When I read Hansel and Gretel a long forgotten story popped into my mind. When I was seven or eight years of age all my friends were very excited. A snow storm had covered the ground and we made plans to take our sleds and go belly whooping down a long hill. Saturday morning arrived and I called for another friend to join us. She had a mean stepmother who had the facial features of the wicked old witch in the Wizard of Oz. She stepped in front of her skinny frightened stepdaughter and announced, pointing her long skinny finger in her face, “You have to clean the house."
It almost sounded as if she said, "I'll get you my pretty", the very words spoken in the Wizard of Oz. She turned to me and again pointed her long finger as she told me I could return at 2:00 p.m., and if the house was spotless she would permit my friend to go.
I went off with my other friends. We dragged our sleds up the long hill and laughed as we rode them down. Again and again, we went up and down that hill. We had a wonderful time and went home at lunchtime. The girls planned to spend the afternoon in a warm house playing Monopoly. I realized if I didn't call for my friend at 2pm she would have no one to go sledding with. I was sure her wicked stepmother would take delight in ruining her stepdaughter's day.
I arrived at 2:00 p.m. as ordered and we went sledding. We pulled our sleds up the hill and laughed as we rode down – again and again. My friend thanked me for coming back so she could have a wonderful time. I returned home exhausted and very cold. I fell asleep as dinner was being served. The next day I was elated. I felt I had defeated the wicked old witch.
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