The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

by Jacob Grimm

  The king told them that they had to give him the three objects so that he could test them to see if they were in good condition. They handed him the cloak, and when he had put it on his shoulders, he wished to become a fly, and he was immediately turned into a fly.

  “The cloak is good,” he said. “Now give me the sword.”

  “No,” they said. “We won’t give it to you. If you say, ‘All heads off except mine!’ we’d lose our heads, and you alone would keep yours.”

  Nevertheless, they gave it to him on condition that he try it out on a tree. He did that, and the sword was also good. Now he wanted to have the boots, but they said, “No, we won’t give them away. If you put them on and wish yourself on top of the mountain, then we would stand here below with nothing.”

  “Oh, no,” he said, “I’d never do anything like that.”

  So they gave him the boots as well. But when he had all three objects, he wished himself to be on top of the Golden Mountain, and he was immediately there. Moreover, the giants had vanished, and this was the way their inheritance was divided.

  When the king now drew near the castle, he heard cries of joy and the sounds of fiddles and flutes. The people at the court told him that his wife was celebrating her wedding with another man. So he put on the cloak and turned himself into a fly. Then he went into the castle and took a place behind his wife, and nobody saw him. When they put a piece of meat on her plate, he snatched it and ate it. And when they gave her a glass of wine, he snatched it and drank it. They kept giving her food and wine, but she would always end up with nothing because her plate and glass would vanish immediately. She became so ashamed that she left the table, went into her chamber, and began weeping, while he stayed behind her all the time.

  “Has the devil got me in his power?” she said out loud to herself. “Perhaps my savior never came!”

  Then he gave her a couple of rough smacks in the face and said, “Your savior came! Now he’s got you in his power, you faithless thing! Did I deserve to be treated the way you treated me?”

  After saying this he went into the hall and announced that the wedding was over and that he had returned. But he was mocked by the kings, princes, and ministers who were assembled there. Since he wanted to make short work of them, he asked them to leave or else. Upon hearing that, they tried to take him prisoner, but he took out his sword and said, “All heads off except mine!”

  All at once they all lay there in blood, and he was once again king of the Golden Mountain.

  7

  THE RAVEN

  Once upon a time there was a queen who had a daughter, and she was so little that she had to be carried in her mother’s arms. One day the child became restless, and no matter what the mother said, she wouldn’t keep quiet. The mother became impatient, and as she looked at the ravens flying around outside the castle, she opened the window and said, “I wish you were a raven and would fly away! Then I’d have my peace and quiet.”

  No sooner had she said those words than the child was changed into a raven and flew from her arm out through the window. The bird flew far away, and nobody could follow her. She headed for a dark forest, where she stayed for a long time.

  Some time later, a man was making his way through this forest when he heard the raven calling. He went toward the voice, and as he came closer, the raven said, “I am a king’s daughter by birth and have been cursed by a spell. However, you can set me free.”

  “How can I do this?” he asked.

  “Go into the house over there,” she said. “There’s an old woman sitting inside. She’ll offer you something to eat and drink and tell you to enjoy the meal, but you’re not to touch a thing. You’re not to drink, because if you drink anything, you’ll fall asleep and won’t be able to release me from the spell. In the garden behind the house there’s a big pile of tanbark. You’re to stand on it and wait for me. I shall come three days in a row at two o’clock in the afternoon with a carriage. But if you aren’t awake, I won’t be set free.”

  The man said he’d do everything, but the raven said, “Oh, I can already tell you won’t set me free. You’ll take something from the old woman.”

  Again the man promised her he wouldn’t touch the food or the drink. However, once he was inside the house, the old woman went over to him and said, “How worn-out you are! Come and refresh yourself. Have something to eat and drink.”

  “No,” said the man. “I don’t want to eat or drink.”

  But she wouldn’t leave him in peace and kept saying, “Well, if you don’t want to eat, just take a sip from the glass. One little sip won’t hurt.”

  Finally, he let himself be persuaded and drank. Toward two in the afternoon he went outside into the garden and climbed onto the pile of tanbark to wait for the raven. As he stood there, he suddenly felt so tired that he couldn’t help himself and had to lie down and rest a little. He didn’t want to fall asleep, but no sooner had he stretched himself out than his eyes closed by themselves, and he fell asleep. He slept so soundly that nothing in the world could have wakened him. At two o’clock the raven came driving up in a carriage with four white horses, but she was already in full mourning and said, “I already know he’s asleep.”

  When she drove into the garden, he was indeed fast asleep. She climbed out of the carriage, went over to him, and shook him and called him, but he didn’t wake up. She continued to cry out until he finally awoke from his sleep, and she said: “I see that you can’t set me free, but I shall come again tomorrow. I’ll be driving in a carriage drawn by four brown horses. You are not to take anything at all from the old woman, neither food nor drink.”

  He replied, “I won’t. Certainly not.”

  However, she said: “I know already that you’ll take something.”

