"Once upon a time there was a poor woodcutter who lived near a great forest with his wife and his two children. The little boy was called Hansel, and the little girl's name was Gretel..."

So begins this classic Grimm tale of two innocent children, abandoned in the forest by their cruel mother, who happen upon the enchanting gingerbread house of a wicked witch. Hansel's cunning and little Gretel's courage foil the witch's evil plan to fatten them up and eat them, and in the best fairy tale tradition, they and their loving father live happily ever after.

This old German fairy tale was collected by the German Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in Grimm's Fairy Tales. It is also known as Hansel and Grettel, or Little Step Brother and Little Step Sister. Since its publication, it has become a classic and beloved tale to millions of avid readers.