This scene has unfolded hundreds of thousands of times over the millennia. One of our most famous fairy tales, Hansel and Gretel first published in 1812, tells a similar tale.

There is a great famine in the country and the woodcutter's family is starving. His wife suggests to take their kids (they are his and his late first wife's children) into the woods, so they would have two hungry mouths less to feed.

After some hesitation he agrees and they leave kids in the wood. Hansel and Gretel heard about the plan and return home thanks to the stones Hansel was using to mark the path. But at the next attempt, Hansel can't load his pocket with stones because the doors were locked. Instead of stones he used bread crumbs, but they are eaten by the birds, so the woodcutter and his wife succeeded and children were lost in the woods.

They find a mysterious hut made of sweets. There is a witch living inside. She is a cannibal and intends to eat them.

But they are too lean, so she decides to feed Hansel first, using Gretel as a slave and for some time children manage to postpone their tragic end.

History is our context.