Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm Read online

  HOUSEHOLD TALES BY THE BROTHERS GRIMM

  * * *

  JACOB GRIMM

  WILHELM GRIMM

  Translated by

  MARGARET HUNT

  *

  Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm

  First published in 1812

  ISBN 978-1-62012-064-4

  Duke Classics

  © 2012 Duke Classics and its licensors. All rights reserved.

  While every effort has been used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information contained in this edition, Duke Classics does not assume liability or responsibility for any errors or omissions in this book. Duke Classics does not accept responsibility for loss suffered as a result of reliance upon the accuracy or currency of information contained in this book.

  Contents

  *

  1 - The Frog-King, or Iron Henry

  2 - Cat and Mouse in Partnership

  3 - Our Lady's Child

  4 - The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was

  5 - The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids

  6 - Faithful John

  7 - The Good Bargain

  8 - The Wonderful Musician

  9 - The Twelve Brothers

  10 - The Pack of Ragamuffins

  11 - Little Brother and Little Sister

  12 - Rapunzel

  13 - The Three Little Men in the Wood

  14 - The Three Spinners

  15 - Hansel and Grethel

  16 - The Three Snake-Leaves

  17 - The White Snake

  18 - The Straw, the Coal, and the Bean

  19 - The Fisherman and His Wife

  20 - The Valiant Little Tailor

  21 - Cinderella

  22 - The Riddle

  23 - The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage

  24 - Mother Holle

  25 - The Seven Ravens

  26 - Little Red-Cap

  27 - The Bremen Town-Musicians

  28 - The Singing Bone

  29 - The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs

  30 - The Louse and the Flea

  31 - The Girl Without Hands

  32 - Clever Hans

  33 - The Three Languages

  34 - Clever Elsie

  35 - The Tailor in Heaven

  36 - The Wishing-Table, the Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack

  37 - Thumbling

  38 - The Wedding of Mrs. Fox

  39 - The Elves

  40 - The Robber Bridegroom

  41 - Herr Korbes

  42 - The Godfather

  43 - Frau Trude

  44 - Godfather Death

  45 - Thumbling as Journeyman

  46 - Fitcher's Bird

  47 - The Juniper-Tree

  48 - Old Sultan

  49 - The Six Swans

  50 - Briar-Rose

  51 - Fundevogel (Bird-Foundling)

