Once upon a time, there was a poor woodcutter who lived in a small village. He had a wife and two children, Hansel and Gretel. The family struggled to make ends meet, and often went hungry.

One day, the woodcutter's wife came up with a plan to abandon the children in the forest, as they could no longer afford to feed them. The woodcutter was hesitant, but eventually agreed to the plan.

The next day, as they walked through the forest, Hansel overheard their parents' plan and dropped pebbles along the way to mark their path. When they were abandoned, the children followed the pebbles back home.

The woodcutter's wife was furious that the children had returned, so she convinced her husband to abandon them again, this time deeper in the forest. Hansel tried to drop breadcrumbs along the way, but they were eaten by birds.

Lost and hungry, the children stumbled upon a house made of gingerbread and candy. They began to eat the house, but were caught by the owner, a wicked witch who planned to eat them. However, Gretel outsmarted the witch and pushed her into the oven, saving herself and her brother.

The children found their way back home, where they were welcomed by their father. Their stepmother had died, and the family lived happily ever after. ( Truyên Hasel and Gretel , truyện cổ tích aseop )