THE SNAKE SISTER
A merchant had two children. One was named Hans; the other, Annie. The merchant’s wife had died some time ago, leaving him alone. Annie had a friend whose mother was said to be a witch. She made Annie so ill with her sorcery that neither doctors nor baths could cure her. “Tell your father that you won’t get better until he marries me.” The father went ahead with the marriage for the sake of his child. After the wedding, he disappeared without a trace.
Hans lived in one of the two houses the merchant had abandoned, and beautiful Annie lived in the other one with her stepmother and her ugly daughter. Annie had to wait on both of them, and her life was hard, with little to eat. Whenever her brother came over for a visit, the best foods were served so that he would think his sister was in good hands. One day he discovered the truth, and he decided to go away and seek his fortune as quickly as possible. He gave his sister a shiny knife, thrust it into the trunk of a tree, and said to her: “If this knife ever gets rusty, it means that I have taken a bad turn. But if it stays shiny, that’s a sign that I will be back.” He left for the wide, wide world after saying those words, and then he was gone.
The old witch pretended to be ill and sent Annie to the zoo to fetch some water from the well of healing that was over there. The water was supposed to cure her, but the witch knew that the well was guarded by all kinds of wild animals. She was hoping that they would tear the girl to pieces and then she would inherit her husband’s entire fortune.
The girl walked over to the zoo. A dwarf was guarding the entrance and asked: “Why are you here?” Because she gave an honest answer, the dwarf gave her a crust of bread, which she was then supposed to toss to the wild animals. That meant she could scoop out as much water as she wanted, without risking her life. That’s what happened, and when the girl left with the water from the well, she heard a voice:
“Stop!
Scrub me clean, wash me fresh,
Heaven may greet me in the flesh.”
She saw a skull, washed it clean with the water she had, and was about to go back for more when a second skull made the same request, and then a third one too. She took care of all three of them, and just as she was about to return home, the first skull called out to her:
“May you become even more beautiful than you already are!”
And the second called out:
“May you succeed in everything you decide to do!”
And the third called out:
“May you become a queen, even if it means that you are first turned into a snake!”
And so Annie returned home, looking radiantly beautiful.
The old woman was wildly jealous, and she sent her own daughter to the well so that she would become just as beautiful. The girl encountered the three skulls and washed them all, but then she threw them back in the mud. When she turned to go home, the first skull cried out to her:
“May you return home even uglier than you already are!”
And the second cried out:
“May you fail at everything that you decide to do!”
And the third:
“May you be burned at the stake after you become queen of the land.”
In the meantime, Hans ran out of money while he was on the road. He arrived penniless in a city ruled by a king. The king’s grooms let him sleep in the stables. They noticed that every morning and every evening, the young man would remove from his pocket the picture of a wondrously beautiful young woman. He would kiss the picture and begin to weep. They told the king about it, and he ordered Hans to let him see the picture of the young woman. When he learned that she was the sister of Hans, he was beside himself with joy and declared that he was determined to make her his wife. Without delay he asked Hans to bring his sister, his stepmother, and his stepsister to the castle.
The king’s castle was surrounded by a lake, which Hans had to cross with all three of the women. During the boat ride, the old woman pushed the beautiful girl into the water and turned her into a huge snake. The king was enraged when he saw the mother and her daughter, and he felt betrayed. But he had to keep the promise he had once made and marry the ugly girl. He threw Hans into a dungeon.
The old woman told her daughter to beg for mercy for Hans. The king told him that he would spare Hans’s life if he built a bridge across the water, but he would be sentenced to death if he failed.
In the evening Hans sat down by the edge of the lake and began to weep. Suddenly a huge water snake appeared and said: “Don’t worry. I’m going to help you. Just go to sleep and in the morning everything will be done as commanded.” The bridge was there when the sun rose, but Hans was not released from the dungeon. At least now, though, he was given something to eat on a daily basis.
The old woman could find no peace, and she asked her daughter again to beg for mercy for Hans. All he had to do was build a small castle opposite the palace, so that each could be seen from the other. Hans went down to the lake again and began to weep. The water snake appeared again, comforted him, and helped him. When the sun rose, the castle had been built, and it was even more beautiful than the palace. Now Hans was given food twice a day and was allowed to walk on the grounds.
The old woman could not stop fretting as long as Hans was alive. The daughter had to beg for mercy one more time. This time Hans was ordered to bring the water snake into the courtyard. Otherwise he was a dead man. Hans walked down to the lake again, full of sorrow, and the water snake said: “Just go to sleep until sunrise. I will put my head on your shoulder, and you can carry me into the courtyard. They will chop me into bits. Don’t let my right eye out of your sight. Take it, and bury it under the threshold at the entrance to the new castle, the one in which the old woman is now living.”
That’s exactly what happened, and now Hans was given food three times a day. One day the king was looking out the window of his palace and saw a beautiful young woman emerge from the threshold at the entrance of the new castle, but he saw her only from the waist up. It was the woman whose picture Hans had shown him. Hans was summoned at once. He recognized his sister, ran over to the castle, and dug her out using his fingers, which began to bleed. He was overjoyed and took his sister to the king.
