HANSEL AND GRETEL

ACT I
At Home
Hansel is making a broom and Gretel is darning socks but Hansel complains of his hunger. Gretel shows him some milk that a neighbor has given them to make a rice pudding. Cheered, Hansel decides he doesn’t want to work any more and the two begin to dance 
(Brüderchen, komm tanz’ mit mir / Brother come and dance with me). Their mother, Gertrude, enters and is angry to find them idle. In her anger, she knocks over the jug of milk. A desperate Gertrude, knowing that there will be no supper for her family, sends the children out to pick strawberries in the forest.

An off-stage song announces the return of her husband Peter (Rallala, rallala). He has been celebrating his success selling his brooms at the village market and has brought food home. When he asks about the children, Gertrude tells him about the broken milk jug and the two laugh. When he asks where they are, she tells him that she has sent them to the Ilsenstein Forest. Peter tells her about the wicked witch who lives there, using sweetmeats to lure children to her lair, where she bakes them in her oven. Horrified, they rush out in search of their children.

ACT II
In the Forest
An orchestral prelude depicts the Witch's Ride. As Hansel searches for strawberries, Gretel weaves a garland of flowers. Hansel crowns his sister with the garland, calling her "Queen of the Forest," as night falls. The pair soon realize that they have eaten all the strawberries and lost their way. The Sandman comes, throwing magic dust as they sing their evening prayer (Abends will ich schlafen gehen / When at night I go to sleep). They fall asleep and have a magical dream.

INTERMISSION

ACT III
At the little gingerbread house
The Dewman awakens the children and they notice a little house made of sweets, encircled with a fence of gingerbread children. Hungry, they begin to nibble on the house, but as they do they hear a voice within (Knusper, knusper, knaüschen/Crunchy, crunchy, mousey). The Witch appears and casts a spell on the unsuspecting Hansel and leads him in a cage.

In order to fatten Hansel up for her recipe, the Witch prepares more food for him. Meanwhile Gretel obtains her magic wand, frees Hansel from his cage, and the two children push the Witch into the oven (Juchei! Nun ist die Hexe tot/Hurrah! Farewell you wicked witch). This breaks the spell which had imprisoned the gingerbread children and they come to life. Peter and Gertrude, searching for Hansel and Gretel enter (Rallala, rallala). As the oven explodes, the Witch, now a giant cookie is extracted and all cheer.