Grimm: Hansel and Grethel

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Hansel and Grethel

HARD by a great forest dwelt a poor wood-cutter with his wife and his two children. The boy was called Hansel, and the girl Grethel. He had little to bite and to break, and once when great scarcity fell on the land, he could no longer procure daily bread. Now when he thought over this by night in his bed and tossed about in his anxiety, he groaned and said to his wife, "What is to become of us? How are we to feed our poor children, when we no longer have anything even for ourselves?"

"I'll tell you what, husband," answered the woman. "Early tomorrow morning, we will take the children out into the forest to where it is the thickest; there we will light a fire for them, and give each of them one piece of bread more, and then we will go to our work and leave them alone. They will not find the way home again, and we shall be rid of them."

"No, wife," said the man, "I will not do that; how can I bear to leave my children alone in the forest? The wild animals would soon come and tear them to pieces."

"O, thou fool!" said she. "Then we must all four die of hunger; thou mayest as well plane the planks for our coffins," and she left him no peace until he consented.

"But I feel very sorry for the poor children all the same," said the man.

The two children had also not been able to sleep for hunger and had heard what their step-mother said to their father. Grethel wept bitter tears and said to Hansel, "Now all is over with us."

"Be quiet, Grethel," said Hansel. "Do not distress thyself; I will soon find a way to help us."

And when the old folks had fallen asleep, he got up, put on his little coat, opened the door below, and crept outside. The moon shone brightly, and the white pebbles which lay in front of the house glittered like real silver pennies. Hansel stooped and put as many of them in the little pocket of his coat as he could possibly get in. Then he went back and said to Grethel, "Be comforted, dear little sister, and sleep in peace; God will not forsake us," and he lay down again in his bed.

When day dawned, but before the sun had risen, the woman came and awoke the two children, saying "Get up, you sluggards! We are going into the forest to fetch wood."

She gave each a little piece of bread,and said, "There is something for your dinner, but do not eat it up before then, for you will get nothing else."

Grethel took the bread under her apron, as Hansel had the stones in his pocket. Then they all set out together on the way to the forest.

When they had walked a short time, Hansel stood still and peeped back at the house, and did so again and again.

His father said, "Hansel, what art thou looking at there and staying behind for? Mind what thou art about, and do not forget how to use thy legs."

"Ah, father," said Hansel, "I am looking at my little white cat, which is sitting up on the roof and wants to say good-bye to me."

The wife said, "Fool, that is not thy little cat; that is the morning sun which is shining on the chimneys."

Hansel, however, had not been looking back at the cat but had been constantly throwing one of the white pebble-stones out of his pocket on the road.

When they had reached the middle of the forest, the father said, "Now, children, pile up some wood, and I will light a fire that you may not be cold."

Hansel and Grethel gathered brushwood together, as high as a little hill. The brushwood was lighted, and when the flames were burning very high, the woman said, "Now, children, lay yourselves down by the fire and rest; we will go into the forest and cut some wood. When we have done, we will come back and fetch you away."

Hansel and Grethel sat by the fire, and when noon came, each ate a little piece of bread, and as they heard the strokes of the wood-axe, they believed that their father was near. It was not, however, the axe; it was a branch which he had fastened to a withered tree which the wind was blowing backwards and forwards. And as they had been sitting such a long time, their eyes shut with fatigue, and they fell fast asleep.

When at last they awoke, it was already dark night. Grethel began to cry and said, "How are we to get out of the forest now?"

But Hansel comforted her and said, "Just wait a little until the moon has risen, and then we will soon find the way."

And when the full moon had risen, Hansel took his little sister by the hand and followed the pebbles, which shone like newly-coined silver pieces and showed them the way.

Next: Hansel and Grethel (cont.)

(900 words)

Grimm: Hansel and Grethel (cont.)

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Offterdinger)

Hansel and Grethel (cont.)

They walked the whole night long, and by break of day came once more to their father's house. They knocked at the door, and when the woman opened it and saw that it was Hansel and Grethel, she said, "You naughty children, why have you slept so long in the forest? We thought you were never coming back at all!"

The father, however, rejoiced, for it had cut him to the heart to leave them behind alone.

Not long afterwards, there was once more great scarcity in all parts, and the children heard their mother saying at night to their father, "Everything is eaten again; we have one half loaf left, and after that there is an end. The children must go; we will take them farther into the wood so that they will not find their way out again — there is no other means of saving ourselves!"

The man's heart was heavy, and he thought, "It would be better for thee to share the last mouthful with thy children."

The woman, however, would listen to nothing that he had to say, but scolded and reproached him. He who says A must say B likewise, and as he had yielded the first time, he had to do so a second time also.

