by Jacob Grimm
As they played this game they stood in a circle, and when the word slice landed on one of them, he had to run away, and the others ran after him until they caught him. While they were merrily running around, the stepmother watched from the window and became annoyed. Since she understood witchcraft, she cast a spell on the brother and sister and turned the little brother into a fish and the little sister into a lamb. The little fish swam about in the pond and was sad. The little lamb ran about in the meadow and was so distressed that she ate nothing. She wouldn’t even touch a blade of grass.
A long time passed, and strangers came as guests to the castle. The treacherous stepmother thought, “Now’s the time.” So she called the cook and said to him, “Go and fetch the lamb from the meadow and slaughter it. Otherwise, we’ll have nothing for the guests.”
The cook went to the meadow, got the little lamb, led her to the kitchen, and tied her feet. The lamb bore all this patiently. As the cook took his knife and began to sharpen it on the doorstep in order to kill the lamb, she noticed a little fish swimming back and forth in the water in front of the gutter and looking up at her. It was her little brother, for when he had seen the cook leading the little lamb away, he had swum along in the pond up to the house. Then the little lamb called to him:
“Oh, brother in the pond so deep,
my heart is torn, and I must weep.
The cook’s about to take his knife
and bring an end to my short life.”
The little fish answered:
“Oh, sister way up high,
you make me sad and want to cry,
while in this pond I swim and sigh.”
When the cook heard that the little lamb could speak and was uttering such sad words to the little fish down in the pond, he became frightened and thought, “The lamb must not be a real one but one that the wicked woman in the house cursed.” Then the cook said, “Don’t worry. I won’t slaughter you.”
So he took another animal and prepared it for the guests. Then he brought the little lamb to a kind peasant woman and told her everything he had seen and heard. The woman happened to have been the wet nurse of the little girl and guessed at once who the lamb was and went with her to a wise woman. There the wise woman pronounced a blessing over the little lamb and the little fish so that they soon regained their human forms. Afterward she took both of them to a little cottage in a large forest, where they lived by themselves but were content and happy.
56
SESAME MOUNTAIN
There once were two brothers, one rich and the other poor. The rich one, however, gave nothing to the poor brother, who barely supported himself by dealing in grain. Things often went so badly for him that his wife and children would have to go without food.
One day, as he was going through the forest with his wheelbarrow, he noticed a large, bare mountain off to the side. Since he had never seen it before, he stopped in amazement and gazed at it. While he was standing there, twelve big and wild-looking men came toward him. Since he thought that they might be robbers, he pushed his wheelbarrow into the bushes, climbed a tree, and waited to see what would happen. The twelve men went up to the mountain and cried, “Sesame Mountain, Sesame Mountain, open up.”
Immediately, the bare mountain opened in the middle, and the twelve men entered. Once they were inside, the mountain closed. After a short while, however, it opened up again, and the men came out carrying heavy sacks on their backs. After they were all out in the open, they said, “Sesame Mountain, Sesame Mountain, close up.”
Then the mountain closed, and there was no longer a single trace of an entrance. The twelve men departed, and when they were completely out of sight, the poor man climbed down from the tree, curious to know what secret things might be hidden in the mountain. So he went up to the mountain and said, “Sesame Mountain, Sesame Mountain, open up,” and the mountain opened before him. Then he entered, and the entire mountain was a cavern filled with silver and gold, and in the back there were large piles of pearls and glistening jewels heaped on top of each other like grain. The poor man didn’t know what to do or whether he should take any of the treasure. Finally, he filled his pockets with gold, but he left the pearls and jewels lying there.
