Grimm's Fairy Tales (Barnes & Noble Classics Series)

by Brothers Grimm

  The King now began to think afresh how he could free himself, and he caused the master to be summoned, and said, “Will you not take money, and give up your right to my daughter? If so, you shall have as much as you wish.”

  “Well, my lord King,” replied the man, “just give me as much as my servant can carry, and you are welcome to keep your daughter.”

  This answer pleased the King very much, and our hero said that he would come and fetch the sum in fourteen days. During that time he collected all the tailors in the kingdom, and made them sew him a sack, which took up all that time. As soon as it was ready, the Strong Man, who had uprooted the trees, took the sack upon his shoulder, and carried it to the King. At the sight of him the King said, “What a powerful fellow this must be, carrying this great sack upon his shoulders!” and, sorely frightened, he wondered how much gold he would slip in. The King first of all caused a ton of gold to be brought, which required sixteen ordinary men to lift; but the Strong Man, taking it up with one hand, shoved it into the sack, saying, “Why do you not bring more at a time? this scarcely covers the bottom of the sack.” Then by degrees the King caused all his treasures to be brought, which the Strong Man put in, and yet they did not half fill his sack. “Bring more, more!” said he; “these are only a couple of crumbs.” Then they were obliged to bring seven thousand waggons laden with gold, and all these the man pushed into his sack—gold, waggons, oxen, and all. Still it was not full, and the Strong Man offered to take whatever they brought, if they would but fill his sack. When everything that they could find was put in, the man said, “Well, I must make an end to this; and, besides, if one’s sack is not quite full, why, it can be tied up so much easier!” and so saying, he hoisted it upon his back, and went away, and his companions with him.

  When the King saw this one man bearing away all the riches of his kingdom, he got into a tremendous passion, and ordered his cavalry to pursue the six men, and at all risk to bring back the Strong Man with the sack. Two regiments accordingly pursued them quickly, and shouted out to them, “You are our prisoners! lay down the sack of gold, or you will be hewn to pieces!”

  “What is that you are saying?” asked the Blower; “you will make us prisoners? but first you shall have a dance in the air!” So saying, he held one nostril, and blew with the other the two regiments right away into the blue sky, so that one flew over the hills on the right side, and the other on the left. One sergeant begged for mercy: he had nine wounds, and was a brave fellow undeserving of such disgrace. So the Blower sent after him a gentle puff which brought him back without harming him, and then sent him back to the King with a message that, whatever number of knights he might yet send, all would be blown into the air like the first lot. When the King heard this message, he said, “Let the fellows go! they will meet with their deserts!” So the six companions took home all the wealth of that kingdom, and, sharing it with one another, lived contentedly all the rest of their days.

  The Queen Bee

  Once upon a time two King’s sons set out to see adventures, and fell into such a wild kind of life that they did not return home. So their youngest brother, Dummling, went forth to seek them; but when he found them they mocked him because of his simplicity. Nevertheless they journeyed on, all three together, till they came to an ant-hill, which the two eldest brothers would have overturned, to see how the little ants would run in their terror, carrying away their eggs; but Dummling said, “Let the little creatures be in peace; I will not suffer them to be overturned!” Then they went further, till they came to a lake, on which ducks were swimming in myriads. The two brothers wanted to catch a pair and roast them; but Dummling would not allow it, saying, “Let these fowls alone; I will not suffer them to be killed!” At last they came to a bee’s nest, in which was lain so much honey that it was running out at the mouth of the nest. The two brothers would have lain down under the tree and caught the bees as they passed, for the sake of their honey; but Dummling again held them back, saying, “Leave the creatures alone; I will not suffer them to be touched!”

  After this the three brothers came to a castle, where in the stable stood several stone horses, but no man was to be seen; and they went through all the rooms, until they came to a door quite at the end on which hung three locks, and in the middle of the door was a hole through which one could see into the room. Peeping through this hole, they saw a fierce-looking man sitting at the table. They called to him once, twice, but he heard not; but as they called the third time he got up, opened the door, and came out. Not a word did he speak, but led them to a well-supplied table, and, when they had eaten and drunk, he took each of them into a sleeping chamber. The next morning the man came to the eldest, and, beckoning him up, led him to a stone table on which were written three sentences. The first was that under the moss in the wood lay the pearls of the King’s daughter, a thousand in number, which must be sought for, and, if at sunset even one was wanting, he who had searched for them would be changed into stone. The eldest brother went off and searched the whole day, but only found a hundred, so that it happened to him as the table had said—he was changed into stone. The next day the second brother undertook the adventure, but he fared no better than the other, for he found but two hundred pearls, and he, therefore, was turned into stone. Then the turn came to Dummling, who searched the moss, but it was very difficult to find the pearls, and the work went on but slowly. Then he sat himself down on a stone, and wept, and while he did so the ant-king whose life he had formerly saved came up with five thousand companions, and before very long they searched for and found, and piled in a heap, the whole thousand pearls. But the second sentence was to fetch the key of the Princess’s sleeping chamber out of a lake which by chance, the brothers had passed. When Dummling came to the lake, the ducks whose lives he had before saved swam up to him, and, diving below the water, quickly brought up the key. The third sentence, however, was the most difficult of all: of the three daughters of the King to pick out the youngest and the prettiest. They were all asleep, and appeared all the same, without a single mark of difference, except that before they fell asleep they had eaten different sweetmeats—the eldest a piece of sugar, the second a little syrup, and the youngest a spoon full of honey. Presently in came the Queen Bee of all the bees, who had been saved by Dummling from the fire, and tried the mouths of all three. At last she settled on the mouth which had eaten the honey, and thus the King’s son soon knew which was the right Princess. Then the spell was broken; every one was delivered from the sleep, and those who had been changed into stone received their human form again. Now Dummling was married to the youngest and prettiest Princess, and became King at his father’s death; but his two brothers were obliged to be content with the two other sisters.