The children were, however, still awake and had heard the conversation. When the old folks were asleep, Hansel again got up and wanted to go out and pick up pebbles as he had done before, but the woman had locked the door, and Hansel could not get out. Nevertheless he comforted his little sister and said, "Do not cry, Grethel; go to sleep quietly — the good God will help us."

Early in the morning came the woman and took the children out of their beds. Their bit of bread was given to them, but it was still smaller than the time before. On the way into the forest, Hansel crumbled his in his pocket, and often stood still and threw a morsel on the ground.

"Hansel, why dost thou stop and look round?" said the father; "go on."

"I am looking back at my little pigeon, which is sitting on the roof and wants to say good-bye to me," answered Hansel.

"Simpleton!" said the woman. "That is not thy little pigeon; that is the morning sun that is shining on the chimney."

Hansel, however, little by little, threw all the crumbs on the path.

The woman led the children still deeper into the forest, where they had never in their lives been before. Then a great fire was again made, and the mother said, "Just sit there, you children, and when you are tired you may sleep a little; we are going into the forest to cut wood, and in the evening when we are done, we will come and fetch you away."

When it was noon, Grethel shared her piece of bread with Hansel, who had scattered his by the way. Then they fell asleep, and evening came and went, but no one came to the poor children.

They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said, "Just wait, Grethel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have strewn about; they will show us our way home again."

When the moon came, they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up.

Hansel said to Grethel, "We shall soon find the way," but they did not find it.

They walked the whole night and all the next day, too, from morning till evening, but they did not get out of the forest and were very hungry, for they had nothing to eat but two or three berries which grew on the ground. And as they were so weary that their legs would carry them no longer, they lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep.

Next: Hansel and Grethel (cont. again)

(700 words)

Grimm: Hansel and Grethel (cont. again)

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Hansel and Grethel (cont. again)

It was now three mornings since they had left their father's house. They began to walk again, but they always got deeper into the forest, and if help did not come soon, they must die of hunger and weariness.

When it was mid-day, they saw a beautiful snow-white bird sitting on a bough, which sang so delightfully that they stood still and listened to it. And when it had finished its song, it spread its wings and flew away before them, and they followed it until they reached a little house, on the roof of which it alighted, and when they came quite up to the little house, they saw that it was built of bread and covered with cakes, but that the windows were of clear sugar.

"We will set to work on that," said Hansel, "and have a good meal. I will eat a bit of the roof, and thou, Grethel, canst eat some of the window, it will taste sweet."

Hansel reached up above and broke off a little of the roof to try how it tasted, and Grethel leant against the window and nibbled at the panes.

Then a soft voice cried from the room,

Nibble, nibble, gnaw,
Who is nibbling at my little house?

The children answered,

The wind, the wind,
The heaven-born wind,

and went on eating without disturbing themselves. Hansel, who thought the roof tasted very nice, tore down a great piece of it, and Grethel pushed out the whole of one round window-pane, sat down, and enjoyed herself with it.

Suddenly the door opened, and a very, very old woman, who supported herself on crutches, came creeping out. Hansel and Grethel were so terribly frightened that they let fall what they had in their hands.

The old woman, however, nodded her head and said, "Oh, you dear children, who has brought you here? Do come in and stay with me. No harm shall happen to you."

She took them both by the hand, and led them into her little house. Then good food was set before them, milk and pancakes, with sugar, apples, and nuts. Afterwards two pretty little beds were covered with clean white linen, and Hansel and Grethel lay down in them and thought they were in heaven.

The old woman had only pretended to be so kind; she was in reality a wicked witch who lay in wait for children and had only built the little house of bread in order to entice them there. When a child fell into her power, she killed it, cooked and ate it, and that was a feast day with her. Witches have red eyes and cannot see far, but they have a keen scent like the beasts and are aware when human beings draw near.

When Hansel and Grethel came into her neighborhood, she laughed maliciously and said mockingly, "I have them; they shall not escape me again!"

Early in the morning, before the children were awake, she was already up, and when she saw both of them sleeping and looking so pretty with their plump red cheeks, she muttered to herself, "That will be a dainty mouthful!"

Then she seized Hansel with her shrivelled hand, carried him into a little stable, and shut him in with a grated door. He might scream as he liked; that was of no use. Then she went to Grethel, shook her till she awoke, and cried, "Get up, lazy thing; fetch some water, and cook something good for thy brother — he is in the stable outside and is to be made fat. When he is fat, I will eat him."

Grethel began to weep bitterly, but it was all in vain; she was forced to do what the wicked witch ordered her.

