The Brothers Grimm penned the tale of Hansel and Gretel based on various stories rooted in the Great Famine of 1314 to 1322. During this period, climate change led to massive crop failures and starvation around the globe. Hansel and Gretel's story reflects themes of child abandonment, starvation, and survival.

One version of the story written by the Brothers Grimm is linked below. This version, though written for children at the time, reflects cultural standards that would likely be a bit much for younger audiences today. In this story, the stepmother suggests that the parents abandon the children so that they have a better chance of saving their own lives. The house in this story is made of bread and topped with cake, and the witch fattens up Hansel so that he will make a tasty meal. To escape, Gretel pushes the witch into the flames of the oven.

There are other versions of this tale which are meant for younger audiences of today. One of these is linked below. In this version, the stepmother's temperament is much more serene, and the witch's house is made of candy. The story is vague about why it's important for Hansel to get fatter and is almost humorous in its attempts to make the witch seem flaky. To escape, the children shove the witch into a cage.