Summary
The Gingerbread House
Robert Coover
Character
Father : poor old man
Boy : his son
Girl : his daughter
Witch : frighten the children at last
Note : Starting with walking in the jungle and ending also at the jungle (real) with dangerous sound of witch.
Theme : Poverty compels the man to be cruel.
Summary
It is evening. The old man leads two children to the forest. They look poor. The boy is very clever. While walking along the road with his father and sister, the boy keeps on dropping bread crumbs on the way. The girl is carrying a basket of flower. She is singing nursery songs. The man looks sad because he is going to leave the children in the jungle. In the jungle, they meet a witch, who catches a white dove and tears its heart out. They are walking; the boy turns back and sees the white birds eating all his breadcrumbs. He becomes worried because his plan has failed. They reach a jungle, spend the night there. Next day the old man returns silently but the children see and follow him. So the old man pushes the girl and slaps the boy. The children begin to weep. The old man returns home leaving the children to the jungle. The children afraid but later they face the situation courageously. The children come to the gingerbread house. The boy climbs up the chocolate roof. They fall onto the garden of sweets. They lick each other. The door of the house is heart-shaped and red. They enjoy eating the house. At the same time, the witch comes and frightens them with a terrible sound.
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