  52 - King Thrushbeard

  53 - Little Snow-White

  54 - The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn

  55 - Rumpelstiltskin

  56 - Sweetheart Roland

  57 - The Golden Bird

  58 - The Dog and the Sparrow

  59 - Frederick and Catherine

  60 - The Two Brothers

  61 - The Little Peasant

  62 - The Queen Bee

  63 - The Three Feathers

  64 - The Golden Goose

  65 - Allerleirauh

  66 - The Hare's Bride

  67 - The Twelve Huntsmen

  68 - The Thief and His Master

  69 - Jorinda and Joringel

  70 - The Three Sons of Fortune

  71 - How Six Men Got on in the World

  72 - The Wolf and the Man

  73 - The Wolf and the Fox

  74 - The Fox and His Cousin

  75 - The Fox and the Cat

  76 - The Pink

  77 - Clever Grethel

  78 - The Old Man and His Grandson

  79 - The Water-Nix

  80 - The Death of the Little Hen

  81 - Brother Lustig

  82 - Gambling Hansel

  83 - Hans in Luck

  84 - Hans Married

  85 - The Gold-Children

  86 - The Fox and the Geese

  87 - The Poor Man and the Rich Man

  88 - The Singing, Springing Lark

  89 - The Goose-Girl

  90 - The Young Giant

  91 - The Gnome

  92 - The King of the Golden Mountain

  93 - The Raven

  94 - The Peasant's Wise Daughter

  95 - Old Hildebrand

  96 - The Three Little Birds

  97 - The Water of Life

  98 - Doctor Knowall

  99 - The Spirit in the Bottle

  100 - The Devil's Sooty Brother

  101 - Bearskin

  102 - The Willow-Wren and the Bear

  103 - Sweet Porridge

  104 - Wise Folks

  105 - Stories About Snakes

  106 - The Poor Miller's Boy and the Cat

  107 - The Two Travellers

  108 - Hans the Hedgehog

  109 - The Shroud

  110 - The Jew Among Thorns

  111 - The Skilful Huntsman

  112 - The Flail from Heaven

  113 - The Two Kings' Children

  114 - The Cunning Little Tailor

  115 - The Bright Sun Brings it to Light

  116 - The Blue Light

  117 - The Wilful Child

  118 - The Three Army-Surgeons

  119 - The Seven Swabians

  120 - The Three Apprentices

  121 - The King's Son Who Feared Nothing

  122 - Donkey Cabbages

  123 - The Old Woman in the Wood

  124 - The Three Brothers

  125 - The Devil and His Grandmother

  126 - Ferdinand the Faithful

  127 - The Iron Stove

  128 - The Lazy Spinner

  129 - The Four Skilful Brothers

  130 - One-Eye, Two-Eyes, and Three-Eyes

  131 - Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie

  132 - The Fox and the Horse

  133 - The Shoes that Were Danced to Pieces

  134 - The Six Servants

  135 - The White Bride and the Black One

  136 - Iron John

  137 - The Three Black Princesses

  138 - Knoist and His Three Sons

  139 - The Maid of Brakel

  140 - Domestic Servants

  141 - The Lambkin and the Little Fish

  142 - Simeli Mountain

  143 - Going A-Travelling

  144 - The Donkey

  145 - The Ungrateful Son

  146 - The Turnip

  147 - The Old Man Made Young Again

  148 - The Lord's Animals and the Devil's

  149 - The Beam

  150 - The Old Beggar-Woman

  151 - The Three Sluggards

  151 - The Twelve Idle Servants

  152 - The Shepherd Boy

  153 - The Star-Money

  154 - The Stolen Farthings

  155 - Brides on Their Trial

  156 - Odds and Ends

  157 - The Sparrow and His Four Children

  158 - The Story of Schlauraffen Land

  159 - The Ditmarsch Tale of Wonders

  160 - A Riddling Tale

  161 - Snow-White and Rose-Red

  162 - The Wise Servant

  163 - The Glass Coffin

  164 - Lazy Harry

  165 - The Griffin

  166 - Strong Hans

  167 - The Peasant in Heaven

  168 - Lean Lisa

  169 - The Hut in the Forest


  170 - Sharing Joy and Sorrow

  171 - The Willow-Wren

  172 - The Sole

  173 - The Bittern and the Hoopoe

  174 - The Owl

  175 - The Moon

  176 - The Duration of Life

  177 - Death's Messengers

  178 - Master Pfriem (Master Cobbler's Awl)

  179 - The Goose-Girl at the Well

  180 - Eve's Various Children

  181 - The Nix of the Mill-Pond

  182 - The Little Folks' Presents

  183 - The Giant and the Tailor

  184 - The Nail

  185 - The Poor Boy in the Grave

  186 - The True Sweethearts

  187 - The Hare and the Hedgehog

  188 - The Spindle, the Shuttle, and the Needle

  189 - The Peasant and the Devil

  190 - The Crumbs on the Table

  191 - The Sea-Hare

  192 - The Master-Thief

  193 - The Drummer

  194 - The Ear of Corn

  195 - The Grave-Mound

  196 - Old Rinkrank

  197 - The Crystal Ball

  198 - Maid Maleen

  199 - The Boots of Buffalo-Leather

  200 - The Golden Key

  CHILDREN'S LEGENDS

  Legend 1 - St. Joseph in the Forest

  Legend 2 - The Twelve Apostles

  Legend 3 - The Rose

  Legend 4 - Poverty and Humility Lead to Heaven

  Legend 5 - God's Food

  Legend 6 - The Three Green Twigs

  Legend 7 - Our Lady's Little Glass

  Legend 8 - The Aged Mother

  Legend 9 - The Heavenly Wedding

  Legend 10 - The Hazel-Branch

  1 - The Frog-King, or Iron Henry

  *

  In old times when wishing still helped one, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful, but the youngest was so beautiful that the sun itself, which has seen so much, was astonished whenever it shone in her face. Close by the King's castle lay a great dark forest, and under an old lime-tree in the forest was a well, and when the day was very warm, the King's child went out into the forest and sat down by the side of the cool fountain, and when she was dull she took a golden ball, and threw it up on high and caught it, and this ball was her favorite plaything.

  Now it so happened that on one occasion the princess's golden ball did not fall into the little hand which she was holding up for it, but on to the ground beyond, and rolled straight into the water. The King's daughter followed it with her eyes, but it vanished, and the well was deep, so deep that the bottom could not be seen. On this she began to cry, and cried louder and louder, and could not be comforted. And as she thus lamented some one said to her, "What ails thee, King's daughter? Thou weepest so that even a stone would show pity." She looked round to the side from whence the voice came, and saw a frog stretching forth its thick, ugly head from the water. "Ah! old water-splasher, is it thou?" said she; "I am weeping for my golden ball, which has fallen into the well."

  "Be quiet, and do not weep," answered the frog, "I can help thee, but what wilt thou give me if I bring thy plaything up again?" "Whatever thou wilt have, dear frog," said she—"My clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even the golden crown which I am wearing."

  The frog answered, "I do not care for thy clothes, thy pearls and jewels, or thy golden crown, but if thou wilt love me and let me be thy companion and play-fellow, and sit by thee at thy little table, and eat off thy little golden plate, and drink out of thy little cup, and sleep in thy little bed—if thou wilt promise me this I will go down below, and bring thee thy golden ball up again."

  "Oh yes," said she, "I promise thee all thou wishest, if thou wilt but bring me my ball back again." She, however, thought, "How the silly frog does talk! He lives in the water with the other frogs, and croaks, and can be no companion to any human being!"

  But the frog when he had received this promise, put his head into the water and sank down, and in a short while came swimmming up again with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The King's daughter was delighted to see her pretty plaything once more, and picked it up, and ran away with it. "Wait, wait," said the frog. "Take me with thee. I can't run as thou canst." But what did it avail him to scream his croak, croak, after her, as loudly as he could? She did not listen to it, but ran home and soon forgot the poor frog, who was forced to go back into his well again.

