In the middle of a beautiful, graceful forest, there lived a loving family. Lisette and Gabriel, who were happily married, had two children called Hansel and Gretel. They lived in small, peaceful cottage by the river.

One day a warty, old witch who had shape-shifted into a magpie, was gazing through the cottage window. The next morning, LIsette took the children down to the river. Then the horrible witch hid behind a huge, overgrown tree. Suddenly, she turned Lisette into a weeping willow tree and then she jumped into the river and pretended that Lisette had drowed.