  The Three Feathers

  Once upon a time there was a King who had three sons, two of whom were bold and decided, but the third was a simpleton, and, having nothing to say for himself, was called Dummling. When the King became old and weak, and thought his end was approaching, he knew not which of his sons to appoint to succeed him. So he said to them, “Go out upon your travels, and whoever brings me back the finest carpet shall be king at my death.” Then, to prevent their quarrelling, he led them out before his castle, and, blowing three feathers into the air, said, “As they fly, so shall you go.”

  One feather flew towards the east, another towards the west, but the third went in a straight direction, and soon fell to the ground. So one brother went right, another left, laughing at poor Dummling, who had to remain where the third feather had fallen.

  Dummling sat himself down, and was sad at heart; but presently he remarked that near the feather was a trap door. He raised it, and, finding steps, descended below the ground. He came to another door, and knocking heard a voice singing—

  “Frog, with the crooked leg,

  Small and light green,

  See who ’tis that knocks,

  Be quick; let him in!”

  The door was opened, and, going in,
he saw a large Frog and round her were squatted several smaller ones. The big one asked what he desired and he replied, “I seek the finest and most beautiful carpet.” The big Frog then called a young one, and said, “Bring me hither the great box.” So the young Frog fetched it; and the old one, opening it, took out and gave to Dummling a carpet more beautiful than any one could make. Dummling thanked her for the gift and came up the steps again.

  His two brothers meanwhile, thinking their youngest brother so simple, believed that he would not bring home anything at all, and said to each other, “Let us take the best shawl we can from the back of some shepherd’s wife.” So they stole the first they met with, and carried it to the King. At the same time Dummling arrived, bringing his fine and beautiful carpet, and as soon as the King saw it he was astonished, and said, “By right, this kingdom belongs to the youngest of you.”

  But the two others let the King have no peace, saying, “It is impossible that Dummling should have the kingdom, for he lacks common understanding.” So the King then decreed that whoever brought him the most beautiful ring should be his heir; and, taking the three brothers out, he blew, as before, three feathers into the air, for them to follow. The two eldest went east and west, but Dummling’s feather flew again as far as the trap-door, and there settled down. He descended a second time to the fat old Frog, and told her he needed the most beautiful ring in the world. The Frog ordered her jewel-casket to be brought, and gave him out of it a ring which sparkled with diamonds, and was finer than any goldsmith in the world could have made. The two eldest brothers gave themselves no further trouble than the beating of a nail, which they carried to the King. But, as soon as Dummling displayed his gold ring, the father said, “The kingdom belongs to him.” The two eldest brothers, however, would not let the King be at peace until he appointed a third condition, which was, that whoever brought him the prettiest woman should have the kingdom. A third time he blew the feathers into the air, and they flew, as before, east and west, and one straight out.

  Now Dummling went again down to the fat Frog, and said, “I have to take home the most beautiful bride I can find.” “Ah,” said the Frog, “the most beautiful bride! that is not easy for every one, but you shall have her;” and, so saying, she gave him a hollow carrot, to which six little mice were harnessed. Dummling asked sadly what he was to do with them, and the Frog told him to place in the carriage one of her little handmaids. He took up one Frog at random out of the circle, and placed her in the carrot; but no sooner was she seated than she became a beautiful maiden, and the carrot and the six mice were changed into a fine carriage and horses. Dummling kissed the maiden, and drove away from the place to the King’s palace. His brothers came afterwards, having given themselves no trouble to find a pretty girl, but taking the first peasants they met. When the King had seen them all, he said, “At my death the kingdom belongs to my youngest son.”

  But the two elder brothers again besieged the ears of the King with their cries, saying, “We cannot allow that Dummling should be king;” and they requested that there should be a trial for the superiority, to see whose wife could best jump through a ring which hung in the hall; for they thought to themselves, “These peasant girls will be strong enough, but that tender thing will kill herself in the attempt.” At last the King consented. The two peasant girls sprang easily through the ring, but they were so plump that they fell down and broke their arms and legs. Then the beautiful bride of Dummling sprang through as lightly and gracefully as a fawn, and all opposition was put an end to. So Dummling, after all, received the crown, and ruled a long time happily and wisely.

