Welcome to the Igelwald, a lush, enchanted forest nestled in the mountains of Germany—and the former home of the gingerbread-house-dwelling witch who caused my brother Hansel and I quite a lot of trouble once upon a time.
As you might expect, the Igelwald is thick with familiar trees: oak and elm, spruce and pine, beech and ash—to name but a handful. But growing among these are also trees unclassified by humankind, trees with slick, black bark or silver, serrated leaves. Some trees whisper as you pass. If you venture deeply enough into the landscape, you might even happen upon an astonishing grove of trees from which colorful cuckoo clocks dangle like fruit. These clocks hoot out discordant opinions of the hour, a sound which you might find jarring but will cause no lasting harm to your hearing or soul.
Sparkling brooks bubble and meander through the landscape. Their clear appearance and relaxing babbling invite closer inspection, but drinking from them ought to be avoided. There are many fairy folk about who delight in tainting the forest’s waters. A wandering human might slake their thirst for a time but end up bedeviled by a ceaseless longing to drink from the selfsame source, or they might grow a tail. Look with your eyes, not your mouth, and all will be well.
The Igelwald’s largest body of water is the Jagersee, a deep lake that covers several square miles. When Hansel and I fled the witch thirteen years ago, a large white duck ferried us across, as you might recall if you’ve read the works of the Brothers Grimm. This lake is now home to the Three Sisters of the Lake, a trio of beautiful, sharp-toothed water fairies known as nixes. The nixes enjoy luring men into the dark depths with their irresistible songs. It is believed that the men drown quite happily in the nixes’ arms, but no one has survived to validate this notion. The lake also boasts frogs, turtles, fish, ducks, and a breed of lake monster, the cullberfish, which has a predilection for the taste of human flesh. If you come upon the Jagersee, be advised to cover your ears and resist the temptation to dip a toe into it.
If you enjoy watching animals in the wild, the Igelwald will not disappoint. Badgers, wild boar, deer, squirrels, lynx, and grouse roam freely. Many types of songbirds populate the trees, and most will not swoop down to pluck the hairs from your head to weave into their nests. Of course, the most majestic resident of the Igelwald is the Great Buck, a stately deer as large as a horse and as old as the mountains. The Great Buck is known for its speed, nimble-footedness, and its hide’s imperviousness to humankind’s arrows. Should you see this animal, you may count yourself lucky indeed.
One must-see, manmade feature of the forest is the gingerbread cottage once owned by the aforementioned witch of the wood. Built of sturdy cake and biscuits, the cottage features windows made of thin panes of colored sugar that rival any church’s stained glass for beauty. A heavenly aroma of cinnamon, cloves, and honey forever drifts from the house’s deep brown walls. Do not, however, give in to the temptation to nibble a piece of this structure, as it has been known to cause permanent physical alterations in anyone who partakes. As always, it is best to bring your own healthful snacks when hiking.
Although the Igelwald offers equal parts wonderment and peril, it is a destination worth visiting—at least for the brave of heart. Who knows? You might even fall in love and never want to leave its boundaries again.
Find out more about the Igelwald (and what happened there to me, grown-up Gretel) in The Gingerbread Queen.
From the author of The Mermaid's Sister, an Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Winner for Young Adult Fiction and winner of the Realm Award for Book of the Year!
Once upon a time, Gretel defeated the witch of the gingerbread cottage and saved Hansel. Now, she must face what the witch left behind...
Germany, 1825. Thirteen years have passed since Gretel and her brother Hansel started new lives in a small town. She’s changed her name, lived quietly, and tried to forget her terrible past—yet gossiping neighbors accuse her of being the old witch’s protégé. When roguish Hansel stirs up the townsfolk’s wrath, she must return to the gingerbread cottage—a place both she and her enemies fear.
Deep within the forest, the white duck awaits Gretel’s return. He and the enchanted forest have plans to nudge her toward a dark, magical future—whether she likes it or not.
Could it be her fate to become the next cruel witch-queen to reign--and to forfeit any chance of a happily-ever-after with a kind and noble man? And what dangerous secrets does the white duck hide?
Fantasy Historical [Oliver-Heber Books, On Sale: June 11, 2024, Large Print / e-Book, / ]
Carrie Anne Noble is a former staff writer for a Pennsylvania newspaper. A member of Kingdom Writers, she also eagerly participates in National Novel Writing Month each November and meets bimonthly with other NaNoWriMo writers in her area. Besides making stuff up, she enjoys reading, sewing, cheering on fellow writers, spending time with her family, and attempting to garden.
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