As punishment, the old woman was torn to pieces by four horses. The false queen was burned at the stake. And beautiful Annie became the king’s wife.
“FOLLOW ME, JODEL!”
An elderly farmer had two sons, one named Michael and the other Jodel. The father was especially fond of Jodel, who had a good heart even though he was not as bright as his brother. The father was hoping to leave his farm and all his possessions to Jodel, but Michael insisted that he, as the older of the two, should inherit everything. A quarrel broke out until finally the father declared: “Whoever brings home the most beautiful silk cloth will inherit all my property.” Michael headed off right away to seek the prize, but Jodel, who had never been away from home, sat down on a bench and began to brood over his misfortune.
A toad hopped over to him and asked: “Why are you so sad?” At first Jodel was reluctant to confide in the less-than-beautiful animal, but when she insisted on knowing more, he told her why he was so miserable. “Follow me, Jodel, and then you will have the most beautiful silk cloth imaginable.” Jodel didn’t want to crawl on the ground and get his clothes dirty. But the toad insisted and so the younger brother crawled after her until the two reached a beautiful house in the woods. The door to the house opened right away. The toad hopped up the steps and entered a hall. She sat down on the sofa and called out: “Where are you, Mouse?”
A little mouse came running in and asked, “How may I help you?”
“Bring me the trunk with the beautiful silk fabrics!” The little mouse brought the trunk in, and the toad picked out the most beautiful fabric in it. She gave it to Jodel, who ran home with a spring in his step.
The brothers compared the two cloths back at
home. It was not hard to tell that Jodel had the finer one. Michael insisted on a new bet and asked their father to propose another task. This time they were supposed to bring back new jackets instead of just fabric. Michael tore off like an arrow, but Jodel sat down on the bench and began brooding again. The toad reappeared. “Jodel, come follow me!” she said, and he was given the most beautiful jacket imaginable.
Michael was really angry now, because Jodel had come home with a jacket that was more beautiful than his. He insisted on a third task, and his father said, “All right, whoever brings back the loveliest bride will have my entire estate.” Unsure of what to do, Jodel sat down near the door. The toad appeared again, but Jodel didn’t want to listen to her because he was sure she could not help him with this particular task. The toad did not give up on him, and she said, “Jodel, follow me!”
When they were back in the same house, the toad told Jodel, “Listen carefully and do everything that I tell you! Wash me, put me in bed, and then lie down next to me!” Jodel had to follow her orders, whether he wanted to or not. He washed her, put her under the covers, and lay down next to her. Sleeping next to that ugly animal gave him the creeps, but he soon grew tired and nodded off.
When Jodel awoke in the morning, a lovely maiden was next to him in bed. He looked around in the room, and it had turned into a radiantly splendid hall. Then he went to the window and realized that the house had been turned into a castle, with extraordinary grounds surrounding it. He rang a bell, and servants came rushing in, included the little mouse, which had been turned back into a chambermaid. The lovely maiden woke up and thanked Jodel for lifting the terrible curse put on her. She offered him her hand in gratitude, along with her entire estate. Jodel was at a loss for words at first and didn’t know what to do. The maiden gave him signs of encouragement, and so he was happy to accept her offer.
A carriage drew up to the entrance, and Jodel climbed in with his bride and rode off to his father’s house. Poor Michael had returned home with a pretty young girl. But his tears of sorrow turned to joy when Jodel told him that he could keep the farm, for he now had plenty of money and did not need anything from his brother. The father of the two young men was overjoyed that Jodel was now so well situated and that Michael was content as well. He went to live with the son he liked best, and they dwelled in harmony. If they have not yet died, then they are still living happily today.
THE TOAD BRIDE
There was once a man with three sons; two were clever and the third was foolish. He gave some flax to each of them and said: “Whoever spins the finest thread will inherit my house.” The two clever ones found spindles and a spinning wheel and set to work, spinning day and night. The foolish one took the flax and ran with the wind, back and forth and everywhere imaginable, through forests and swamps, until at last he found himself sinking into the mud.
Some toads started hopping toward him and one of them said: “Give me your flax, and we will set you free. But be sure to come back!” After returning home, the fellow came back. The toad gave him this order: “Take the thread with you. Then let everyone know that you are planning to marry. Be sure to put a bridal veil and dress on the altar.”
The thread brought home by the third son was much finer than what his brothers had produced, and the father gave him the house. Everyone was planning to come to his wedding, but there was no bride in sight when they arrived. The church bells were ringing, and the groom was standing at the altar when a toad appeared and slipped into the wedding dress. All at once she turned into the most beautiful woman ever seen. “You set me free!” she exclaimed. “I was put under a spell by an evil witch and the curse could only be lifted when a young man needed my help. After I finished spinning the thread for you, the spell was broken.” The young man married the beautiful woman, and they lived in harmony for many years.