  The Golden Goose

  There was once a man who had three sons, the youngest of whom was named Dummling, and on that account was despised and slighted, and put back on every occasion. It happened that the eldest wished to go into the forest to hew wood, and before he went his mother gave him a fine large pancake and a bottle of wine to take with him. Just as he got into the forest, he met a grey old man, who bade him good-day, and said, “Give me a piece of your pancake and a sip of your wine, for I am very hungry and thirsty.” The prudent youth, however, would not, saying, “If I should give you my cake and wine, I shall have nothing left for myself; no, pack off!” and he left the man there and went onwards. He now began to hew down a tree, but he had not made many strokes before he missed his aim, and the axe cut into his arm so deeply that he was forced to go home and have it bound up. But this wound came from the little old man.

  Afterwards the second son went into the forest, and the mother gave him, as she had given the eldest, a pancake and a bottle of wine. The same little old man met him also, and requested a piece of his cake and a draught from his bottle. But he likewise refused, and said, “What I give to you I cannot have for myself; go, take yourself off!” and, so speaking, he left the old man there and went onwards. His reward, however, soon came, for when he had made two strokes at the tree he cut his own leg, so that he was obliged to return home.

  Then Dummling asked his father to let him go and hew wood; but his father said. “No; your brothers have harmed themselves in so doing, and so will you, for you do not understand anything about it.” But Dummling begged and prayed so long that his father at length said, “Well then, go, and you will become prudent through experience.” His mother gave him only a cake which had been baked in the ashes, and a bottle of sour beer. As he entered the forest, the same grey old man greeted him, and asked, “Give me a piece of your cake and a draught out of your bottle, for I am hungry and thirsty.”

  Dummling answered, “I have only a cake baked in the ashes and a bottle of sour beer, but, if they will suit you, let us sit down and eat.”

  They sat down, and as soon as Dummling took out his cake, lo! it was changed into a nice pancake, and the sour beer had become wine. They ate and drank, and when they had done the little man said, “Because you have a good heart, and have willingly shared what you had, I will make you lucky. There stands an old tree, cut it down, and you will find something at the roots.” Thereupon the little man took leave.

  Dummling went directly and cut down the tree, and, when it fell, there sat among the roots a goose which had feathers of pure gold. He took it up, and carried it with him to an inn where he intended to pass the night. The landlord had three daughters, who, as soon as they saw the goose, were very covetous of such a wonderful bird, even to have but one of its feathers. The eldest girl thought she would watch an opportunity to pluck out one, and just as Dummling was going out she caught hold of one of the wings, but her finger and thumb stuck there and she could not move. Soon after came the second, desiring also to pluck out a feather; but scarcely had she touched her sister when she was bound fast to her. At last the third came also, with like intention, and the others exclaimed, “Keep away, for heaven’s sake keep away!” But she did not see why she should, and thought, “The others are there, why should not I be too?” and, springing up to them, she touched her sister, and at once was made fast, so they had to pass the night with the goose.

  The next morning Dummling took the goose under his arm and went out, without troubling himself about the three girls, who were still hanging on, and who were obliged to keep on the run behind him, now to the left and now to the right, just as he thought proper. In the middle of a field the Parson met them, and when he saw the procession he cried out, “For shame, you good-for-nothing wenches, what are you running after that young man across the fields for? Come, pray leave off that sport!” So saying, he took the youngest by the hand and tried to pull her away, but as soon as he touched her he also stuck fast, and was forced to follow in the train. Soon after came the Clerk, and saw his master the Parson following in the footsteps of the three maidens. The sight astonished him much, and he called, “Holloa, master! where are you going so quickly? have you forgotten that there is a christening to-day?” and he ran up to him and caught him by the gown. The Clerk also could not release himself, and so there tramped the five, one behind another, t
ill they met two countrymen returning with their hatchets in their hands. The Parson called out to them, and begged them to come and release him and the Clerk; but no sooner had they touched the Clerk than they stuck fast to him, and so now there were seven all in a line following behind Dummling and the golden goose. By-and-by he came into a city, where a King ruled who had a daughter so seriously inclined that no one could make her laugh; so he had made a law that whoever should cause her to laugh should have her to wife.

  Now, when Dummling heard this, he went with his goose and all his train before the Princess, and, as soon as she saw these seven poor creatures continually on the trot behind one another, she began to laugh so heartily as if she were never going to cease. Dummling thereupon demanded his bride; but his intended son-in-law did not please the King, who, after a variety of excuses, at last said he must bring him a man who could drink a cellarful of wine. Dummling bethought himself of the grey little man, who would, no doubt, be able to help him; and going into the forest, on the same spot where he had felled the tree, he saw a man sitting with a very melancholy countenance. Dummling asked him what he was taking to heart so sorely? and he answered, “I have such a great thirst and cannot quench it; for cold water I cannot bear, and a cask of wine I soon empty; for what good is such a drop as that to a hot stone?”