by Jacob Grimm
The yokel went to the maiden a third time, and she asked him how things were going with the hawk. So he told her what had happened, and she thought to herself, “He’s truly a living fool,” and realized that he didn’t deserve anything precious or splendid. Therefore, she gave him a big hoe with spikes as a gift that he could use while he was plowing the land. Again he took his mother’s advice to heart and carried it home high above his head with his hands like a large ladle. His mother was not at all satisfied and told him he should have tied it to a horse and dragged it home.
Finally, the maiden realized that even the Lord would not be able to help the fool, since there wasn’t an ounce of brains or wisdom in him, but she didn’t know how to get rid of him. So the next time she saw him, she gave him a huge piece of bacon and shoved it into his chest. Of course, he was very satisfied and wanted to go home right away. However, he was afraid that he might lose it and, therefore, tied it to the tail of his horse. Then he mounted the steed and rode home. As he was riding, the dogs came running after him and ripped the bacon from the horse’s tail and ate it. When the fool arrived home, the bacon was gone.
It was now completely clear to this mother that her son’s wisdom would prevent a marriage. So she decided to drive to the maiden’s parents to set the date for the marriage, and before she departed, she had a serious word or two with him and told him to keep the house in order and not to do anything foolish, particularly since she had a goose that was about to hatch some eggs.
Now, as soon as the mother was out of the house, her son disappeared quickly into the cellar, where he got drunk on the wine and lost the plug to the wine barrel. As he hunted for the plug, all the wine spilled and flooded the cellar. Consequently, the bumbler took a sack of flour and shook it all over the wine so that his mother wouldn’t see the damage when she returned home. After doing this, he ran up into the house and began eating some wild venison. But the goose that was sitting on her eggs became frightened and shrieked, “Gaga! Gaga!”
In turn, the fool became scared and thought the goose had said, “I’m going to tell on him,” and he was positive the bird would tell what he had done in the cellar. So he took the goose and chopped its head off. Now he was afraid that the eggs would spoil and that he was really in trouble. But he thought of a solution: he would sit on the eggs until they hatched. However, it would not work unless he was covered with feathers like the goose. Again he thought of a solution: he took off his clothes and smeared his body all over with honey that his mother had recently made. Then he ripped open the quilt of a bed and rolled around in the feathers so that he looked like a hobgoblin. Finally, he sat down on the goose eggs and was completely quiet so that the silly young geese inside would not become afraid. As the numbskull was sitting there, his mother returned and knocked on the door. Since the fool was sitting on the eggs, he didn’t want to answer. She knocked again, and he screamed, “Gaga! Gaga!” and thought that he was hatching the silly young geese (or fools like himself), and therefore he couldn’t speak. Finally, his mother threatened him so much that he crawled out of the nest and opened the door. When she saw him, she thought he was the devil himself and asked him what was going on, and he told her that everything was in top shape. However, his mother was anxious about her dunce because his bride was due to arrive soon. So she said to him that she would gladly forgive him, but he must now control himself, for his bride would soon be there. She advised him to welcome her in a friendly way and to be nice to her and to steadily cast polite eyes upon her.
The fool replied, “Yes, mother, I’ll do as you say.”
So he wiped off all the feathers, got dressed, and went out into the stable, where he cut out the eyes of all the sheep and stuffed them under his shirt next to his chest. As soon as the bride arrived, he went toward her and cast all the eyes that he had gathered at her face, for he thought this was the way it was to be done.
The good maiden was mortified that he had dirtied and ravaged her like that. It was clear that the fool was a complete boor and that he was totally berserk and might do anything or everything to her that came to his mind. So she turned around, went home, and rejected him.
Well, he remained a fool just as he was before, and he’s still hatching young geese to this day. I’m concerned, however, that when the geese wake up, they, too, will become young fools. May the Lord protect us.
33
PUSS IN BOOTS
A miller had three sons, a mill, a donkey, and a cat. The sons had to grind grain, the donkey had to haul the grain and carry away the flour, and the cat had to catch the mice. When the miller died, the three sons divided the inheritance: the oldest received the mill, the second the donkey, and nothing was left for the third but the cat. This made the youngest sad, and he said to himself, “I certainly got the worst part of the bargain. My oldest brother can grind wheat, and my second brother can ride on his donkey. But what can I do with the cat? Once I make a pair of gloves out of his fur, it’s all over.”
The cat, who had understood everything that he had said, began to speak. “Listen, there’s no need to kill me when all you’ll get will be a pair of poor gloves from my fur. Have some boots made for me instead. Then I’ll be able to go out, mix with people, and help you before you know it.”
The miller’s son was surprised the cat could speak like that, but since the shoemaker happened to be walking by, he called him inside and had him fit the cat for a pair of boots. When the boots were finished, the cat put them on. After that he took a sack, filled the bottom with grains of wheat, and attached a piece of cord to the top, which he could pull to close it. Then he slung the sack over his back and walked out the door on two legs like a human being.