When he came out again, he repeated the words “Sesame Mountain, Sesame Mountain, close up.” Then the mountain closed, and he went home with his wheelbarrow. Now his worries disappeared, and he could buy bread and even wine for his wife and children. He lived happily and honestly, gave to the poor, and was kind to everyone. However, when he ran out money, he went to his brother, borrowed a bushel measure, and fetched more gold. But he refrained from touching any of the great treasures. When he needed some more gold a third time, he borrowed the bushel measure from his brother once again. But the rich man had long been jealous of his brother’s good fortune and the beautiful way he had built his house. Indeed, he had been puzzled by his brother’s sudden wealth and wondered why he needed a bushel measure. So he thought of a way to trick him and covered the bottom of the measure with sticky wax. When the measure was returned to him, there was a gold coin stuck to it. So he immediately went to his brother and asked him, “What have you been doing with the measure?”
“I’ve been measuring wheat and barley,” said the brother.
Then the rich brother showed him the gold coin and threatened to take him to court about this unless he told him the truth. So the poor brother revealed to him how everything had happened. Consequently, the rich brother had a wagon hitched up at once and drove to the mountain with the idea of taking greater advantage of this wonderful opportunity than his brother had by fetching quite different treasures. When he arrived at the mountain, he cried out, “Sesame Mountain, Sesame Mountain, open up.” The mountain opened, and he went inside, where he found all the treasures in front of him. For a long time he couldn’t make up his mind what to grab first. Finally, he took as many jewels as he could carry, and when he was about to leave with his load of jewels, his heart and mind became so occupied by the treasure that he forgot the name of the mountain and called out, “Simelei Mountain, Simelei Mountain, open up.” But that was not the right name, and the mountain didn’t budge and remained closed. Then he became frightened, but the more he tried to recall the name, the more confused his thoughts became, and the treasures were of no use to him at all. That evening the mountain opened up, and the twelve robbers entered. When they saw him, they laughed and cried out, “Well, we’ve finally caught our little bird! Did you think we hadn’t noticed that you had slipped in here three times? Maybe we weren’t able to catch you then, but you won’t escape us now.”
The rich man screamed, “It wasn’t me, it was my brother!”
But no matter what he said, no matter how he pleaded for his life, they wouldn’t listen, and they cut off his head.
57
THE CHILDREN OF FAMINE
Once upon a time there was a woman with two daughters, and they had become so poor that they no longer had even a piece of bread to put in their mouths. Their hunger became so great that their mother became unhinged and desperate. Indeed, she said to her children, “I’ve got to kill you so I can have something to eat!”
“Oh, dear mother,” said one daughter, “spare me, and I’ll go out and see if I can get something without begging.”
So the girl went out and came back carrying a little piece of bread, which they shared with one another. But it was not enough to still their hunger. Therefore, the mother spoke to the other daughter, “Now it’s your turn to die.”
“Oh, dear Mother,” she answered, “spare me and I’ll go and get something to eat from somewhere else without anyone noticing me.”
This daughter, too, went away and came back carrying two little pieces of bread. They shared it with one another, but it was not enough to still their hunger. Therefore, when a few hours had gone by, their mother said to them once more, “You’ve got to die or else we’ll waste away.”
“Dear mother,” they responded, “w
e’ll lie down and sleep, and we won’t get up again until the Judgment Day arrives.”
So they lay down and fell into a deep sleep, and no one could wake them from it. Meanwhile, their mother departed, and nobody knows where she went.
58
THE LITTLE DONKEY
There once lived a king and queen who were rich and had everything they desired except children. The queen lamented day and night because of this, saying, “I’m like a field on which nothing grows.”
Finally, God fulfilled her wishes. However, when the baby was born, it didn’t look like a human child but like a young little donkey. When the mother saw it, she really began to lament and screamed that she would rather have had no child at all than to have had a donkey, and she ordered the donkey to be thrown into the water so the fish could eat him up.
But the king said, “No. Since God has given him to us, then he shall be my son and heir. After my death he shall sit on the royal throne and wear the royal crown.”
So the little donkey was brought up at court. As he got bigger, his ears also grew quite high and straight. Otherwise, he had a cheerful disposition, was frisky, played, and was especially fond of music. At one time he went to a famous minstrel and said, “Teach me your art so that I can play the lute as well as you.”