And now the best food was cooked for poor Hansel, but Grethel got nothing but crab-shells. Every morning the woman crept to the little stable and cried, "Hansel, stretch out thy finger that I may feel if thou wilt soon be fat."

Hansel, however, stretched out a little bone to her, and the old woman, who had dim eyes, could not see it, and thought it was Hansel's finger, and was astonished that there was no way of fattening him. When four weeks had gone by, and Hansel still continued thin, she was seized with impatience and would not wait any longer.

"Hola, Grethel," she cried to the girl; "be active, and bring some water. Let Hansel be fat or lean; tomorrow I will kill him and cook him."

Ah, how the poor little sister did lament when she had to fetch the water and how her tears did flow down over her cheeks!

"Dear God, do help us," she cried. "If the wild beasts in the forest had but devoured us, we should at any rate have died together."

"Just keep thy noise to thyself," said the old woman; "all that won't help thee at all."

Next: Hansel and Grethel (end)

(800 words)

Grimm: Hansel and Grethel (end)

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

Hansel and Grethel (end)

Early in the morning, Grethel had to go out, and hang up the cauldron with the water, and light the fire.

"We will bake first," said the old woman. "I have already heated the oven and kneaded the dough."

She pushed poor Grethel out to the oven, from which flames of fire were already darting.

"Creep in," said the witch, "and see if it is properly heated so that we can shut the bread in." And when once Grethel was inside, she intended to shut the oven and let her bake in it, and then she would eat her, too.

But Grethel saw what she had in her mind and said, "I do not know how I am to do it; how do you get in?"

"Silly goose," said the old woman. "The door is big enough; just look, I can get in myself!" and she crept up and thrust her head into the oven.

Then Grethel gave her a push that drove her far into it, and shut the iron door, and fastened the bolt. Oh! Then she began to howl quite horribly, but Grethel ran away, and the godless witch was miserably burnt to death.

Grethel, however, ran like lightning to Hansel, opened his little stable, and cried, "Hansel, we are saved! The old witch is dead!"

Then Hansel sprang out like a bird from its cage when the door is opened for it. How they did rejoice and embrace each other, and dance about and kiss each other! And as they had no longer any need to fear her, they went into the witch's house, and in every corner there stood chests full of pearls and jewels.

"These are far better than pebbles!" said Hansel and thrust into his pockets whatever could be got in, and Grethel said, "I, too, will take something home with me," and filled her pinafore full.

"But now we will go away," said Hansel, "that we may get out of the witch's forest."

When they had walked for two hours, they came to a great piece of water. "We cannot get over," said Hansel. "I see no foot-plank, and no bridge."

"And no boat crosses either," answered Grethel, "but a white duck is swimming there; if I ask her, she will help us over."

Then she cried,

Little duck, little duck, dost thou see,
Hansel and Grethel are waiting for thee?
There's never a plank or bridge in sight;
Take us across on thy back so white.

(illustration by Walter Crane)

The duck came to them, and Hansel seated himself on its back and told his sister to sit by him.

"No," replied Grethel, "that will be too heavy for the little duck; she shall take us across, one after the other."

The good little duck did so, and when they were once safely across and had walked for a short time, the forest seemed to be more and more familiar to them, and at length they saw from afar their father's house.

Then they began to run, rushed into the parlour, and threw themselves into their father's arms. The man had not known one happy hour since he had left the children in the forest; the woman, however, was dead.

Grethel emptied her pinafore until pearls and precious stones ran about the room, and Hansel threw one handful after another out of his pocket to add to them. Then all anxiety was at an end, and they lived together in perfect happiness.

My tale is done: there runs a mouse; whosoever catches it may make himself a big fur cap out of it.

Next: Thumbling

(600 words)

Grimm: Thumbling

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

Thumbling

THERE was once a poor peasant who sat in the evening by the hearth and poked the fire, and his wife sat and span. Then said he, "How sad it is that we have no children! With us all is so quiet, and in other houses it is noisy and lively."

"Yes," replied the wife, and sighed, "even if we had only one, and it were quite small, and only as big as a thumb, I should be quite satisfied, and we would still love it with all our hearts."

Now it so happened that the woman fell ill, and after seven months gave birth to a child that was perfect in all its limbs, but no longer than a thumb.

Then said they, "It is as we wished it to be, and it shall be our dear child," and because of its size, they called it Thumbling. They did not let it want for food, but the child did not grow taller, but remained as it had been at the first; nevertheless, it looked sensibly out of its eyes, and soon showed itself to be a wise and nimble creature, for everything it did turned out well.

One day the peasant was getting ready to go into the forest to cut wood when he said as if to himself, "How I wish that there was any one who would bring the cart to me!"

