Hansel and Gretel: The Untold Story is a poem telling an alternate version of the fairy tale. Two vegetarian children, Hansel and Gretel, get lost in the woods while playing. They come upon a house made entirely of sweets like candy, cake, and soda. The children gorge themselves on the treats until they feel sick. The owner of the house, an old woman, scolds them for overindulging and fixes them a healthy meal. She teaches them that everything is best consumed in moderation.

1. Hansel and Gretel: The
Untold Story
By: Katherine Nussbaum and Katharine Nye
Technology in the Lives of Children and Youth
FALL 2011

2. Once upon a time (no need to be witty)
There lived a family in the City
Mother, father, son, and daughter
Vegetarian was the in thing-they caused no slaughter
Vegetarian was the brood
And in addition ate no junk food
No cookies, candy, pies, or cake
No soda pop their thirst to take
And thus they lived as kith and kin
(No matter that too much carrot juice gave them slightly orange skin)

3. Everything was hunky dory
But listen, thus begins the story
Cuz one fine day the kids did play
A game that led them far away
From home and into the deep, dark wood
"Uh oh" they thought, "this isn't good."
Lost indeed, the two kids were in it thick
And running low on carrot stick
Their bellies grumbled
As through the forest they stumbled
"We're hungry!" they cried to no avail
Until, lo! A little further up the trail
They spied a light shining through the trees
"Perhaps we'll find some tasty peas."

4. Around the bend they turned and "Gasp!"
Before them stood a house at last!
Was this an ordinary house they’d found?
Hark! Inside was candy by the pound
Window panes of sugar spun
And doorknobs shaped out of chewing gum
The roof was slated peanut brittle
The walls were cake! The chimney Skittles!
And in the yard, as if a mountain
Stood a sparkling, shining soda fountain

5. Without thinking twice, without any pomp
They ran forward and began to chomp
On gumdrop bushes, left and right
Guzzling all within their sight
They stuffed themselves with cake and candy
Til brother groaned, "I don't feel dandy"
"Sister dear, perhaps we should have stuck to Wheaties
I rather feel the onset of diabetes."

6. At this moment, and without malice
Emerged the owner of this candy palace
A little old woman, who loved to juggle and bake her days away
Her hair was definitely more orange than gray
"Children! What in the heck are you doing?
"You'll bring your digestion to a state of ruin!"
"We're sorry," the children cried
"We've just never seen so much pie
Nor candy nor cake nor candy canes
Is it any wonder we went a tad insane?"

7. "Well come inside" the woman said
and I'll fix you up with spinach bread."
And so she served them a balanced meal
Of greens and grains and milk until
Their little tummies felt so much better
And then and only then the woman set her
table with one small slice each
of scrumptious pie made of peach.

8. "The moral of the story, dearies
for your consideration,
is not to overdo it much:
Everything in moderation."