“Ah, my dear young lord,” answered the minstrel, “this will be difficult for you. Your fingers aren’t really made for it. They are much too big, and I’m afraid you’d break the strings.”
Yet the little donkey would not be dissuaded, for he was determined to learn how to play the lute. Since he was diligent and persistent, he eventually learned how to play as well as the master himself.
One day the young lord was in a contemplative mood and went out for a walk. He came to a spring and looked at his little donkey figure reflected in the water, which was as clear as a mirror. He was so distressed by the sight that he decided to go out into the world and to take only one trusted companion with him. So they wandered here and there and finally came to a country ruled by an old king who had just one daughter, who was exceedingly beautiful. The little donkey said, “This is where we shall stay awhile,” and he knocked on the gate and cried out: “There’s a guest out here! Open up and let him in.”
When the gate didn’t open, he sat down, took his lute, and began playing a lovely tune with his two forefeet. The keeper’s eyes opened in astonishment, and he ran to the king and said, “There’s a little donkey sitting outside the gate. It’s playing the lute like a great expert.”
“Then let the musician come in,” said the king.
When the little donkey entered, however, everyone began to laugh at the lute player. He was directed to sit down with the servants, but he refused and said, “I’m not a common barnyard donkey. I’m of noble birth.”
“If this is what you are,” they said, “then sit down with the knights.”
“No,” he said. “I’ll sit with the king.”
The king laughed, showed his good humor, and said: “Indeed, let it be the way you want, little donkey. Come here to me.” And soon after, he asked, “Little donkey, how do you like my daughter?”
The little donkey turned his head, looked at her, nodded, and said, “Exceptionally well. I’ve never seen anyone so beautiful as she is.”
“Well, you shall sit next to her,” said the king.
“That’s fine with me,” said the donkey, and sat down next to her, ate and drank, and showed that he could conduct himself in a courteous and proper manner.
After the noble animal had spent quite some time at the court, he thought, “What’s the use of all this? I’ve got to go home.” He lowered his head sadly, went before the king, and asked his permission to depart. However, the king had taken a great liking to him and said, “My little donkey, what’s the matter with you? You look as sour as a jug of vinegar. Stay with me. I’ll give you anything you demand. Do you want gold?”
“No,” said the donkey and shook his head.
“Do you want some fine, valuable things?”
“No.”
“Do you want half my kingdom?”
“Ah, no.”
“If only I knew what would make you happy,” said the king. “Do you want my beautiful daughter for your wife?”
“Oh, yes,” said the donkey. “I’d be delighted to have her for my wife,” and suddenly he was quite cheerful and in good spirits, for that was exactly what he had desired.
Soon a huge and splendid wedding was held, and that night, when the bride and bridegroom were led to their bedchamber, the king wanted to know whether the donkey would conduct himself in a nice and polite manner, and he ordered a servant to hide himself in their room. When the two were inside, the bridegroom bolted the door and looked around. Once he was convinced that they were completely alone, he threw off the donkey skin, and all at once he stood there as a handsome young prince.
“Now you see who I am,” he said, “and you also see that I’m worthy of you.”
The bride was happy, gave him a kiss, and loved him with all her heart. When morning came, he jumped up, put on his donkey skin again, and nobody would have guessed what lay beneath it.
Soon the old king came along.
“Goodness!” he cried. “The donkey’s already wide awake.” Then, turning to his daughter, he said, “You probably regret that you weren’t wed to a real man, don’t you?”
“Oh, no, father, I love him as if he were the handsomest man in the world, and I want to keep him for the rest of my life.”
The king was puzzled by this, but then the servant, who had concealed himself, came to him and told him everything.
“I don’t believe it,” said the king.
“Well, keep tonight’s watch yourself, and then you shall see it with your own eyes. My advice to you, your Majesty, is to take his skin away from him and throw it into a fire. Then he’ll certainly have to reveal himself in his true form.”