"Oh father," cried Thumbling, "I will soon bring the cart, rely on that; it shall be in the forest at the appointed time."

The man smiled and said, "How can that be done? Thou art far too small to lead the horse by the reins."

"That's of no consequence, father; if my mother will only harness it, I shall sit in the horse's ear and call out to him how he is to go."

"Well," answered the man, "for once we will try it."

When the time came, the mother harnessed the horse and placed Thumbling in its ear, and then the little creature cried, "Gee up, gee up!"

Then it went quite properly as if with its master, and the cart went the right way into the forest. It so happened that just as he was turning a corner and the little one was crying, "Gee up," two strange men came towards him.

"My word!" said one of them. "What is this? There is a cart coming, and a driver is calling to the horse and still he is not to be seen!"

"That can't be right," said the other; "we will follow the cart and see where it stops."

The cart, however, drove right into the forest and exactly to the place where the wood had been cut. When Thumbling saw his father, he cried to him, "Seest thou, father, here I am with the cart; now take me down."

The father got hold of the horse with his left hand and with the right took his little son out of the ear. Thumbling sat down quite merrily on a straw, but when the two strange men saw him, they did not know what to say for astonishment.

Then one of them took the other aside and said, "Hark, the little fellow would make our fortune if we exhibited him in a large town for money. We will buy him."

They went to the peasant and said, "Sell us the little man. He shall be well treated with us."

"No," replied the father, "he is the apple of my eye, and all the money in the world cannot buy him from me."

Thumbling, however, when he heard of the bargain, had crept up the folds of his father's coat, placed himself on his shoulder, and whispered in his ear, "Father, do give me away; I will soon come back again."

Then the father parted with him to the two men for a handsome bit of money.

"Where wilt thou sit?" they said to him.

"Oh, just set me on the rim of your hat, and then I can walk backwards and forwards and look at the country, and still not fall down."

They did as he wished, and when Thumbling had taken leave of his father, they went away with him. They walked until it was dusk, and then the little fellow said, "Do take me down, I want to come down."

The man took his hat off and put the little fellow on the ground by the wayside, and he leapt and crept about a little between the sods, and then he suddenly slipped into a mouse-hole which he had sought out.

"Good evening, gentlemen; just go home without me," he cried to them, and mocked them.

They ran thither and stuck their sticks into the mouse-hole, but it was all lost labour. Thumbling crept still farther in, and as it soon became quite dark, they were forced to go home with their vexation and their empty purses.

Next: Thumbling (cont.)

(illustration by Walter Crane)

(800 words)

Grimm: Thumbling (cont.)

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Thumbling (cont.)

When Thumbling saw that they were gone, he crept back out of the subterranean passage.

"It is so dangerous to walk on the ground in the dark," said he; "how easily a neck or a leg is broken!"

Fortunately, he knocked against an empty snail-shell. "Thank God!" said he. "In that I can pass the night in safety," and got into it.

Not long afterwards, when he was just going to sleep, he heard two men go by, and one of them was saying, "How shall we contrive to get hold of the rich pastor's silver and gold?"

"I could tell thee that," cried Thumbling, interrupting them.

"What was that?" said one of the thieves in fright. "I heard some one speaking."

They stood still listening, and Thumbling spoke again and said, "Take me with you, and I'll help you."

"But where art thou?"

"Just look on the ground, and observe from whence my voice comes," he replied.

There the thieves at length found him and lifted him up. "Thou little imp, how wilt thou help us?" they said.

"A great deal," said he. "I will creep into the pastor's room through the iron bars and will reach out to you whatever you want to have."

"Come then," they said, "and we will see what thou canst do."

When they got to the pastor's house, Thumbling crept into the room but instantly cried out with all his might, "Do you want to have everything that is here?"

The thieves were alarmed and said, "But do speak softly, so as not to waken any one!"

Thumbling however, behaved as if he had not understood this and cried again, "What do you want? Do you want to have everything that is here?"

The cook, who slept in the next room, heard this, and sat up in bed, and listened.

The thieves, however, had in their fright run some distance away, but at last they took courage and thought, "The little rascal wants to mock us."

They came back and whispered to him, "Come, be serious, and reach something out to us."

Then Thumbling again cried as loudly as he could, "I really will give you everything; just put your hands in."

The maid who was listening heard this quite distinctly, and jumped out of bed, and rushed to the door. The thieves took flight and ran as if the Wild Huntsman were behind them, but as the maid could not see anything, she went to strike a light.

When she came to the place with it, Thumbling, unperceived, betook himself to the granary, and the maid, after she had examined every corner and found nothing, lay down in her bed again and believed that, after all, she had only been dreaming with open eyes and ears.

