Grimms' Fairy Tales

by Jacob Grimm

  Though he made the best of his bad luck, he did not like his quarters at all; and the worst of it was, that more and more hay was always coming down, and the space in which he was became smaller and smaller. At last he cried out as loud as he could, ‘Don’t bring me any more hay! Don’t bring me any more hay!’ The maid happened to be just then milking the cow, and hearing some one speak and seeing nobody, and yet being quite sure it was the same voice that she had heard in the night, she was so frightened that she fell off her stool and overset the milk-pail. She ran off as fast as she could to her master the parson, and said, ‘Sir, sir, the cow is talking!’ But the parson said, ‘Woman, thou art surely mad!’ However, he went with her into the cow-house to see what was the matter. Scarcely had they set their foot on the threshold, when Tom called out, ‘Don’t bring me any more hay!’ Then the parson himself was frightened; and thinking the cow was surely bewitched, ordered that she should be killed directly. So the cow was killed, and the stomach, in which Tom lay, was thrown out upon a dunghill.

  Tom soon set himself to work to get out, which was not a very easy task; but at last, just as he had made room to get his head out, a new misfortune befell him: a hungry wolf sprang out, and swallowed the whole stomach with Tom in it at a single gulp, and ran away. Tom, however, was not disheartened; and, thinking the wolf would not dislike having some chat with him as he was going along, he called out, ‘My good friend, I can show you a famous treat.’ ‘Where’s that?’ said the wolf. ‘In such and such a house,’ said Tom, describing his father’s house, ‘you can crawl through the drain into the kitchen, and there you will find cakes, ham, beef, and every thing your heart can desire.’ The wolf did not wait to be asked twice; so that very night he went to the house and crawled through the drain into the kitchen, and ate and drank there to his heart’s content. As soon as he was satisfied, he wanted to get away, but he had eaten so much that he could not get out the same way that he came in. This was just what Tom had reckoned upon; and he now began to set up a great shout, making all the noise he could. ‘Will you be quiet?’ said the wolf: ‘you’ll awaken every body in the house.’ ‘What’s that to me?’ said the little man: ‘you have had your frolic, now I’ve a mind to be merry myself;’ and he began again singing and shouting as loud as he could.

  The woodman and his wife, being awakened by the noise, peeped through a crack in the door; but when they saw that the wolf was there, you may well suppose that they were terribly frightened; and the woodman ran for his axe, and gave his wife a scythe. – ‘Now do you stay behind,’ said the woodman, ‘and when I have knocked him on the head, do you rip up his belly for him with the scythe.’ Tom heard all this, and said, ‘Father, father! I am here, the wolf has swallowed me:’ and his father said, ‘Heaven be praised! we have found our dear child again;’ and he told his wife not to use the scythe, for fear she should hurt him. Then he aimed a great blow, and struck the wolf on the head, and killed him on the spot; and when he was dead they cut open his body and set Tommy free. ‘Ah!’ said the father, ‘what fears we have had for you!’ ‘Yes, father,’ answered he, ‘I have travelled all over the world, since we parted, in one way or other and now I am very glad to get fresh air again.’ ‘Why, where have you been?’ said his father. ‘I have been in a mouse-hole, in a snail-shell; down a cow’s throat, and in the wolf’s belly; and yet here I am again safe and sound.’ ‘Well,’ said they, ‘we will not sell you again for all the riches in the world.’ So they hugged and kissed their dear little son, and gave him plenty to eat and drink, and fetched new clothes for him, for his old ones were quite spoiled on his journey.

  The Grateful Beasts

  A certain man, who had lost almost all his money, resolved to set off with the little that was left him, and travel into the wide world. Then the first place he came to was a village, where the young people were running about crying and shouting. ‘What is the matter?’ asked he. ‘See here,’ answered they, ‘we have got a mouse that we make dance to please us. Do look at him: what a droll sight it is! how he jumps about!’ But the man pitied the poor little thing, and said, ‘Let the mouse go, and I will give you money.’ So he gave them some, and took the mouse and let him run; and he soon jumped into a hole that was close by, and was out of their reach.