  The next day when she had seated herself at table with the King and all the courtiers, and was eating from her little golden plate, something came creeping splish splash, splish splash, up the marble staircase, and when it had got to the top, it knocked at the door and cried, "Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me." She ran to see who was outside, but when she opened the door, there sat the frog in front of it. Then she slammed the door to, in great haste, sat down to dinner again, and was quite frightened. The King saw plainly that her heart was beating violently, and said, "My child, what art thou so afraid of? Is there perchance a giant outside who wants to carry thee away?" "Ah, no," replied she. "It is no giant but a disgusting frog."

  "What does a frog want with thee?" "Ah, dear father, yesterday as I was in the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I cried so, the frog brought it out again for me, and because he so insisted, I promised him he should be my companion, but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water! And now he is outside there, and wants to come in to me."

  In the meantime it knocked a second time, and cried,

  "Princess! youngest princess!

  Open the door for me!

  Dost thou not know what thou saidst to me

  Yesterday by the cool waters of the fountain?

  Princess, youngest princess!

  Open the door for me!"

  Then said the King, "That which thou hast promised must thou perform. Go and let him in." She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in and followed her, step by step, to her chair. There he sat and cried, "Lift me up beside thee." She delayed, until at last the King commanded her to do it. When the frog was once on the chair he wanted to be on the table, and when he was on the table he said, "Now, push thy little golden plate nearer to me that we may eat together." She did this, but it was easy to see that she did not do it willingly. The frog enjoyed what he ate, but almost every mouthful she took choked her. At length he said, "I have eaten and am satisfied; now I am tired, carry me into thy little room and make thy little silken bed ready, and we will both lie down and go to sleep."

  The King's daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold frog which she did not like to touch, and which was now to sleep in her pretty, clean little bed. But the King grew angry and said, "He who helped thee when thou wert in trouble ought not afterwards to be despised by thee." So she took hold of the frog with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner. But when she was in bed he crept to her and said, "I am tired, I want to sleep as well as thou, lift me up or I will tell thy father." Then she was terribly angry, and took him up and threw him with all her might against the wall. "Now, thou wilt be quiet, odious frog," said she. But when he fell down he was no frog but a King's son with beautiful kind eyes. He by her father's will was now her dear companion and husband. Then he told her how he had been bewitched by a wicked witch, and how no one could have delivered him from the well but herself, and that to-morrow they would go together into his kingdom. Then they went to sleep, and next morning when the sun awoke them, a carriage came driving up with eight white horses, which had white ostrich feathers on their heads, and were harnessed with golden chains, and behind stood the young King's servant Faithful Henry. Faithful Henry had been so unhappy when his master was changed into a frog, that he had caused three iron bands to be laid round his heart, lest it should burst with grief and sadness. The carriage was to conduct the young King into his Kingdom. Faithful Henry helped them both in, and placed himself behind again, and was full of j
oy because of this deliverance. And when they had driven a part of the way the King's son heard a cracking behind him as if something had broken. So he turned round and cried, "Henry, the carriage is breaking."

  "No, master, it is not the carriage. It is a band from my heart, which was put there in my great pain when you were a frog and imprisoned in the well." Again and once again while they were on their way something cracked, and each time the King's son thought the carriage was breaking; but it was only the bands which were springing from the heart of faithful Henry because his master was set free and was happy.

  2 - Cat and Mouse in Partnership

  *

  A certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse, and had said so much to her about the great love and friendship she felt for her, that at length the mouse agreed that they should live and keep house together. "But we must make a provision for winter, or else we shall suffer from hunger," said the cat, "and you, little mouse, cannot venture everywhere, or you will be caught in a trap some day." The good advice was followed, and a pot of fat was bought, but they did not know where to put it. At length, after much consideration, the cat said, "I know no place where it will be better stored up than in the church, for no one dares take anything away from there. We will set it beneath the altar, and not touch it until we are really in need of it." So the pot was placed in safety, but it was not long before the cat had a great yearning for it, and said to the mouse, "I want to tell you something, little mouse; my cousin has brought a little son into the world, and has asked me to be godmother; he is white with brown spots, and I am to hold him over the font at the christening. Let me go out to-day, and you look after the house by yourself." "Yes, yes," answered the mouse, "by all means go, and if you get anything very good, think of me, I should like a drop of sweet red christening wine too." All this, however, was untrue; the cat had no cousin, and had not been asked to be godmother. She went straight to the church, stole to the pot of fat, began to lick at it, and licked the top of the fat off. Then she took a walk upon the roofs of the town, looked out for opportunities, and then stretched herself in the sun, and licked her lips whenever she thought of the pot of fat, and not until it was evening did she return home. "Well, here you are again," said the mouse, "no doubt you have had a merry day." "All went off well," answered the cat. "What name did they give the child?" "Top off!" said the cat quite coolly. "Top off!" cried the mouse, "that is a very odd and uncommon name, is it a usual one in your family?" "What does it signify," said the cat, "it is no worse than Crumb-stealer, as your god-children are called."