PRINCE DUNG BEETLE
There was once a poor girl named Barbara, whose mother was ill. She had to run over to the doctor and druggist for help. On the way, she jumped across a paving stone and slipped, almost flattening a dung beetle. When she realized that she had sprained her ankle, she felt terrible and cried out: “Now who is going to bring back the doctor? My mother is going to die!”
The beetle muttered: “Climb up on my back.” Startled by the strange voice, the girl began to sob uncontrollably. The beetle slid right under her, spread its wings, and lifted her up in the air, carrying her to the doctor and druggist in a flash and then back home to her mother.
“You must be sure to feed your little horse,” the mother said to her daughter while they were eating bread and sipping water.
“Yes, of course, but my little horse seems to have wandered away,” Barbara said. She searched every corner of the house and looked out all the windows. Suddenly one of the king’s horsemen appeared on the horizon, riding toward them.
“Oh, that must be the Blue Prince,” the mother called out, as if he were an old friend. The door flew open, and the prince marched right in, looking radiantly young and handsome. He greeted the mother warmly, and then he looked at the young woman, took her by the hand, and said: “You lifted the curse on me, and I want to thank you by giving you everything I own.” Barbara did not know what to do, and she looked first at the prince, then at her mother. She was afraid of the stranger. But he explained what had happened to him: “For many years, more years than there are trees in the woods, I have been living as a beetle, crawling around in dust and refuse, beaten down, crushed, tortured, and in pain, all because I did the same things to animals when I was a boy. My punishment was to turn into a beast and to suffer as they do. You took pity on me, miserable beetle that I was, and that’s how you lifted the curse. I want to ask your mother for the hand of the angel who saved me!”
The girl turned pale, and both mother and daughter were deeply moved.
The prince threw open the shutters and blew on his horn. The mountains wafted the melody over the forests, and everything there awakened and came alive. Barbara and her mother began to realize that the many people who had suddenly appeared with horses and carts were the prince’s subjects, and they, too, had been rescued by the love of a simple young woman. The mother was soon healed, and her beautiful, rosy-cheeked daughter joyfully accepted the prince’s proposal.
At the wedding, the fleas played the fiddle, the birds whistled tunes, and all creatures with feet, large and small, danced and leaped through the air.
PART III
OTHERWORLDLY CREATURES
THE THREE SPINDLES
A young farmer’s daughter got herself in trouble, and her parents threw her out of the house. She wandered around aimlessly until finally, in desperation, she sat down on a tree stump with three crosses carved into it. She began to weep. Suddenly a wood sprite raced toward her, pursued by a group of frenzied hunters. The girl jumped to her feet to make room for the sprite, for she knew that it would find safety there from what were known as the devil’s hunters, hordes of demons that rode in with the winter storms.
The girl herself was knocked down so hard that she fainted. When she came to, the wood sprite was still sitting on the stump and asked her why she had been crying. When the sprite learned what had happened, she said: “In exchange for helping me escape those hunters, you may come with me, and all will be well.”
Together they walked to a boulder with a door carved into it. When they entered, they found themselves in a clean, bright room with a little bed that looked mossy, but only a bit so. Two young wood sprites were sitting and spinning moss onto spindles. Every day one of the little women would spin a spindle full, and the older sprite would exchange the yarn for food. The farmer’s daughter was supposed to do some spinning as well, but the yarn she spun was never quite as fine.
At last the day arrived when the young woman gave birth to a little boy, much to the joy of the wood sprites. They took good care of mother and child. Their only wish was that the child could stay with them forever
, and the young woman decided to grant them that wish. The wood sprites gave the young mother cakes that looked as if they were made of moss but tasted like honey, along with water that tasted like wine.
After some time had passed, the wood sprite took the young mother back to the tree, right to the stump where they had first met. She took leave of her and gave her three spindles of yarn. She warned her to take good care of the spindles, for as long as they were in her home, she would want for nothing. “But if you are ever in real need, unspool some yarn—as much as you need—and you will still have as much as you started with. After that, put the spindles behind the beams of the hut, and don’t let anyone see you.” The wood sprite disappeared and was never seen again.
When the young woman returned home, her parents hardly recognized her, for she was covered all over with moss. Once their daughter was back home, fortune began to favor them. The daughter married and became a wealthy farmer’s wife. But she never forgot her promise, and every Saturday she would bake a cake made with flour, milk, and eggs and put it down with great care on the stump in the woods.
THE LITTLE FLAX FLOWER
There were once two young women, one pretty, the other plain, and they spent their days in the fields sowing flaxseeds. The pretty one worked in the hills; the plain one, in the valley. One day, while they were walking behind a plow, the pretty one began to sing:
“I’m searching for a love so true,
As pure as linen through and through,
With bright red cheeks so very dear,
Glowing like violet and gold so clear,
With beautiful eyes ever so blue,
The Turnip Princess and Other Newly Discovered Fairy Tales (Penguin Classics) Page 10
