4212 Magical Woods Fairy Tale Set

[Timotheos]

Hansel and Gretel is of course Hansel and Gretel.  Though the box cover calls them "Lost Children", in the accompanying storybook, the German translation refers to them by name.  All the other languages (English, French, Spanish, Danish, Greek) refer to them as "children."  I bet this is because the translator wasn't certain what the local equivalents of the names were. 

I had a lot more fun with the Snow White set.  Hansel and Gretel, by comparison, seems a little bare bones.  A few big accessories are not critical to the story (like a huge shrub with mushrooms and a bag of fancy rocks).  Whereas the oven, which the witch gets shoved into, is not included as an accessory.  Also, though the witch's house is described as having a lot of bread and confections, only a tray of cookies and a single bread piece is provided.  Firewood for the woodcutter might have been an alternatively nice addition.

On the positive, the cage that held Hansel and the stick he used to trick the witch is included. 

The klickies are not bad and are re-usable.  I would rather the witch not had the candy painted on her chest, for re-usability.

I didn't feel this set was as versatile as Snow White regarding play options.  But, I guess you'd really have to ask a kid about that.

-Tim

[Timotheos]

And here is the grand finale, when Hansel and Gretel steal the old witch's treasure chest and return home, filthy rich. 

The moral appears to be:
"The odds are that if you leave your kids home alone while you go off to work, they'll end up kidnapped by some looney.  But, maybe you'll get lucky and they'll come back filthy rich if they manage to kill the nut and loot his/her house.

[playmofire]

Thanks for a useful and interesting review, Timotheos.  The oven may be excluded as an accessory in the light of Playmobil's views on extreme violence (although there is still, of course, the picture of the oven there which can serve more or less the same purpose).  Maybe, more importantly, the oven is omitted because of the use of ovens in the concentration camps in the second world war.

[Timotheos]

Thanks for a useful and interesting review, Timotheos.  The oven may be excluded as an accessory in the light of Playmobil's views on extreme violence (although there is still, of course, the picture of the oven there which can serve more or less the same purpose).  Maybe, more importantly, the oven is omitted because of the use of ovens in the concentration camps in the second world war.

Hi Playmofire, that's an interesting idea.  I'm hoping, though, that Playmobil didn't make that sort of political association with the toy! 

I was thinking more along the lines of the stove that comes with the marchenschloss kitchen.    And, the PM storybook explains Gretel shoved the witch into the oven (a bread-baking oven or a small kiln), so it probably wasn't a contentious issue.

My guess is whatever equation PM uses to calculate the cost of the sets choked out after they threw in that crazy bush and the bag of rocks. 

-Tim

[playmofire]

Hi Playmofire, that's an interesting idea.  I'm hoping, though, that Playmobil didn't make that sort of political association with the toy! 
-Tim

I'm sure they didn't, but may have been concerned that others might. 

[Timotheos]

I'm sure they didn't, but may have been concerned that others might. 

But the "ovens" of WWII weren't baking ovens but massive crematoriums.  If PM must guard against associations like this, its kreuzenritter is extremely dangerous because the Nazis used Teutonic knights in their propaganda.

-Tim

[playmofire]

I think we're going down a cul-de-sac here.  I offered two possible reasons why there was no oven included, that's all.  I remember that after the twin towers attack there was some critical reporting on one TV channel when the Playmobil hazmat team, 3180, was introduced shortly after, the implication being that PM were cashing in on what had happened.  As at least probably a couple of years elapse between the planning starting for a new item and its introduction this was obviously ridiculous.

[Timotheos]

I apologize and shouldn't have directed your valid comments into a debate.   

I should have presumed Playmobil operates under different rules than mine.
=================
Example:
I just re-read the Playmobil Hansel and Gretel storybook.

In the original Grimm tale, there isn't enough food, and the step-mother pressures her husband into abandoning the kids in the forest.

But, the Playmobil story says the kids followed their parents to the forest everyday and one day Hansel forgot his pebbles, used breadcrumbs instead, and got lost.

Playmobil indeed has Gretel kill the witch, like in the Grimm tale, but on the return home, the mother is absent in the picture and only the father is mentioned in the text.  In the Grimm tale, the mother has died; but Playmobil doesn't explain where she went.  I confirmed (as best as I could) that the German translation isn't more detailed (the German version does refer to the kids as Hansel and Gretel, unlike English and French).

I'm a little disappointed Playmobil censored the story so much.  Grimm toned it down the first time for an 1850s audience.  Are we, in the 21st century, even more prudish than in the 19th century?

For that reason, it's hard for me to not dismiss the storybooks as a little sappy. 
-Tim

[playmofire]

I apologize and shouldn't have directed your valid comments into a debate.   
 
-Tim

No problem, apology accepted.

[Richard]

Hello, Gordon and Timmy ...

I apologize and shouldn't have directed your valid comments into a debate.   

No problem, apology accepted.

It's so nice to see you both acting like a couple of real gentlemen! Very polite, gracious and considerate of each others feelings!

The two of you make my job as moderator extremely easy. Thank you!

I'm a little disappointed Playmobil censored the story so much.  Grimm toned it down the first time for an 1850s audience.  Are we, in the 21st century, even more prudish than in the 19th century?

For that reason, it's hard for me to not dismiss the storybooks as a little sappy. 
-Tim

However, why does Playmobil have to be so politically correct? Is it only because they are a German company? If our little Klickys had originated in some other country, would we have some different themes?

Hmmm ... Different themes without any fear of having to be politically correct?! Now that would open up some interesting possibilities. But, do we even dare discuss (here at Playmofriends) what those themes might be?

Be careful! Pandora's box might be filled with a giant "can of worms" ... 

All the best,
Richard (feeling a bit mischievous) ...