  Then he travelled on and came to another village, and there the children had got an ass that they made stand on its hind legs and tumble, at which they laughed and shouted, and gave the poor beast no rest. So the good man gave them also some money to let the poor ass alone.

  At the next village he came to, the young people had got a bear that had been taught to dance, and they were plaguing the poor thing sadly. Then he gave them too some money to let the beast go, and the bear was very glad to get on his four feet, and seemed quite happy.

  But the man had now given away all the money he had in the world, and had not a shilling in his pocket. Then said he to himself, ‘The king has heaps of gold in his treasury that he never uses; I cannot die of hunger, I hope I shall be forgiven if I borrow a little, and when I get rich again I will repay it all.’

  Then he managed to get into the treasury, and took a very little money; but as he came out the king’s guards saw him; so they said he was a thief, and took him to the Judge, and he was sentenced to be thrown into the water in a box. The lid of the box was full of holes to let in air, and a jug of water and a loaf of bread were given him.

  Whilst he was floating along in the water very sorrowfully, he heard something nibbling and biting at the lock; and all on a sudden it fell off, the lid flew open, and there stood his old friend the little mouse, who had done him this service. And then came the ass and the bear, and pulled the box ashore; and all helped him because he had been kind to them.

  But now they did not know what to do next, and began to consult together; when on a sudden a wave threw on the shore a beautiful white stone that looked like an egg. Then the bear said, ‘That’s a lucky thing: this is the wonderful stone, and whoever has it may have every thing else that he wishes.’ So the man went and picked up the stone, and wished for a palace and a garden, and a stud of horses; and his wish was fulfilled as soon as he had made it. And there he lived in his castle and garden, with fine stables and horses; and all was so grand and beautiful, that he never could wonder and gaze at it enough.

  After some time, some merchants passed by that way. ‘See,’ said they, ‘what a princely palace! The last time we were here, it was nothing but a desert waste.’ They were very curious to know how all this had happened; so they went in and asked the master of the palace how it had been so quickly raised. ‘I have done nothing myself,’ answered he, ‘it is the wonderful stone that did all.’ – ‘What a strange stone that must be!’ said they: then he invited them in and showed it to them. They asked him whether he would sell it, and offered him all their goods for it; and the goods seemed so fine and costly, that he quite forgot that the stone would bring him in a moment a thousand better and richer things, and he agreed to make the bargain.

  Scarcely was the stone, however, out of his hands before all his riches were gone, and he found himself sitting in his box in the water, with his jug of water and loaf of bread by his side. The grateful beasts, the mouse, the ass, and the bear, came directly to help him; but the mouse found she could not nibble off the lock this time, for it was a great deal stronger than before. Then the bear said, ‘We must find the wonderful stone again, or all our endeavours will be fruitless.’

  The merchants, meantime, had taken up their abode in the palace; so away went the three friends, and when they came near, the bear said, ‘Mouse, go in and look through the key-hole and see where the stone is kept: you are small, nobody will see you.’ The mouse did as she was told, but soon came back and said, ‘Bad news! I have looked in, and the stone hangs under the looking-glass by a red silk string, and on each side of it sits a great cat with fiery eyes to watch it.’

  Then the others took council together and said,
‘Go back again, and wait till the master of the palace is in bed asleep, then nip his nose and pull his hair.’ Away went the mouse, and did as they directed her; and the master jumped up very angry, and rubbed his nose, and cried, ‘Those rascally cats are good for nothing at all, they let the mice eat my very nose and pull the hair off my head.’ Then he hunted them out of the room; and so the mouse had the best of the game.

  Next night as soon as the master was asleep, the mouse crept in again, and nibbled at the red silk string to which the stone hung, till down it dropped, and she rolled it along to the door; but when it got there, the poor little mouse was quite tired; so she said to the ass, ‘Put in your foot, and lift it over the threshold.’ This was soon done: and they took up the stone, and set off for the water side. Then the ass said, ‘How shall we reach the box?’ But the bear answered, ‘That is easily managed; I can swim very well, and do you, donkey, put your fore-feet over my shoulders; – mind and hold fast, and take the stone in your mouth: as for you, mouse, you can sit in my ear.’

