Another Perspective
He was sitting on the front porch. He knew that he had done something wrong. His first wife would never have permitted it. But this wife was different. She was less of a shared partnership person and more of a “This is how we are going to run the house.” And when it came to his children there was a definite dislike. As much as both children tried to get along with her, she just wouldn’t accept them.
Then hard times came, wood was scarce, and for a woodcutter that meant a great loss of income. It seemed that they would not be able to cope. Food was getting low. With four mouths to feed, he didn’t know what to do. He, foolish as he was, trusted his wife. She really didn’t care. She married him for his money, a woodcutter made a tidy sum in those days. But as times got tough, the truth should have been obvious, she only cared for herself. But love sometimes blinds you to what is right in front of your face.
When she said that the children were old enough to fend for themselves, that they should lead them into the woods and leave them there, leaving fewer people to 
support, he agreed. And off, deep into the woods, they went and there without any way for them to return they left them, while they slept.
His wife got one thing right, they were old enough to think for themselves and having overheard the plan, they prepared. Stones that were picked up off of the ground prior to the walk into woods, were taken and periodically dropped to give them a path back home when their father left behind. And it worked, much to the unhappiness of the step-mother.
He was relieved and believed it was fate that brought his children back. He would never do it again. Or so he thought. When his wife again requested, more like ordered him, to leave his children again in the woods. He agreed.
This time however luck was not with them initially; for the bread crumbs, they took to leave as a trail, were eaten by birds in the woods before they even attempted a return after their father had left them. They were truly lost.
After a time, he realized he had made a mistake. He saw his wife for who she was and chose to have her leave, never to return. What happened to her is not known. And though he looked and looked for his children, he was unable to find them.
So there he sat on his front porch ruing the decisions he made and wishing hard that his children would come home again safe, so he could make amends.
He heard the noise of footsteps coming from the woods. As he looked up, he began to cry tears of joy for there coming towards him were his children Hansel and Gretel. His wish had been granted, they had returned. But I’m guessing you all know that part of the story.
