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Dear Reader,I warn you. Do not be deceived. Old fairytale fables should not be believed. To trust all the tales you have read is unwise.The truth that I share will completely surprise.—Katie Pye

Remember a father whose table was bare?The land was in famine, with no food to spare. It’s told his two children were led off one day and left in a wood when they started to play. Perhaps you’ve been told of a witch in that wood? Well that part is true, but the rest is falsehood.

Katie Pye Anastasia Belik

While Hansel and Gretel looked nearly the same, reluctantly sharing a room and last name, the brother and sister would not get along.They’d always be hasty to nd something wrong.

A look, or a word, or just standing too near.A touch of a toy, or a tease, or a jeer,then Hansel and Gretel would argue and ght, and neither would stop, both protesting, “I’m right!”

One day, as an angry yell cut through the air,their frustrated father called out to the pair, “You don’t pick your battles! You argue and ght!Enough! Go outside ‘til you both can act right!”

“It’s your fault!” said Gretel, her nose in the air. “Is not!” replied Hansel. He pulled Gretel’s hair.And neither would stop, though they both knew they should.They kept ghting on and plunged deep in the wood.

Asleep in her house, feeling very unwell,a feverish witch was disturbed by each yell. The ghting drew nearer. She stirred in her bed, and reached, in her sleep, for her wand. . .VA WHOOOSHHH...

The children smelt ginger and stopped in surprise.They raced to the house with exuberant cries.The witch snored away, unaware of her spell,but woke and went out when she heard a shrill yell.

The children, still ghting, did not see her there. The children, still ghting, did not see her stare.But when the witch spoke, they both froze in their fright. “My word, what’s the cause of this terrible ght?”

The witch, quite confused, as a fever can do,mistook Gretel, then, for a child she once knew.“Rapunzel?” she gasped, “you’ve come back here to stay?Well, let’s make this pestering boy go away!”VA WHOOOSHHH...

The ground gave a shake; Hansel dove to one side. A huge wall burst up with poor Gretel inside.The witch smiled, “That’s better! We’ll keep him out there.It’s best to split up such a quarrelsome pair!”

“Now, why were you ghting?” the witch jabbered on. Poor Gretel was dumbstruck with Hansel now gone.

“No matter,” the witch swayed, “I feel so unwell.I even imagine a gingerbread smell!”

“I’m scared!” Gretel whimpered, left outside alone. She noticed a goose had been trapped inside too, “Our fight was so stupid. If only I’d known.”

“If I can’t be free, goose,then I will free you!”

Now Hansel, who’d hollered ‘til he was quite hoarse,had got himself lost in the thicket and gorse. “Oh Gretel!” he moaned, “You would know what to do! I want to help out, but I don’t have a clue!”

It gestured at Hansel ‘til he understood,and soon they were both speeding over the wood. As if in reply, the goose Gretel had freed came honking above himand landed at speed.

For hours, the feverish witch prattled on while Gretel kept fretting, “Where has Hansel gone?” As soon as the witch slept, she instantly knew. “Oh, Hansel,” she whispered, “I’m thrilled to see you! I’m locked in the house and the witch is around. We need an idea, but we can’t make a sound.”

“We love gingerbread!“I’ve got it!” grinned Hansel, And eating is quiet. Let’s eat through instead!”

They feasted ‘til Gretel had space to climb out,but with that rst step the witch woke with a shout.

“Quick, Gretel,” cried Hansel, “the gingerbread wall!” They pushed and they shoved ’til they made the house fall. The witch gave a scream, then a sob, then a groan. “Come back, dear Rapunzel! Don’t leave me alone!”

But Hansel and Gretel were safely away.They’d had quite enough of this horrible day. They ew on in silence, then spotted their shack.“We’re home,” Gretel cried, “It’s so great to be back!”

With joy in her heart, Gretel beamed, “I am free!I rescued you, goose, and then you rescued me!And Hansel, you came back! I wasn’t so sure.We fought all the time - let’s not fight anymore!”

“In fact,” Gretel smiled, “we would make a great team!”“Perhaps,” Gretel teased, “I won’t be so headstrong.” “Then I,” Hansel winked, “will stop nding what’s wrong!”“The Fix-the-Fight Team!”Hansel said with a beam.

The goose apped its wings, then it honked a goodbye. The children waved keenly, then gave a thrilled cry.

