges from the house and casts a spell so the children are unable to move. She locks Hansel in a cage, and forces Gretel to bring food to fatten him. Every day she checks his progress. Hansel pokes a twig out of the cage instead of his finger. The witch feels it and thinks he is too skinny to eat.
The hungry witch decides to eat them both, and orders Gretel to check the oven. Gretel pretends not to know how, and asks the witch to demonstrate. When the witch leans into the oven, Hansel and Gretel push her in.
Suddenly, the gingerbread children around the house begin to sing: “If you touch us once, we’ll open up our eyes.” As Hansel and Gretel free the children, Peter and Gertrude arrive to find them. All join in general rejoicing.
For a longer synopsis, download the full study guide here.
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