  It was all settled thus, and away they swam. After a time, the bear began to brag and boast: ‘We are brave fellows, are not we, ass?’ said he; ‘what do you think?’ But the ass held his tongue, and said not a word. ‘Why don’t you answer me?’ said the bear, ‘you must be an ill-mannered brute not to speak when you’re spoken to.’ When the ass heard this, he could hold no longer; so he opened his mouth, and dropped the wonderful stone. ‘I could not speak,’ said he; ‘did not you know I had the stone in my mouth? now ’tis lost, and that’s your fault.’ ‘Do but hold your tongue and be quiet,’ said the bear; ‘and let us think what’s to be done.’

  Then a council was held: and at last they called together all the frogs, their wives and families, relations and friends, and said: ‘A great enemy is coming to eat you all up; but never mind, bring us up plenty of stones, and we’ll build a strong wall to guard you.’ The frogs hearing this were dreadfully frightened, and set to work, bringing up all the stones they could find. At last came a large fat frog pulling along the wonderful stone by the silken string: and when the bear saw it, he jumped for joy, and said, ‘Now we have found what we wanted.’ So he released the old frog from his load, and told him to tell his friends they might go about their business as soon as they pleased.

  Then the three friends swam off again for the box; and the lid flew open, and they found that they were but just in time, for the bread was all eaten, and the jug almost empty. But as soon as the good man had the stone in his hand, he wished himself safe and sound in his palace again; and in a moment there he was, with his garden and his stables and his horses; and his three faithful friends dwelt with him, and they all spent their time happily and merrily as long as they lived.

  Jorinda and Jorindel

  There was once an old castle that stood in the middle of a large thick wood, and in the castle lived an old fairy. All the day long she flew about in the form of an owl, or crept about the country like a cat; but at night she always became an old woman again. When any youth came within a hundred paces of her castle, he became quite fixed, and could not move a step till she came and set him free: but when any pretty maiden came within that distance, she was changed into a bird; and the fairy put her into a cage and hung her up in a chamber in the castle. There were seven hundred of these cages hanging in the castle, and all with beautiful birds in them.

  Now there was once a maiden whose name was Jorinda: she was prettier than all the pretty girls that ever were seen; and a shepherd whose name was Jorindel was very fond of her, and they were soon to be married. One day they went to walk in the wood, that they might be alone: and Jorindel said, ‘We must take care that we don’t go too near to the castle.’ It was a beautiful evening; the last rays of the setting sun shone bright through the long stems of the trees upon the green underwood beneath, and the turtledoves sang plaintively from the tall birches.

  Jorinda sat down to gaze upon the sun; Jorindel sat by her side; and both felt sad, they knew not why; but it seemed as if they were to be parted from one another for ever. They had wandered a long way; and when they looked to see which way they should go home, they found themselves at a loss to know what path to take.

  The sun was setting fast, and already half of his circle had disappeared behind the hill: Jorindel on a sudden looked behind him, and as he saw through the bushes that they had, without knowing it, sat down close under the old walls of the castle, he shrank for fear, turned pale, and trembled. Jorinda was singing,

  ‘The ring-dove sang from the willow spray,

  Well-a-day! well-a-day!

  He mourn’d for the fate

  Of his lovely mate,

  Well-a-day!’

  The song ceased suddenly. Jorindel turned to see the reason, and beheld his Jorinda changed into a nightingale; so that her song ended with a mournful jug, jug. An owl with fiery eyes flew three times round them, and three times screamed Tu whu! Tu whu! Tu whu! Jorindel could not move: he stood fixed as a stone, and could neither weep, nor speak, nor stir hand or foot. And now the sun went quite down; the gloomy night came; the owl flew into a bush; and a moment after the old fairy came forth, pale and meagre, with staring eyes, and a nose and chin that almost met one another.

  She mumbled something to herself, seized the nightingale, and went away with it in her hand. Poor Jorindel saw the nightingale was gone, – but what could he do? he could not move from the spot where he stood. At last the fairy came back, and sang with a hoarse voice,

  ‘Till the prisoner’s fast,

  And her doom is cast,

  There stay! Oh, stay!

  When the charm is around her,

  And the spell has bound her,

  Hie away! away!’

  On a sudden Jorindel found himself free. Then he fell on his knees before the fairy, and prayed her to give him back his dear Jorinda: but she said he should never see her again, and went her way.

  He prayed, he wept, he sorrowed, but all in vain. ‘Alas!’ he said, ‘what will become of me?’

  He could not return to his own home, so he went to a strange village, and employed himself in keeping sheep. Many a time did he walk round and round as near to the hated castle as he dared go. At last he dreamt one night that he found a beautiful purple flower, and in the middle of it lay a costly pearl; and he dreamt that he plucked the flower, and went with it in his hand into the castle, and that every thing he touched with it was disenchanted, and that there he found his dear Jorinda again.

  In the morning when he awoke, he began to search over hill and dale for this pretty flower; and eight long days he sought for it in vain: but on the ninth day early in the morning he found the beautiful purple flower; and in the middle of it was a large dew drop as big as a costly pearl.

  Then he plucked the flower, and set out and travelled day and night till he came again to the castle. He walked nearer than a hundred paces to it, and yet he did not become fixed as before, but found that he could go close up to the door.

  Jorindel was very glad to see this: he touched the door with the flower, and it sprang open, so that he went in through the court, and listened when he heard so many birds singing. At last he came to the chamber where the fairy sat, with the seven hundred birds singing in the seven hundred cages. And when she saw Jorindel she was very angry, and screamed with rage; but she could not come within two yards of him; for the flower he held in his hand protected him. He looked around at the birds, but alas! there were many many nightingales, and how then should he find his Jorinda? While he was thinking what to do, he observed that the fairy had taken down one of the cages, and was making her escape through the door. He ran or flew to her, touched the cage with the flower, – and his Jorinda stood before him. She threw her arms round his neck and looked as beautiful as ever, as beautiful as when they walked together in the wood.

  Then he touched all the other birds with the flower, so that they resumed their old forms; a
nd took his dear Jorinda home, where they lived happily together many years.

  The Wonderful Musician

  There was once a capital musician who played delightfully on the fiddle, and he went rambling in a forest in a merry mood. Then he said to himself, ‘Time goes rather heavily on, I must find a companion.’ So he took up his fiddle, and fiddled away till the wood resounded with his music.

  Presently up came a wolf. ‘Dear me! there’s a wolf coming to see me,’ said the musician. But the wolf came up to him, and said, ‘How very prettily you play! I wish you would teach me.’ ‘That is easily done,’ said the musician, ‘if you will only do what I bid you.’ ‘Yes,’ replied the wolf, ‘I shall be a very apt scholar.’ So they went on a little way together, and came at last to an old oak tree that was hollow within, and had a large crack in the middle of the trunk. ‘Look there,’ said the musician, ‘if you wish to learn to fiddle, put your fore-feet into that crack.’ The wolf did as he was bid: but the musician picked up a large stone and wedged both his fore-feet fast into the crack, so as to make him a prisoner. ‘Now be so good as to wait there till I come back,’ said he, and jogged on.

  After a while, he said again to himself, ‘Time goes very heavily, I must find another companion.’ So he took his fiddle, and fiddled away again in the wood. Presently up came a fox that was wandering close by. ‘Ah! there is a fox,’ said he. The fox came up and said, ‘You delightful musician, how prettily you play! I must and will learn to play as you do.’ ‘That you may soon do,’ said the musician, ‘if you do as I tell you.’ ‘That I will,’ said the fox. So they travelled on together till they came to a narrow footpath with high bushes on each side. Then the musician bent a stout hazel stem down to the ground from one side of the path, and set his foot on the top, and held it fast; and bent another from the other side, and said to the fox, ‘Now, pretty fox, if you want to fiddle, give me hold of your left paw.’ So the fox gave him his paw; and he tied it fast to the top of one of the hazel stems. ‘Now give me your right,’ said he; and the fox did as he was told: then the musician tied that paw to the other hazel; and took off his foot, and away up flew the bushes, and the fox too, and hung sprawling and swinging in the air. ‘Now be so kind as to stay there till I come back,’ said the musician, and jogged on.