Han ‧ sel and Gret ‧ el /ˌhæns ə l ənd ˈɡretl/ BrE AmE
the two main characters in the ↑ fairy tale Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm. Hansel and Gretel are a brother and sister who get lost in a forest. They find a house made of ↑ gingerbread , which is owned by an evil ↑ witch who likes to catch children and eat them. When the witch tries to cook Hansel, Gretel pushes her into the ↑ oven , and Hansel and Gretel escape with the witch's money and jewels.