Clever Gretel facts for kids
Clever Gretel (German: Das kluge Gretel) is a German fairy tale. It was collected by the famous Brothers Grimm. This story is part of their well-known collection, Grimms' Fairy Tales, and is listed as KHM 195. It's known as an Aarne-Thompson type 1741 tale, which means it's about clever wives or maids who use tricks. The story first appeared in the second edition of Grimms' Fairy Tales in 1819.
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The Story of Clever Gretel
This tale is about a cook named Gretel. She loved her red-heeled shoes with red bows. When she wore them, she would admire herself. She would say, "You are truly a beautiful girl, Gretel!" This made her very happy.
After admiring herself, she would return to her master's house. She would often have a small drink of wine. This made her hungry. So, she would taste the food she was cooking for dinner. She would keep tasting until she was no longer hungry. She always told herself, "The cook must know how the food tastes."
A Special Dinner Guest
One day, her master told her, "Gretel, a guest is coming for dinner tonight. Please cook two chickens as perfectly as you can."
Gretel replied, "Yes, sir." She took two chickens and prepared them. She roasted them very carefully. The chickens were cooked perfectly. But the master's guest had not yet arrived.
Gretel called out to her master. "Sir," she said, "the chickens are ready. They are perfect now. But if we don't eat them soon, they will spoil."
Her master agreed. "You are right," he said. "They must not spoil. I will go and get my guest myself right away." He then rushed out of the house.
Gretel's Clever Plan
As soon as her master left, Gretel put the chickens aside. She thought, "All this cooking has made me hot and thirsty. Who knows how long they will be? While I wait, I'll go to the cellar for a little drink."
She went down to the cellar. She lifted the jug of wine and took a big drink. She said to herself, "God bless you, Gretel." Then she thought, "The wine shouldn't be separated." So, she took another large drink.
Going back upstairs, she put the chickens back in the oven. She brushed them with butter. The smell of the roasted chickens was wonderful. Gretel said to herself, "They smell good, but they might not be cooked through. I should taste them."
She pinched a piece of one chicken with her fingers. She licked her fingers. "My," she said, "that chicken is perfect!" She decided to check the other one too. She did the same thing.
Gretel then thought, "These chickens are perfect now. But if they aren't eaten soon, they will spoil." She ran to the window to look for her master and his guest. But they were nowhere to be seen.
Eating the Chickens
Gretel turned back to the chickens. She said, "That wing looks like it might burn. I should eat it." She cut off a wing and ate it. It was delicious. Then she said, "I should eat the other wing too. Otherwise, my master will notice something is missing." So, she ate the second wing. It was just as tasty.
Gretel ran to the window again. She looked for her master and his guest. Still, they were not there. She then thought, "Maybe they are not coming? Perhaps they found somewhere else to eat?"
She continued, "Well, I've already started this one. I might as well finish it. It's wrong to refuse God's gift." With that, she finished the first chicken. She drank more wine with it.
Then Gretel looked at the second chicken. She said to herself, "The two should not be separated. Where one has gone, the other must follow." And so, she ate the second chicken. She drank more wine, just as before.
The Master and Guest Arrive
Just as Gretel finished her meal, she heard her master's voice. He called, "Hurry, Gretel! My guest is right behind me!"
Gretel quickly wiped her mouth. She called back, "Yes, sir. The chickens are ready."
Her master went into the kitchen. He picked up a large carving knife. He took it to the hallway and began to sharpen it. He wanted it ready to carve the chickens.
The guest arrived and knocked on the door. Gretel quickly opened it. She put a finger to her mouth. She whispered to the master's guest, "Shh! Shh! You must run away from here right now!"
She continued, "My master tricked you into coming here for dinner. He really wants to cut off your ears! Look, there he is, sharpening the knife to get it ready."
The guest looked past Gretel into the hallway. He saw her master sharpening the knife. He turned and ran down the street as fast as he could.
Gretel's Final Trick
Then Gretel ran to her master. She cried, "What kind of friends do you invite as guests? He grabbed both chickens from the plate just as I was about to serve them! He ran off with them!"
"Well," said her master, "that's not good! I am very hungry. He could have left me just one!"
With that, he ran into the street after his guest. He waved the carving knife. He called out, "Just one! Just one! Let me have just one!"
But the guest thought the master wanted to cut off one of his ears. So, he ran as if the ground beneath his feet was on fire.
