"
Hansel and Gretel" (also known as
Hansel and Grettel, Hansel and Grethel, or
Little Brother and Little Sister) ( or and ; ) is a well-known
fairy tale of
German origin, recorded by the
Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister kidnapped by a
cannibalistic witch living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and confectionery. The two children save their lives by outwitting her. The tale has been adapted to various media, most notably the opera
Hänsel und Gretel (1893) by
Engelbert Humperdinck and a stop-motion animated feature film made in the 1950s based on the opera. Under the
Aarne–Thompson classification system, "Hansel and Gretel" is classified under Class 327.