  At noon the next day the old woman came to him again and asked him why he wasn’t eating and drinking, and he replied: “I don’t want anything to eat or drink.”

  However, she placed the food and drink in front of him so that he could smell everything, and she convinced him to drink once more. Toward two o’clock he went into the garden and climbed onto the pile of tanbark to wait for the raven. Then he felt so tired that his limbs could no longer support him. Since he couldn’t help himself, he lay down to sleep a little. When the raven drove up in her carriage drawn by four brown stallions, she was in full mourning again and said, “I know already he’s sleeping.”

  When she went over to him, he lay fast asleep and couldn’t be wakened. She climbed out of the carriage, shook him, and tried to wake him. It was more difficult than the day before until he finally awoke.

  “I certainly see,” said the raven, “that you can’t free me. Tomorrow at two o’clock I shall come once more, but it will be the last time. My horses will be black, and I shall be dressed all in black. You are not to take anything from the old woman, nothing to eat or drink.”

  “Certainly not,” he said.

  “Oh, I know for sure that you’ll take something!” she replied.

  The next day the old woman asked him what the matter was and why he wasn’t eating or drinking.

  “I don’t want to eat or drink,” he replied.

  In spite of this, she said he should taste how good all the food was just one time, otherwise he would die from hunger. So he let himself be persuaded and drank something again. When the time came, he went outside into the garden and climbed onto the pile of tanbark to wait for the princess. But he became so tired that he couldn’t keep standing and lay down and slept like a log. At two o’clock the raven came, and her carriage was drawn by four black horses. The carriage and everything else were also black, and she was already in full mourning. “I know he’s asleep,” she said, “and he won’t be able to set me free.”

  When she went over to him, he was lying there sound asleep. She shook him and called him, but she couldn’t wake him up. So she put a loaf of bread beside him. No matter how much he took from the bread, it would always replenish itself. Then she placed a piec
e of meat next to him. No matter how much he took from the meat, it would always replenish itself. The third thing she placed next to him was a bottle of wine. No matter how much wine he drank, it would always replenish itself. After that she drew a golden ring from her finger and placed it on his finger. Her name was engraved on it. Finally, she left him a letter on the ground in which she explained that the things she had given him would never run out, and she concluded her letter by saying: “I clearly see that you can’t set me free in a place like this. But if you still want to save me, then come to the golden castle of Mount Stromberg. You can do it. I know that for sure.” And after she had given him all those things, she climbed back into her carriage and drove off to the golden castle of Mount Stromberg.

  When the man woke and saw that he had slept, he was terribly sad and said, “I’m sure she’s been here, and I haven’t set her free.” Then he noticed the things lying beside him, and he read the letter that explained everything that had happened. So he stood up and set out for the golden castle of Mount Stromberg, even though he didn’t know where it was. After he had wandered about the world for a long time, he finally came to a dark forest and continued wandering for fourteen days and realized he couldn’t find his way out. When it turned evening, he was so tired that he lay down beneath a bush and fell asleep. The next day he moved on, and in the evening, as he was about to lie down beneath another bush when he heard such a moaning and groaning that he was unable to sleep. When the hour came for people to light their lamps, he saw a light glimmering in the distance, got up, and went toward it. Shortly after, he came to a house that appeared to be very small because a big giant was standing in front of it. “Whether you go inside or stay here,” he thought to himself, “the giant will put an end to your life. So, you might as well do it.” So he stepped toward the door, and when the giant saw him, he said, “It’s good that you’ve come. I haven’t had a thing to eat for a long time. So I’m going to gobble you up for supper.”

  “Let things be,” said the man. “If you want something to eat, I’ve got something with me.”

  “If that’s true,” said the giant, “you can rest easy. I wanted to eat you only because I had nothing else.”

  They both went inside and sat down at the dinner table, and the man took out the bread, wine, and meat that never ran out. And they ate until they were full. After supper the man asked him, “Can you tell me where to find the golden castle of Mount Stromberg?”

  The giant said, “I’ll look it up on my map. It shows all the cities, villages, and houses.”

  He took out a map that he kept in the room and looked for the castle, but it wasn’t on it. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’ve got even larger maps in the closet upstairs. We can look for it on them.”

  They looked at the maps, but couldn’t find the castle. Now, the man wanted to move on, but the giant begged him to stay a few more days until his brother returned. He had gone out to fetch some food. He also had good maps. They could try again with his maps and find the castle for sure. So the man waited until the brother came back. Well, the brother said he didn’t know for certain, but he believed that the Castle of Stromberg was on his map. Then the three of them ate once again until they were quite full. Afterward the second giant went to his room and said, “Now I’ll take a look at my map.” But the castle wasn’t on it. Then he said he had another map upstairs in a room full of maps. It had to be on one of them. When he brought the maps downstairs, they began searching again, and finally they found the Castle of Stromberg. However, it was thousands of miles away.

  “How will I ever get there?” asked the man.

