yeah hansel n gretel lived with their olde man

in a deep forest  in the cartoon woods

in the dark canopied jungle in europa

twins they were of course

hansel 2 minutes older than gretel

oh their poor mother expired in the moment of their birth

no medieval quackery could revive the poor tired thing

what year was this, kilbey?

oh i dont fucking know, kilbey…once upon a long long time ago

it was like didnt i say medieval…..?

yeah and their father he eventually got married again to this women

a real bloody bitch a right nasty piece of work

i dont like your kids she said the 1st time she met them

get rid of em….!

the father was a kinda weak character

we dunno much about this geezer

he was a wood cutter

i mean that wasnt easy work

dont spose he earnt that much dough either

i guess he cut up wood for other peoples fires

thats tiring thats a real slog

i guess hes raised these kids on his own

he met this woman n he thought things’d get easier

and its the middle ages for heavens sake

times were harder days were shorter life was cruel

so one day father leads hansel n gretel into the most lonely place

the black forests heart of darkness

did they even ask any questions as they entered the gloom of afternoon

beneath a cathedral of oaks and pine the sun blotted out far above

and curious eyes stare out from between the trees

did gretel say father where are we going ?

did the boy reach out to calm his twin by taking her hand

did the father look back in sorrow at the children in shadow

as the summer turned cold on their skin

as the inevitable black birds caw unseen

and the red spotted toadstools grow in little patches at the feet of the trees

father say stop here for a while i’ll be back soon

and the children sit there listening to his footsteps die away

the evil wife sits at home with her glittering black eyes

an awful smirk on her face as she looks in her mirror

and she places the girls little wooden doll on the fire

and the boys rough wooden sword goes up in smoke

and finally the father returns

shes naked waiting for him

but he turns away in disgust on the bed and cannot touch her

and that cottage is horribly silent there in that time n place

while the children out there with the wolves and the weasels

the poisonous plants the snakes and the vines

i mean theyre tough kids

they just never been in this part of the forest before

the paths interleaved between the trunks like a maze

returning nowhere fast just leading you on n on

into the interior of more n more trees

the boy  does what he can for his sister

remains calm n strong for her

even though he wants to give in to despair himself i guess

even tho the falling night

even tho the sounds he doesnt recognise

even tho nothing to eat or drink

even tho he knows father not coming back now

he puts his arm round her in the gathering dark

and sings softly some little song into her ear