The Lost Children (fairy tale) facts for kids

The Lost Children is a classic fairy tale from France. It was written down by Antoinette Bon and appeared in a collection of stories called Revue des traditions populaires.

This story is known as an Aarne-Thompson type 327A tale. This means it shares a similar plot structure with other well-known fairy tales. For example, the famous story of Hansel and Gretel is also a type 327A tale. The Lost Children also includes parts that remind people of Hop o' My Thumb, which is common in French versions of these stories.

The Story of the Lost Children

A Difficult Start for Jean and Jeanette

Once upon a time, there was a couple named Jacques and Toinon. They were very careful with their money, almost too much! Their two children, Jean, who was twelve, and his younger sister Jeanette, who was eight, often went without enough food because of this.

One day, their parents made a very sad decision. They decided to leave their children in the forest. Toinon took Jean and Jeanette deep into the woods and then left them there alone.

Lost in the Woods

The children tried hard to find their mother, but she was gone. Then, they tried to find their way out of the forest. Jean, being the older brother, climbed a tall tree to look around. From up high, he saw two houses: one was white, and the other was red.

They decided to go to the red house. When they arrived, a woman let them in. She warned them to be very quiet. She explained that her husband was a scary, powerful being, and he might want to eat them if he found them.

A Dangerous Hideout

The woman tried to hide Jean and Jeanette. But when her husband came home, he could smell them right away. He knew they were there because they were human. He was very angry with his wife for hiding them.

He decided to put Jean in the barn to make him fatter before eating him. He made Jeanette bring food to her brother every day. The scary husband was too big to fit into the barn himself. So, he ordered Jeanette to bring him the tip of Jean's finger to check how fat he was getting. Jeanette was clever and brought him a rat's tail instead!

The Escape Plan

The third time he asked, the husband realized he had been tricked. He pulled Jean out of the barn. He then set up a special stand to prepare Jean. He went for a walk, planning to return soon.

Jeanette and Jean pretended not to understand how someone was supposed to get onto the stand. The scary husband's wife, trying to show them, got onto it herself. Quick as a flash, Jean tied her up and stopped her from moving.

The children then quickly grabbed the husband's gold and silver. They jumped into his carriage and sped away!

The Chase and a Clever Trick

The scary husband soon realized what had happened and chased after them. On his way, he met different people: a worker, a shepherd, a church official, and some women washing clothes by the river. He asked each of them if they had seen the children.

At first, they misunderstood him, but then they told him they hadn't seen them. However, the women washing clothes told him that the children had crossed the river. The scary husband could not cross the river himself. One of the laundresses offered to cut her long hair so he could use it as a bridge.

When he was halfway across the river, the laundresses let go of the hair. The scary husband fell into the water and drowned. The children were finally safe! They made it home and, despite everything, they took care of their parents.