Griselda hummed as she watered her plants. Her garden had little-known medicinal herbs, large, juicy fruits and vegetables, and a plot of grain. Having tended to her garden, she went to milk her cows and collect eggs. Her mind was on the rest of her work that day. She had to cook, brew her medicines, set her cakes and churn butter before the Sun rose high enough to light up her study table.
The cottage deep in the forest was convenient for a lot of things. The soil was fertile and her animals were happy. There were no intrusive eyes here, no ‘helpful’ advice on hiding her intelligence to win a husband and no gossip about her avoiding church. She was free to read her precious collection of books, and to interpret and contemplate religious texts. Hunters passed the cottage regularly, and they carried her medicines and funny-shaped cakes to the village. The money from this was enough for her needs.
As Griselda turned to enter her cottage, she spotted movement among the green bushes. She went closer, and saw two pale, tired children - a girl and a boy. She helped them inside. Once the children had had their fill of her cakes and milk, Griselda asked them how they ended up in the middle of the forest.
“My name is Hansel, and this is my sister Gretel.” the boy answered. “Our stepmother chased us out when our father was away, and we got lost in the forest.”
Hansel looking through her books. After a few days, Griselda noticed that H“How long have you been wandering here, child?” Griselda asked, frowning in concern.
“A week” said the girl, yawning. Her eyelids started to droop.
Griselda put them to sleep on beds of hay. “Stay and get your strength back, children.” She told them. “The next time the hunters come, they can take you back to your village.”
The next morning, Gretel awoke as Griselda was tending her herbs. She started imitating Griselda, pulling out herbs. Griselda stopped her gently “Wait, child, let me show you.” she said, and taught Gretel how to pluck the herbs carefully.
Gretel followed as Griselda cut up the herbs and started boiling water in a cauldron. “Do you want to help?” asked Griselda. The child nodded fervently. Griselda laughed, and showed her how to stoke the fire with logs. Gretel happily kept the fire stoked, watching Griselda brew and mix her concoctions.
That afternoon Griselda saw Hansel looking through her books. She went in, picked out an appropriate book and handed it to him. As his hands brushed hers, she felt how thin the child was. She patted his head and said “We'll have to fatten you up” and left the room.
The children spent their days playing in the garden, with Gretel helping Griselda, anansel was subdued, and acting nervous whenever she was around. She felt the child's forehead to check for a fever, but he flinched at her touch. That night, as she went to bed she heard the children whispering.
“Gretel, we have to get away!” Hansel's voice was frantic.
“But why? I like it here!” Gretel answered.
“If we don’t, that woman will cook and eat us!!” Hansel said, now in panic.
“Why would she? She's nice, isn't she?” Gretel wondered.
Hansel took on a storyteller's tone as he said, “Gretel, you are too young. You haven't heard the stories, Griselda's a witch” Griselda knew what was coming, but she listened to the children converse.
“A witch?”
“Yes. She cooks and eats children. That's why none of the children who go into the forest return. Did you see her feel my bones? She wants to fatten us up and eat us”
“No, she just wanted to see whether you're thin. She’s not a witch, Hansel. She doesn't ride a broomstick!!”
“All witches don’t ride broomsticks, silly! Some of them just read books with all sorts of pictures, do too many things, and don’t talk to other people. Mother has told me that. So did teacher. She’s a witch, Gretel, we have to get away.” Hansel was gripping Gretel's shoulders, shaking her.
Griselda felt a chill. She had seen women being hanged for being witches. If the children went to the village and gave their testimony, nothing could save her life. The children would not get lost again, for the hunters were very close by - the animals' nervous behaviour that day had told her that. She had to act immediately.
For a moment, she thought of killing the children, but she knew she would never go through with it. She had to leave, and make sure she wasn’t followed. She tied her books, seeds, and other important belongings into a bundle and hid it in the hollow of a tree outside. She went into the kitchen, made her salted meat into a rough form human form and threw it into the fire. Then she climbed up the tree and waited. As she hoped, the smoke woke up the children, who ran out of the cottage.
As Griselda waited, the fire flared up, consuming her cottage. The hunters came running at the sight of the fire. They gathered up the children and heard their stories, then searched the cottage and found her 'body' among the ashes. They ransacked her cottage and took her chickens and cows. Some of them picked up logs of burnt wood. Then they went into the village, shouting “The witch is dead.”
Griselda got down from the tree and made her way through the forest. She had her green thumb, her books and her knowledge. She would make a living somehow.