At that time there was a king ruling the country, and he liked to eat partridges. However, recently the situation had become grave for him because the partridges had become difficult to catch. The whole forest was full of them, but they frightened so easily that none of the huntsmen had been able to get near them. The cat knew this and thought he could do much better than the huntsmen. When he entered the forest, he opened the sack, spread the grains of wheat on the ground, placed the cord in the grass, and strung it out behind a hedge. Then he crawled in back of the hedge, hid himself, and lay in wait. Soon the partridges came running, found the wheat, and hopped into the sack, one after the other. When a good number were inside, the cat pulled the cord. Once the sack was closed tight, he ran over to it and wrung their necks. Then he slung the sack over his back and went straight to the king’s castle. The sentry called out, “Stop! Where are you going?”
“To the king,” the cat answered curtly.
“Are you crazy? A cat to the king?”
“Oh, let him go,” another sentry said. “The king’s often very bored. Perhaps the cat will give him some pleasure with his meowing and purring.”
When the cat appeared before the king, he bowed and said, “My lord, the Count”—and he uttered a long, distinguished name—”sends you his regards and would like to offer you these partridges, which he recently caught in his traps.”
The king was amazed by the beautiful, fat partridges. Indeed, he was so overcome with joy that he commanded the cat to take as much gold from his treasury as he could carry and put it into the sack. “Bring it to your lord and give him my very best thanks for his gift.”
Meanwhile, the poor miller’s son sat at home by the window, propped his head up with his hand, and wondered why he had given away all he had for the cat’s boots when the cat would probably not be able to bring him anything great in return. Suddenly, the cat entered, threw down the sack from his back, opened it, and dumped the gold at the miller’s feet.
“Now you’ve got something for the boots. The king also sends his regards and best of thanks.”
The miller’s son was happy to have such wealth, even though he didn’t understand how everything had happened. However, as the cat was taking off his boots, he told him everything and said, “Surely you have enough money now, bu
t we won’t be content with that. Tomorrow I’m going to put on my boots again, and you shall become even richer. Incidentally, I told the king you’re a count.”
The following day the cat put on his boots, as he said he would, went hunting again, and brought the king a huge catch. So it went every day, and every day the cat brought back gold to the miller’s son. At the king’s court he became a favorite, so that he was permitted to go and come and wander about the castle wherever he pleased. One day, as the cat was lying by the hearth in the king’s kitchen and warming himself, the coachman came and started cursing, “May the devil take the king and princess! I wanted to go to the tavern, have a drink, and play some cards. But now they want me to drive them to the lake so they can go for a walk.”
When the cat heard that, he ran home and said to his master, “If you want to be a rich count, come with me to the lake and go for a swim.”
The miller didn’t know what to say. Nevertheless, he listened to the cat and went with him to the lake, where he undressed and jumped into the water completely naked. Meanwhile, the cat took his clothes, carried them away, and hid them. No sooner had he done it than the king came driving by. Now the cat began to wail in a miserable voice, “Ahh, most gracious king! My lord went for a swim in the lake, and a thief came and stole his clothes that were lying on the bank. Now the count is in the water and can’t get out. If he stays in much longer, he’ll freeze and die.”
When the king heard that, he ordered the coach to stop, and one of his servants had to race back to the castle and fetch some of the king’s garments. The count put on the splendid clothes, and since the king had already taken a liking to him because of the partridges that, he believed, had been sent by the count, he asked the young man to sit down next to him in the coach. The princess was not in the least angry about this, for the count was young and handsome and pleased her a great deal.
In the meantime, the cat went on ahead of them and came to a large meadow, where there were over a hundred people making hay.
“Who owns this meadow, my good people?” asked the cat.
“The great sorcerer.”
“Listen to me. The king will be driving by, and when he asks who the owner of this meadow is, I want you to answer, ‘The count.’ If you don’t, you’ll all be killed.”
Then the cat continued on his way and came to a wheat field so enormous that nobody could see over it. There were more than two hundred people standing there and cutting wheat.
“Who owns this wheat, my good people?”
“The sorcerer.”
“Listen to me. The king will be driving by, and when he asks who the owner of this wheat is, I want you to answer, ‘The count.’ If you don’t do this, you’ll all be killed.”
Finally, the cat came to a splendid forest where more than three hundred people were chopping down large oak trees and cutting them into wood.
“Who owns this forest, my good people?”
“The sorcerer.”
“Listen to me. The king will be driving by, and when he asks who the owner of this forest is, I want you to answer, ‘The count.’ If you don’t do this, you’ll all be killed.”
The cat continued on his way, and the people watched him go. Since he looked so unusual and walked in boots like a human being, they were afraid of him. Soon the cat came to the sorcerer’s castle, walked boldly inside, and appeared before the sorcerer, who looked at him scornfully and asked him what he wanted. The cat bowed and said, “I’ve heard that you can turn yourself into a dog, a fox, or even a wolf, but I don’t believe that you can turn yourself into an elephant. That seems impossible to me, and this is why I’ve come: I want to be convinced by my own eyes.”