“That’s good advice,” said the king, and that night, while they were sleeping, he crept into their room, and when he came to their bed, he saw a noble-looking young man resting in the moonlight and the skin lying discarded on the ground. So he took it away and ordered a tremendous fire to be made outside. Then he threw the skin into the fire and remained there until it was entirely burned to ashes. Since he wanted to see what the young man would do when he discovered the theft, he stayed awake the whole night and lay in wait. When the young man had slept his fill, he got up with the first rays of the sun and wanted to put on his donkey skin, but he couldn’t find it anywhere. So he was horrified and overcome by sadness and dread. “Now I must find some way to flee,” he said.
However, when he left the room, the king was standing there and said, “My son, why are you in such a hurry? What do you intend to do? Stay here. You’re such a handsome man, and I don’t want you to leave. I’ll give you half my kingdom now, and after my death you’ll get all of it.”
“Well,” said the young man, “since I wish everything that began well to end well, I’ll stay with you.”
Then the old man gave him half the kingdom, and when he died a year later, the young man had all of it. After the death of his own father, he received yet another kingdom and lived in happiness and wealth.
59
THE UNGRATEFUL SON
Once a man and his wife were sitting by the entrance to their house. They had a roasted chicken in front of them and were about to eat it when the man saw his father coming toward them. So the man quickly grabbed the chicken and hid it because he didn’t want to give him any. The old man came, had a drink, and went away. As the son reached to put the roasted chicken back on the table, he found that it had turned into a large toad, which then sprang onto his face, sat right on it, and wouldn’t leave him. If anyone tried to take it off, the toad would look at the person viciously as if it wanted to spring right into his face, too. So nobody dared touch it. And the ungrateful son had to feed the toad every day, otherwise, it would have eaten away part
of his face. Thus the son wandered aimlessly all over the world.
60
THE TURNIP
Once upon a time there were two brothers, both of whom served as soldiers. One was rich; the other, poor. Since the poor brother wanted to improve his circumstances, he left the army and became a farmer. He dug and hoed his little piece of ground and planted turnip seeds. As the turnips began to grow, one became large and strong and noticeably fatter than the others. It seemed as if it would not stop growing at all. Soon it was called the queen of all turnips because nobody had ever seen one like it, nor will anybody ever see one like it again. At last it became so large that it filled an entire wagon by itself, and two oxen were needed to pull it. The farmer had no idea what to do with the turnip, nor did he know whether it would bring him luck or misfortune. Finally, he thought, “If I sell it, I won’t get anything worth much. And, if I eat it, you might as well eat the small turnips, which are just as good. The best thing would be to bring it to the king. That way I can honor him with a gift.”
So he loaded the turnip on his wagon, hitched up two oxen, brought it to court, and gave it to the king.
“What kind of a rarity do we have here?” asked the king. “I’ve seen many strange things in my life, but I’ve never seen such a monstrosity as this. What kind of a seed did it grow from? Or do you have a green thumb and are lady fortune’s favorite son?”
“Oh, no,” the farmer replied. “I’m not fortune’s favorite son. I’m just a poor soldier who gave up the army life because I could no longer support myself. Now I’ve taken up farming. You probably know my brother, your Majesty. He’s rich, but nobody pays attention to me because I have nothing.”
Then the king took pity on him and said, “You shall be relieved of your poverty and shall receive such gifts from me that will make you the equal of your brother.”
So he gave him a great deal of gold, fields, meadows, and herds, and made him so terribly rich that his brother’s wealth could no longer match his at all. When the brother heard what he had acquired with a single turnip, he became jealous and pondered ways to get fortune to smile on him, too. However, he wanted to do everything in a more clever way. So he took gold and horses and brought them to the king, for he was firmly convinced that the king would give him a much larger present in return. After all, if his brother had obtained so much for a turnip, he would certainly get many more beautiful things.