"Hansel and Gretel" is a well-known fairy tale of German origin, recorded by the Brothers Grimm.
In this favorite Grimm Brothers tale, an evil stepmother sends Hansel and Gretel into the woods, but birds eat the crumb trail they drop along the trail to find their way back. Lost and hungry, they find a tempting house made of gingerbread...but can they trust the old woman inside?
Hansel and Gretel are both smart, plucky, and resourceful children. They are both proactive characters whose cleverness drive the story and are the villain's ultimate undoing (Hansel's ingenuity and Gretel's trickery).