Hansi and Gyani
Chapter 1: Hunger in the forest
Hansi and Gyani heard their stepfather shout, “Dinner!” and came running. It was only a slice of bread, but they were starving.
Their stepfather looked even more grumpy than usual.
“What do you expect?” he snapped. “With so little money, all we can afford is bread.”
“Here we go again.” said Hansi.
The children’s mother sighed. “It’s not my fault no one buys wood anymore,” she said. “What with electric fires and plastic furniture…”
“Oh, why did I marry a poor woodcutter?” thought the stepfather.
Hansi and Gyani finished the last crumbs on their plates and went to their room.
“Poor Mom,” yawned Hansi. “Always in trouble.”
She blew out the candle and they tried to sleep.
Suddenly…
GROWL
“What’s that noise?” asked Gyani in a panic.
“Sorry, said Hansi. “It’s my tummy. I was thinking of melted chocolate and toasted marshmallows.”
“Oh don’t!” Gyani begged. “I’m so hungry I can’t sleep.”
As they listened to their tummies rumble, they heard more nagging downstairs.
“The problem is,” their stepfather was saying, “there’s just not enough food for the four of us. The children will have to go.”
“What? Cried the poor woodcutter. “How has it come to this?”
“Do you have a better idea?” he sneered.
The woodcutter fell silent.
“Tomorrow, we’ll take Hansi and Gyani deep into the forest,” her husband continued, “and leave them there!”
“But…” begun the woodcutter, sounding very sad. “But what? You never know — someone may find them and take them home.”
Chapter 2: Pebble path
That night, Gyani had nightmares about monsters in the woods. “I’m scared,” he said, from under the covers. “What are we going to do?”
‘Don’t worry,” said Hansi, who was lying white or white wide awake. “I have an idea.”
Quietly, she tiptoed outside. White pebbles gleamed in the moonlight. She collected as many as she could and stuffed them into her bag.
“Wake up my little sugar plums,” called the stepfather soon after dawn. “We’re going on a lovely walk today!”
Hansi squeezed Gyani’s hand as they left the house, pretending they knew nothing.
“Hurry up, Hansi!” said her stepfather after a while. He didn’t see her drop pebbles, one by one, behind her.
The sad woodcutter walked on ahead, her head down and her shoulders hunched.
“Perhaps the children should rest,” said the stepmother finally. They were standing in a gloomy clearing. “You two sit here while your mother and I… um… cut some wood.”
“I’ll make your fire first.” said the woodcutter.
“Come on!” called her husband impatiently. And he dragged his wife into the forest.
“We’ll be back soon…” the woodcutter said firmly.
“Oh no we won’t.” scoffed her husband.
A ghostly mist hung over the clearing. Hansi wormed her hands by the fire. “Cheer up, Gyani,” she said, trying to smile.
They lay down on some squishy moss and were soon fast asleep.
“Twit-twoo!”
“What was that? Wake up!” cried Gyani, shaking Hansi. “It’s already dark… and I’m freezing!”
‘What… where…” said Hansi, looking around her. The mist had gone and a pebble gleamed in the moonlight. “Let’s go,” she said, taking Gyani’s hand.
Her pebble trail led them through the shadowy forest and all the way home.
Chapter 3: A trail of crumbs
“Hansi! Gyani!” called the woodcutter in surprise.
The stepfather heard their names and froze. “Drat,” he snarled. “They’re back.”
“Stupid children. Why did you wander off?” The stepfather scolded Hansi and Gyani.
“But we didn’t!” they cried.
“We’re starving,” moaned Hansi.
“Well, I didn’t save you any lunch — or dinner?’ said her stepfather.
“What about breakfast?” Gyani asked.
“Here you can have my bread,” said the woodcutter.
Her husband scowled at her.
That evening, Hansi and Gyani were relieved to be in their own room. But they didn’t trust their stepfather at all.
“What’s he saying, Hansi?” asked Gyani.
With her ear to the door, Hansi heard the stepfather’s voice grow louder.
“We’ll take them deeper into the forest this time,” he declared. “They will never find their way out!”
“You hurtless man,” muttered the woodcutter.
“What?” he barked. “Do you want us all to starve?”
“Of course not.” stammered the woodcutter.
Her husband glares at her. “Then shut up.” he threatened.
Hansi and Gyani lay trembling in their beds. When all was quiet Hansi crept off to find more pebbles but he couldn’t open the front door. Her stepfather must have locked it.
“What do I do now?” she whispered.
“Wakey-wakey, rise and shine,” said the stepfather, early next morning.
He forced Hansi and Gyani out of bed, gave them a slice of stale bread to share and march them into the forest.
Hansi’s tummy was grumbling but she didn’t eat her half of the bread. Instead, she crumbled it along the way to leave a second trail.
Soon, the trees were so thick they blocked out the sky.
“Another lovely place for a rest,” said their stepfather, cheerfully.
The woodcutter’s sighed and make made a fire. She couldn’t bear to look at her children.