Note:
During the medieval period (1600 – 1800), independent and non-religious women were often accused of witchcraft. Several of these women were executed. These essays probe this in detail:
1. http://voices.yahoo.com/the-persecution-witches-its-impact-women-176318.html
2. http://www.sott.net/article/149529-Control-of-Uppity-Women-Behind-Witchcraft-Accusationshttp://www.sott.net/article/149529-Control-of-Uppity-Women-Behind-Witchcraft-Accusations
The original story of Hansel and Gretel is here: http://www.mordent.com/folktales/grimms/hng/hng.htmlhttp://www.mordent.com/folktales/grimms/hng/hng.html
The cottage deep in the forest was convenient for a lot of things. The soil was fertile and her animals were happy. There were no intrusive eyes here, no ‘helpful’ advice on hiding her intelligence to win a husband and no gossip about her avoiding church. She was free to read her precious collection of books, and to interpret and contemplate religious texts. Hunters passed the cottage regularly, and they carried her medicines and funny-shaped cakes to the village. The money from this was enough for her needs.
As Griselda turned to enter her cottage, she spotted movement among the green bushes. She went closer, and saw two pale, tired children - a girl and a boy. She helped them inside. Once the children had had their fill of her cakes and milk, Griselda asked them how they ended up in the middle of the forest.
“My name is Hansel, and this is my sister Gretel.” the boy answered. “Our stepmother chased us out when our father was away, and we got lost in the forest.”
Hansel looking through her books. After a few days, Griselda noticed that H“How long have you been wandering here, child?” Griselda asked, frowning in concern.
“A week” said the girl, yawning. Her eyelids started to droop.
Griselda put them to sleep on beds of hay. “Stay and get your strength back, children.” She told them. “The next time the hunters come, they can take you back to your village.”
The next morning, Gretel awoke as Griselda was tending her herbs. She started imitating Griselda, pulling out herbs. Griselda stopped her gently “Wait, child, let me show you.” she said, and taught Gretel how to pluck the herbs carefully.
Gretel followed as Griselda cut up the herbs and started boiling water in a cauldron. “Do you want to help?” asked Griselda. The child nodded fervently. Griselda laughed, and showed her how to stoke the fire with logs. Gretel happily kept the fire stoked, watching Griselda brew and mix her concoctions.
That afternoon Griselda saw Hansel looking through her books. She went in, picked out an appropriate book and handed it to him. As his hands brushed hers, she felt how thin the child was. She patted his head and said “We'll have to fatten you up” and left the room.
The children spent their days playing in the garden, with Gretel helping Griselda, anansel was subdued, and acting nervous whenever she was around. She felt the child's forehead to check for a fever, but he flinched at her touch. That night, as she went to bed she heard the children whispering.
“Gretel, we have to get away!” Hansel's voice was frantic.
“But why? I like it here!” Gretel answered.
“If we don’t, that woman will cook and eat us!!” Hansel said, now in panic.
“Why would she? She's nice, isn't she?” Gretel wondered.
Hansel took on a storyteller's tone as he said, “Gretel, you are too young. You haven't heard the stories, Griselda's a witch” Griselda knew what was coming, but she listened to the children converse.
“A witch?”
“Yes. She cooks and eats children. That's why none of the children who go into the forest return. Did you see her feel my bones? She wants to fatten us up and eat us”
“No, she just wanted to see whether you're thin. She’s not a witch, Hansel. She doesn't ride a broomstick!!”
“All witches don’t ride broomsticks, silly! Some of them just read books with all sorts of pictures, do too many things, and don’t talk to other people. Mother has told me that. So did teacher. She’s a witch, Gretel, we have to get away.” Hansel was gripping Gretel's shoulders, shaking her.
Griselda felt a chill. She had seen women being hanged for being witches. If the children went to the village and gave their testimony, nothing could save her life. The children would not get lost again, for the hunters were very close by - the animals' nervous behaviour that day had told her that. She had to act immediately.
For a moment, she thought of killing the children, but she knew she would never go through with it. She had to leave, and make sure she wasn’t followed. She tied her books, seeds, and other important belongings into a bundle and hid it in the hollow of a tree outside. She went into the kitchen, made her salted meat into a rough form human form and threw it into the fire. Then she climbed up the tree and waited. As she hoped, the smoke woke up the children, who ran out of the cottage.
As Griselda waited, the fire flared up, consuming her cottage. The hunters came running at the sight of the fire. They gathered up the children and heard their stories, then searched the cottage and found her 'body' among the ashes. They ransacked her cottage and took her chickens and cows. Some of them picked up logs of burnt wood. Then they went into the village, shouting “The witch is dead.”
Griselda got down from the tree and made her way through the forest. She had her green thumb, her books and her knowledge. She would make a living somehow.
Note:
During the medieval period (1600 – 1800), independent and non-religious women were often accused of witchcraft. Several of these women were executed. These essays probe this in detail:
1. http://voices.yahoo.com/the-persecution-witches-its-impact-women-176318.html
2. http://www.sott.net/article/149529-Control-of-Uppity-Women-Behind-Witchcraft-Accusationshttp://www.sott.net/article/149529-Control-of-Uppity-Women-Behind-Witchcraft-Accusations
The original story of Hansel and Gretel is here: http://www.mordent.com/folktales/grimms/hng/hng.htmlhttp://www.mordent.com/folktales/grimms/hng/hng.html
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment