A Tale Dark and Grimm

Adam Gidwitz

A Tale Dark and Grimm

Adam Gidwitz
44 pages1-hour read
Fiction
Novel
Middle Grade
Published in 2010

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Hansel is a young prince with black curly hair and charcoal eyes. He is the twin brother of Gretel. He possesses an impulsive nature that sometimes brings him trouble. Following a traumatic incident at home, he sets out into the world to seek a better life. He cares deeply for his sister and demonstrates quick thinking when pressed by dangerous adversaries.

Key Relationships

Twin Sister of Gretel

Son of The King of Grimm

Son of The Queen of Grimm

Protected by Johannes

Captured by The Baker Woman

Adoptive Son of The Father

Ward of The Lord

Indebted to The Devil

Gretel is a young princess with hair like spun gold and eyes the color of the sea. She is the more analytical and cunning of the royal twins. When she and Hansel flee their home to escape danger, she relies on her resourcefulness to survive a world filled with dark magic. She is fiercely loyal to her brother and approaches challenges with careful planning.

Key Relationships

Twin Brother of Hansel

Daughter of The King of Grimm

Daughter of The Queen of Grimm

Protected by Johannes

Captured by The Baker Woman

Romantic Interest of The Handsome Young Man

Aided by The Stars

Guided by The Ravens

Johannes is an old, hunched servant who has faithfully served the kings of Grimm for generations. He acts as the royal family's most trusted advisor. His profound loyalty drives him to protect the new king at all costs, even when doing so requires breaking rules or keeping secrets. He carries immense guilt and responsibility for the consequences of his protective actions.

Key Relationships

Advisor to The King of Grimm

Servant of The Old King of Grimm

Protector of The Queen of Grimm

Guardian of Hansel

Guardian of Gretel

Intercepts Prophecies from The Ravens

Travels with The Ferryman

The King of Grimm is the ruler of the kingdom and the father of Hansel and Gretel. As a young man, he becomes infatuated with the Golden Princess and uses deception to make her his bride. He struggles with the burdens of leadership, loyalty, and guilt. His intense emotions lead him to make desperate choices regarding his own family.

Key Relationships

Husband of The Queen of Grimm

Father of Hansel

Father of Gretel

Son of The Old King of Grimm

Master of Johannes

Subject of Prophecy by The Ravens

The Queen of Grimm, originally known as the Golden Princess, is a beautiful royal with a penchant for fine gold. After being courted by the King disguised as a merchant, she agrees to marry him and eventually becomes the mother of twins. She loves her family but faces impossibly difficult positions caused by the curses and heavy consequences surrounding the Grimm throne.

Key Relationships

Wife of The King of Grimm

Mother of Hansel

Mother of Gretel

Protected by Johannes

Daughter-in-Law of The Old King of Grimm

Subject of Prophecy by The Ravens

Supporting Characters

The Ravens are three talking birds who act as observers and messengers in the world of Grimm. They possess deep knowledge of the future, curses, and hidden truths. They frequently appear at critical moments to deliver crucial information. They often bicker among themselves while providing guidance to those who know how to listen.

Key Relationships

Prophesies for Johannes

Guide to Gretel

Prophesies for The King of Grimm

Prophesies for The Queen of Grimm

The Baker Woman is an old woman who lives in a house constructed entirely out of sweets. She offers shelter and seemingly boundless amounts of food to starving children who wander into the forest. She hides a predatory motive beneath her welcoming demeanor. She aims to fatten up her guests.

Key Relationships

Captor of Hansel

Captor of Gretel

The Father is a villager who lives with his wife and their seven sons. He is a well-meaning but easily frustrated man who eagerly adopts Hansel and Gretel when they wander into his village. A moment of anger leads him to accidentally curse his own sons. He causes a tragedy he tries to keep secret from his newly adopted children.

Key Relationships

Husband of The Mother

Father of The Seven Swallows

Adoptive Father of Hansel

Adoptive Father of Gretel

The Mother is a villager struggling to raise her seven unruly boys. She is devastated when her sons vanish but agrees to keep the circumstances of their disappearance a secret. She tries to offer a normal home to her newly adopted children despite her deep grief.

Key Relationships

Wife of The Father

Mother of The Seven Swallows

Adoptive Mother of Hansel

Adoptive Mother of Gretel

The Seven Swallows are seven brothers accidentally cursed by their frustrated father to live as birds. They are trapped far from home in the Crystal Mountain. They wait for someone to show enough courage and make enough sacrifices to rescue them from their avian forms.

Key Relationships

Sons of The Father

Sons of The Mother

Adoptive Brothers of Hansel

Adoptive Brothers of Gretel

The Handsome Young Man is a charming villager with blood-red lips, glittering eyes, and a magical piece of twine that fixes broken things. He easily wins the affection of the village children and catches Gretel's attention with his playful demeanor. He invites her to visit his rotting house deep in the Wood of Darkness.

Key Relationships

Romantic Interest of Gretel

The Lord is a wealthy nobleman who provides Hansel with shelter after finding him in the forest. He suffers from a severe gambling addiction that compromises his judgment. In a desperate attempt to hide his losses from his wife, he makes a foolish wager with the devil.

Key Relationships

Guardian of Hansel

Opponent of The Devil

The Devil is a powerful, malevolent entity who makes wagers for human souls and spreads curses across the land. He rules over Hell, torturing sinners in pits of fire while guarding his three magical golden hairs. He lives with his grandmother, whose comforting presence provides a rare domestic vulnerability in his household.

Key Relationships

Grandson of The Devil's Grandmother

Opponent of The Lord

Enemy of Hansel

Torturer of The Ferryman

The Devil's Grandmother lives in Hell with her grandson. She curls up on the rug to stroke his hair while he sleeps. She provides him with comfort. Her presence reveals a mundane, domestic side to the ruler of the underworld.

Key Relationships

Grandmother of The Devil

Impersonated by Hansel

The Ferryman is a cursed individual forced to constantly row a boat back and forth across the river near Hell. He does not know why he is trapped or how to escape his grueling task. He relies on travelers to seek out the answer for him.

Key Relationships

Ferries Hansel

Ferries Johannes

Cursed by The Devil

The Talking Tree presides over the vibrant Lebenwald, or Forest of Life. It welcomes weary travelers into the woods but strictly warns them to take only what they need to survive. It upholds the balance of nature and punishes those who give in to greed.

Key Relationships

Host to Hansel

Host to Gretel

The Old King of Grimm is the grandfather of Hansel and Gretel. On his deathbed, he extracts a promise from his faithful servant, Johannes. He orders the servant to protect the new king and hide the portrait of the cursed Golden Princess.

Key Relationships

Father of The King of Grimm

Master of Johannes

The Stars are celestial entities that possess magic and a helpful nature. Unlike the cruel sun and the creepy moon, the stars offer Gretel comfort and practical assistance. They give her a magical chicken bone to help rescue the cursed swallows.

Key Relationships

Benefactor of Gretel

Benefactor of Hansel