The Old Woman in the Wood
The Old Woman in the Wood — an illustrated tales story. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Tales.
Page 1
In a forest unlike any other, where squirrels wore spectacles and rabbits penned poetry, lived three souls bound by destiny: Gretel, the lost girl; Agnes, the old woman of the woods; and the forest itself, a character of ancient secrets. Gretel, lost to the woods, stumbled toward Agnes's cottage, unaware of the bargains the forest demanded. The forest whispered promises of warmth and shelter, but every kindness had a price.
Page 2
Gretel shivered as she walked, the forest growing darker with each step. She remembered her grandmother's words, 'Never trust a deal struck in the dark.' Yet, desperation gnawed at her, pulling her toward the faint light flickering through the trees. Agnes's cottage offered a warmth that Gretel hadn't felt since losing her way. She approached tentatively, the scent of baking bread filling the air.
Page 3
A gruff voice startled her, 'Lost, are you, child?' A badger, perched on a toadstool, adjusted his spectacles, a miniature book open in his paws. 'The Old Woman doesn't take kindly to wanderers,' he warned, his voice low. 'But,' he added, peering at her over his glasses, 'I once read that 'the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,' as Lao Tzu said. Sometimes, even bad deals are worth making.'
Page 4
Agnes, a woman with eyes as deep and knowing as the forest itself, greeted Gretel with a crooked smile. 'Come in, child, you must be cold.' She offered a steaming bowl of stew, the aroma intoxicating. 'A small service in return for shelter, perhaps?' Agnes suggested, her gaze lingering on Gretel's reflection in a tarnished mirror hanging on the wall. "Just a simple task... gather me some wood."
Page 5
Gretel, desperate for warmth and safety, agreed. Agnes, while stirring a pot, said, 'Do not stray from the marked path, child. The forest takes what it is owed.' As Gretel ventured into the woods, a glint of gold caught her eye. A single, perfectly formed golden apple lay nestled amongst the roots of an ancient oak.
Page 6
The apple pulsed with an unnatural light. Gretel remembered the badger's warning about the forest taking what it was owed. 'It can't hurt to have just one,' she reasoned, succumbing to temptation. As soon as she touched the apple, the forest stilled. Every bird, every rustle, every whisper ceased.
Page 7
When Gretel returned to Agnes's cottage, she found the door ajar. 'Agnes?' she called out, her voice trembling. The cottage was empty, but on the table lay a single, withered branch. 'The forest knows your greed, child,' a voice whispered, echoing from the mirror. The mirror's surface rippled and showed the reflection of the old woman from the wood, only now her image was clear and young and beautiful.
Page 8
'You seek warmth, shelter, and safety. But the forest demands a price,' the reflection taunted. 'The price is... your memories.' Gretel clutched her head, a sharp pain searing through her mind. Images flickered: her family, her home, all fading like smoke. She realized the apple was a trap, a way for Agnes to steal her life.
Page 9
Gretel remembered the badger and the little book he held. She knew what she must do: She hurled the golden apple at the mirror. The glass shattered, the cottage filled with a blinding light, and Agnes's reflection screamed. In place of the golden apple now lay a handful of seeds.
Page 10
Gretel planted the seeds, remembering, as Helen Keller once said, 'Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.' Where the old woman's cottage once stood, now a sapling took root, a testament to the forest's balance, and to a lost girl's second chance. Gretel walked on, not back to her old life, but onward, into the unknown.
About this story
- Audience: kids (ages 6–12)
Questions and answers
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