“Don’t panic,” Hansi said to Gyani, when they were alone. “We can follow the breadcrumbs home.”
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She turned to see a blackbird packing at a crumb. “Shoo!” she cried, chasing the bird away.
A woodpecker swooped down and took another crumb.
“No!” shouted Hansi.
Birds twittered from every tree. Hansi and Gyani looked for more crumbs, but not a single one was left.
“What do we do now?” asked Gyani, shivering.
“I’ll think of something.” said Hansi.
Chapter 4: The hidden house
By morning, Hansi still didn’t have a plan.
“Let’s just walk until we find the edge of the forest.” suggested Gyani.
All day they walked, past tall trees and spiky branches.
Night fell and still they stumbled on.
By the following morning, they were faint from hunger.
The spooky forest seemed to go on forever.
At noon, they finally staggered into a clearing. There, in the distance, stood a little house.
“Let’s see if anyone’s in,” said Gyani. “They might give us some food.”
As the pear near the house a delicious smell wafted past.
“Freshly baked cakes!” cried Gyani. He ran closer… and gasped. The walls were made from chunks of cake and the roof was glistening chocolate.
“Pink sponge bricks! It looks scrumptious,” he said, hardly believing his eyes.
“And tastes even better,” mumbled Hansi, already munching on a windowsill.
Even the windows smell sweet. Gyani licked one. It’s sugar!”
“And a gingerbread door!” added Hansi.
Hansi was trying to bite off the toffee apple doorknocker, when the door flew open.
“Aaaargh!” she yelled, as an old man hobbled out.
He was as wide as a barrel and uglier than a toad. His bulging eyes fixed onto two children and he smiled, showing his rotten teeth.
“Enjoying my house, are you?” he croaked.
“Yes, it’s delicious… I mean delightful,” said Gyani, quickly wiping chocolate from his face.
“You must come inside,” said the old man. “I love visitors.”
Chapter 5: Tricked!
Hansi and Gyani couldn’t believe their luck. In seconds, a kind man laid out a magnificent meal for them.
“Would you like to stay the night?” he asked.
Hansi and Gyani could only nod. Their mouths were full of cookies and candy.
“Our tummies won’t keep us awake tonight!” they cried with joy.
Gyani woke up to see sun streaming onto Hansi’s bed. But Hansi wasn’t there. “I bet she’s already eating breakfast,” he thought and ran to join her.
“You’re were just in time to help me cook,” crocked the old man, no longer smiling.
Gyani politely peeled potatoes, chopped carrots and grated cheese.
“Where’s Hansi?” he asked.
“Waiting for her food.” The old man replied.
the ugly man bossed Gyani around all morning, until he had prepared a feast.
“Now put it through the hatch in the shed outside,” the man ordered.
Gyani was confused he went outside and heard his sister yelling from the shed.
“Let me out you old warlock!” she cried.
“Hansi! What’s happened?” called Gyani.
“That man’s a warlock,” she shouted. “He’s trapped me with a spell. Now he wants me fatten me up… and eat me.”
A cold shiver crapped up Gyani’s spine. “Don’t worry,” he said, sounding braver than he felt. “We’ll trick him and escape.”
Chapter 6: Into the oven
That evening, the warlock hobbled over to Hansi’s shed.
“Hold out your finger,” he shouted. “Show me how plump you are.”
He reached into the hatch and Hansi held up a twig.
“Dear me,” sighed the warlock. “You’re all bone eat more, girl!”
For days, he made poor Gyani cook enormous meals. Hansi ate every mouthful, but her twig finger never got any fatter.
Hansi and Gyani’s plan was working… but the warlock was growing impatient.
“Plump or skinny I’m eating your sister tomorrow,” he announced one evening.
“No!” cried Gyani.
Gyani lay awake all night. “I won’t let that horrible warlock near my sister,” he thought.
“Gyani,” the warlock shouted at dawn “Get inside the oven and check how warm it is.”
‘No,” Gyani replied.
“What?” cried the warlock.
“I… um… can’t fit in there.”
“Of course you can, you silly little brat.”
“No really. I think my head’s too big.” Gyani replied again.
By now, the warlock was very annoyed. “My oven is huge,” he said. “Look even I can fit inside.” And with a puff and a pant, he clambered in. “Easy!” he replied.
Quick as a flesh, Gyani slammed the oven doors shut.
As the wicked warlock frazzled in his own oven, his spell on the shed was broken.
“Gyani!” called Hansi, running into the house. “You’ve saved me.”
“And I’ve cooked a warlock!” cried Gyani.
Safe at last, Hansi and Gyani searched the warlock’s house for goodies. They took some jewels and a basket of snacks, then set off into the trees.
Taking pity on Hansi and Gyani, the birds showed them the way home.
The woodcutter was overjoyed to see them. As for their stepfather — he wasn’t there.
“He left me to live in a new brick house.” announced the woodcutter.
“Look, Mom,” said Gyani, showing her the jewels. “You don’t need to worry now. We can have a feast every night.”
“And a new toffee doorknocker each day,” added Hansi.
— The End —