  “I’ve got two hours to spare,” said the giant. “I’ll carry you as far as I can, but then I must return home and nurse our child.”

  So he carried the man until he was about a hundred hours’ walk away from the castle and said, “You can go the rest of the way by yourself.”

  “Yes, indeed,” said the man. “I can certainly do that.”

  As they were about to separate, the man said, “Let’s first eat once more until we’re full.”

  After they did that, the giant took his leave and went home, while the man went on day and night until he finally came to the golden castle of Mount Stromberg. But the castle was up on a glass mountain, and he saw the enchanted maiden driving around the castle. He wanted to climb up to her, but he continually slipped on the glass and became very distressed and said to himself: “It’s best if I build a little hut for myself. I’ve got plenty to eat and drink.” So he built a hut for himself and stayed there for one solid year and watched the princess every day drive around on top of the mountain, but he couldn’t climb up to her.

  One day he saw three giants fighting with each other and called out to them, “God be with you!”

  They stopped fighting, listened to see where the cry came from, and then resumed fighting when they couldn’t see anyone. It was dangerous just to be near them, but again the man called out, “God be with you!”

  Again they stopped, looked around, and resumed their fighting when they couldn’t see anyone. Finally, the man called out for a third time, “God be with you!” and this time he thought to himself, “You’d better go see what these three are up to.” So he went out to them and asked them why they were fighting. One of them said he had found a stick, and that whenever he struck a door with it, the door would spring open. The second said he had found a cloak and that whenever he hung it over his shoulders, he would be invisible. The third said he had caught a horse and that one could ride it anywhere, even up the glass mountain. Then the man said, “I’ll make an exchange with you. I’ll take those three things, and to be honest, I don’t have any money, but I do have other things that are worth more than money. First, however, I must test your things to see whether you’ve told me the truth.”

  They let him sit on the horse, put the cloak over his shoulders, and handed him the stick. As soon as he had all three objects, they could no longer see him. So he gave them all a good beating and cried out, “Now, are you satisfied?”

  The man rode up the glass mountain, and when he got to the top, he found the castle door was closed. So he struck the gate with the stick, and it immediately sprang open. He entered and went up the stairs until he came to a hall. There sat the princess, and she had a goblet filled with wine in front of her. However, she couldn’t see him because he was wearing the cloak. When he went over to her, he pulled off the ring that she had given him and threw it into the goblet so that it rang out.

  “That’s my ring!” she exclaimed. “Well then, the man who’s going to set me free must be here somewhere.”

  She had her servants search all over the castle, but they couldn’t find him. Indeed, he had gone outside, mounted the horse, and thrown off the cloak. When they finally saw him out by the gate, they screamed for joy. So he dismounted and took the princess in his arms. She kissed him and said, “Now you’ve finally set me free.”

  Soon thereafter they held the wedding and lived happily together.

  8

  THE CLEVER FARMER’S DAUGHTER

  Once upon a time there was a poor farmer who had only a small house and one daughter but no land. One day the daughter said, “I think we should ask the king for a little piece of farming land.”

  When the king learned about their poverty, he gave them a small field, which the farmer and his daughter cleared so they could sow a little wheat and plant some kind of fruit. After they had almost finished their work, they found a mortar of pure gold on the ground.

  “Listen,” said the farmer to his daughter, “since the king was so gracious as to give us this field, we ought to give him this mortar in return.”

  But the daughter didn’t agree and said, “Father, if we give the mortar without the pestle, then we’ll have to find the pestle as well. I think we’d be better off if we kept quiet about the whole thing.”

  However, the farmer didn’t listen to her. He took the mortar, carried it to the king, and sa
id that he had found it on the heath. Now he wanted to offer it to the king in his honor. The king took the mortar and asked the farmer if he had found anything else.

  “No,” replied the farmer.

  Then the king asked him about the pestle and told him to bring it to him. The farmer replied that they hadn’t found the pestle, but that was like talking to the wind. He was thrown into prison, where he was to stay until he produced the pestle. The servants brought him bread and water every day, the usual fare in prison, and every day they heard the farmer sighing, “Oh, if only I had listened to my daughter! Oh, if only I had listened to my daughter!”

  Finally, the servants went to the king and told him how the prisoner kept crying, “Oh, if only I had listened to my daughter!” and how he refused to eat and drink. The king ordered the servants to bring the prisoner before him, and he asked the farmer to tell him why he kept sighing, “Oh, if only I had listened to my daughter!”

  “What did your daughter tell you?”

  “Well, she told me not to bring you the mortar; otherwise, I’d have to bring you the pestle as well.”

  “If you have such a clever daughter, I want to see her.”

  So she had to appear before the king, who asked her if she really was so clever and said that he wanted to give her a riddle to solve, and that if she solved it, he would marry her. She replied right away that she would solve it. Then the king said, “Come to me, not dressed, not naked, not on horse, not by carriage, not on the road, not off the road, and if you do, I’ll marry you.”