“That’s just a trifle for me,” the sorcerer said arrogantly, and within seconds he turned himself into an elephant.
“That’s great, but can you also turn yourself into a lion?”
“Nothing to it,” said the sorcerer, and he suddenly stood before the cat as a lion. The cat pretended to be terrified and cried out, “That’s incredible and unheard of! Never in my dreams would I have thought this possible! But you’d top all of this if you could turn yourself into a tiny animal, such as a mouse. I’m convinced that you can do more than any other sorcerer in the world, but that would be too much for you.”
The flattery had made the sorcerer quite friendly, and he said, “Oh, no, dear cat, that’s not too much at all,” and soon he was running around the room as a mouse.
All at once the cat ran after him, caught the mouse in one leap, and ate him up.
While all this was happening, the king had continued driving with the count and princess and had come to the large meadow.
“Who owns the hay?” the king asked.
“The count,” the people all cried out, just as the cat had ordered them to do.
“You’ve got a nice piece of land, count,” the king said.
Afterward they came to the large wheat field.
“Who owns that wheat, my good people?”
“The count.”
“My! You’ve got quite a large and beautiful estate!”
Next they came to the forest.
“Who owns these woods, my good people?”
“The count.”
The king was even more astounded and said, “You must be a rich man, count. I don’t think I have a forest as splendid as yours.”
At last they came to the castle. The cat stood on top of the stairs, and when the coach stopped below, he ran down, opened the door, and said, “Your majesty, you’ve arrived at the castle of my lord, the count. This honor will make him happy for the rest of his life.”
The king climbed out of the coach and was amazed by the magnificent building, which was almost larger and more beautiful than his own castle. The count led the princess up the stairs and into the hall, which was flickering with lots of gold and jewels.
The princess became the count’s bride, and when the king died, the count become king, and the puss in boots was his prime minster.
34
HANS’S TRINA
Hans’s Trina was lazy and didn’t want to do any work. She said to herself: “What should I do? Should I eat, sleep, or work?—Ahh! I think I’ll eat first!”
After she had stuffed herself fully, she said to herself again: “What should I do? Work or sleep?—Ahh! I think I’ll sleep a little first.”
Then she lay down and slept, and when she woke up, it was night. So she could no longer go out and work.
One time Hans returned home at noon and found Trina sleeping again in their room. So he took his knife and cut off her dress at the knees. Trina awoke and thought: “It’s time now to go to work.” However, when she went outside to work and saw that the dress was so short she became frightened and wondered whether she really was Trina and said to herself: “Am I or am I not Trina?” She didn’t know how to answer this question and stood there a while in doubt. Finally, she thought: “You should go home and ask if you are you. They’ll know for sure.”
So she returned home, knocked at the window, and called inside: “Is Hans’s Trina inside?”
Since the others thought she was in her usual place, they answered: “Yes, she’s lying down in her room and sleeping.”
“Well, then I’m not me,” Trina said in delight. So she went off to the village and never returned, and this is how Hans got rid of his Trina.
35
THE SPARROW AND HIS FOUR CHILDREN
A sparrow had four young ones in a swallow’s nest. When they were fledged, some bad boys broke up the nest, but fortunately all the young birds escaped in a whirlwind. Then their father became sorry that his sons went off into the world before he was able to warn them about its many dangers or to give them good advice about how to fend for themselves.
In the autumn a great many sparrows came together in a wheat field. It was there that the father came upon his four sons once again, and he joyfully took them home with him.
“Ah, my dear sons, I was
terribly concerned about you all summer, especially since you had been carried away by the wind before I could give you my advice. Now, listen to my words, obey your father, and keep this in mind: Little birds must face grave dangers!”
Then he asked his oldest son where he had spent the summer and how he had fed himself.
“I lived in the garden and hunted caterpillars and little worms until the cherries turned ripe.”
“Ah, my son,” said the father, “such tasty morsels are not bad, but it can be dangerous searching for them. So, from now on, be on your guard, especially when people walk around the gardens carrying long green poles that are hollow inside and have a hole on the top.”
“Yes, father,” said the son. “And what should I do when a green leaf is stuck over the hole with wax?”
“Where have you seen this?”
“In a merchant’s garden,” the young bird said.
“Oh, my son,” responded the father, “merchants are wily people! If you have been among such worldly folk, you have learned enough of their shrewd ways. But see that you use all this shrewdness well and don’t become overconfident.”
Then he asked the next son, “Where did you set up your home?”
“At court,” said the son.
“Sparrows and silly little birds have no business being in such a place. There is too much gold, velvet and silk, armor and harnesses, sparrow hawks, screech owls, and falcons. Keep to the horse stables, where the oats are winnowed and threshed. Then you may be lucky enough to get your daily piece of bread and eat it in peace.”
“Yes, father,” said this son, “but what shall I do if the stable boys make traps and set their gins and snares in the straw? Many a bird has gone away limp because of this.”
“Where have you seen this?”
“At the court, among the stable boys.”