For there on the ground, glinting bright in the light,were ve golden eggs - a magnicent sight!

Months later, now better, the witch got some mail.She guessed that the children had told a tall-tale.She chuckled, then chortled, then choked on her tea.“They want to have parenting lessons. . . from me!”

Dear Granny Greta,We don’t know how you did it, but our childrenWe know many families that have childrenrun a parenting course? Warm regards,Mr and Mrs Elinpee,M.Elinpee,Former woodcutters at Kepler Forest.barely fight now. Thank you! that don’t get along. Would you be willing to

Then roaring with laughter, she gaped at her wall. “I don’t think that girl was Rapunzel. . . at all!”

Thank goodness the witchhas a sense of humour!Would you like to meet her again. The Thoughtless Thief Meet inconsiderate Jack and launch into a conversation about considering others.Ready for Rescue?Meet lazy Rapunzel and launch into a conversation about procrastination and healthy habits.

BEHIND THE SCENESWhat do you think you ght about most? Do you think there is such a thing as healthy conict or disagreements?Do you have a disagreement you would like to talk about? ACT ON IT!• You are Hansel and Gretel and need to Fix-the-Fight! Choose something funny to ght about and practice your listening and “I feel” statements.• Make a poster with your rules about how you will treat others.

HOW TO STOP A FIGHT BEFORE IT STARTS. . .MEMORY MOTTOSPeople won’t be happy with us all the time. It doesn’t feel nice, but it is part of life. Learn these memory mottos for times when someone is unhappy with you:Access more ‘Behind the Scenes’ materials free on www.headstartthinking.comI can choose how I respond to every situation I face.It is not wrong for me to ask for something I need. This uncomfortable feeling won’t last forever. Make rules for yourself about how you will treat others.Choose! Do I need to be bothered? Maybe it doesn’t matter. Expect compromise. You won’t always get your own way. Check, check, and check again! You might not understand right!Be loving. If you don’t start it, you don’t need to stop it!THINK before you act. Take space if you are getting angry.

FIX-THE-FIGHT THINKINGStop and check: Have I understood them right?Challenge yourself: Is it likely they want to hurt me? Own your part: How did I contribute to this?Think about the bigger goal: What do I want this relationship to be like?Decide: Do I need to let this upset me? See their perspective: What might they be feeling and thinking?Ask yourself: What will I gain by getting angry?Listen to your feelings:What is really going on?

THE FIX-THE-FIGHT TEAM’S RELATIONSHIP RULESWe, the Fix-the-Fight Team, agree that:SignedHansel 3 We will be kind to each other. 3 We won’t be bothered by little things. 3 We will expect to share: our toys, ideas, gingerbread, going rst, (etc). 3 We will work hard at listening and explaining ourselves well. 3 We will say ‘sorry’ when we need to. 3 We won’t call each other names or use bad or unkind words. 3 We won’t hurt each other or each other’s things. 3 We will calm ourselves down when we are angry e.g. imagining gingerbread. 3 If we can’t be nice, we will take space or ask an adult for help.For a fuller version, visit www.headstartthinking.comGretel

MORE FAIRYTALE FRAUD EXPOSEDCreate even more conversations with your children with our growing Fairytale Fraud series. Check out www.headstartthinking.com for the range of topics, as well as free resources. Create conversations about:...and many moreHealthy HabitsThe Lost Years(Sleeping Beauty)Ready for Rescue?(Rapunzel)Healthy Grief / Social MediaTrip Trap Trouble(Billy Goats Gruff)GratitudeCoping with ChangeBreaking News!(Humpty Dumpty)Learning from OthersDressed in the Best!(The Emperor’s New Clothes)

Text copyright © 2020. Katie PyeIllustrations copyright © 2020. Anastasia Belik “The author exerts their ownership of this work under the NZ Copyright Act 1994. No part of this work may be copied, published or sold without the author’s permission.”Published by HeadStart Thinking, Nelson, NZ. Kindle: 978-0-473-51642-0 | Soft cover: 978-0-473-51639-0Hard cover: 978-0-473-51640-6 | E-pub: 978-0-473-51641-3 | PDF: 978-0-473-51643-7To my brothers and sisters, with shamefaced apologies for any sibling banter. Arohanui, KatieFor my beloved sister, Marina, with whom we shared all the joys and sorrows of childhood. Love Anastasia