Thumbling had climbed up among the hay and found a beautiful place to sleep in; there he intended to rest until day and then go home again to his parents. But he had other things to go through. Truly, there is much affliction and misery in this world!

When day dawned, the maid arose from her bed to feed the cows. Her first walk was into the barn, where she laid hold of an armful of hay, and precisely that very one in which poor Thumbling was lying asleep.

He, however, was sleeping so soundly that he was aware of nothing and did not awake until he was in the mouth of the cow, who had picked him up with the hay.

"Ah, heavens!" cried he; "how have I got into the fulling mill?" but he soon discovered where he was. Then it was necessary to be careful not to let himself go between the teeth and be dismembered, but he was nevertheless forced to slip down into the stomach with the hay.

"In this little room the windows are forgotten," said he, "and no sun shines in, neither will a candle be brought."

His quarters were especially unpleasing to him, and the worst was, more and more hay was always coming in by the door, and the space grew less and less. Then at length in his anguish, he cried as loud as he could, "Bring me no more fodder; bring me no more fodder."

The maid was just milking the cow, and when she heard someone speaking, and saw no one, and perceived that it was the same voice that she had heard in the night, she was so terrified that she slipped off her stool and spilt the milk. She ran in great haste to her master and said, "Oh heavens, pastor, the cow has been speaking!"

Next: Thumbling (end)

(800 words)

Grimm: Thumbling (end)

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

Thumbling (end)

"Thou art mad," replied the pastor, but he went himself to the byre to see what was there. Hardly, however had he set his foot inside when Thumbling again cried, "Bring me no more fodder; bring me no more fodder."

Then the pastor himself was alarmed, and thought that an evil spirit had gone into the cow, and ordered her to be killed. She was killed, but the stomach, in which Thumbling was, was thrown on the midden.

Thumbling had great difficulty in working his way; however, he succeeded so far as to get some room, but just as he was going to thrust his head out, a new misfortune occurred. A hungry wolf ran thither and swallowed the whole stomach at one gulp. Thumbling did not lose courage. "Perhaps," thought he, "the wolf will listen to what I have got to say," and he called to him from out of his stomach, "Dear wolf, I know of a magnificent feast for you."

"Where is it to be had?" said the wolf.

"In such and such a house; thou must creep into it through the kitchen-sink and wilt find cakes, and bacon, and sausages, and as much of them as thou canst eat," and he described to him exactly his father's house.

The wolf did not require to be told this twice, squeezed himself in at night through the sink, and ate to his heart's content in the larder. When he had eaten his fill, he wanted to go out again, but he had become so big that he could not go out by the same way.

Thumbling had reckoned on this and now began to make a violent noise in the wolf's body, and raged, and screamed as loudly as he could.

"Wilt thou be quiet," said the wolf; "thou wilt waken up the people!"

"Eh, what," replied the little fellow, "thou hast eaten thy fill, and I will make merry likewise," and began once more to scream with all his strength.

At last his father and mother were aroused by it, and ran to the room, and looked in through the opening in the door. When they saw that a wolf was inside, they ran away, and the husband fetched his axe, and the wife the scythe.

"Stay behind," said the man when they entered the room. "When I have given him a blow, if he is not killed by it, thou must cut him down and hew his body to pieces."

Then Thumbling heard his parents' voices and cried, "Dear father, I am here; I am in the wolf's body."

Said the father, full of joy, "Thank God, our dear child has found us again," and bade the woman take away her scythe that Thumbling might not be hurt with it.

After that, he raised his arm and struck the wolf such a blow on his head that he fell down dead, and then they got knives and scissors, and cut his body open, and drew the little fellow forth.

"Ah," said the father, "what sorrow we have gone through for thy sake."

"Yes, father, I have gone about the world a great deal. Thank heaven, I breathe fresh air again!"

"Where hast thou been, then?"

"Ah, father, I have been in a mouse's hole, in a cow's stomach, and then in a wolf's; now I will stay with you."

"And we will not sell thee again, no, not for all the riches in the world," said his parents, and they embraced and kissed their dear Thumbling.

They gave him to eat and to drink, and had some new clothes made for him, for his own had been spoiled on his journey.

Next: Allerleirauh

(illustration by Walter Crane)

(600 words)

Grimm: Allerleirauh

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Allerleirauh

THERE was once on a time a King who had a wife with golden hair, and she was so beautiful that her equal was not to be found on earth. It came to pass that she lay ill, and as she felt that she must soon die, she called the King and said, "If thou wishest to marry again after my death, take no one who is not quite as beautiful as I am and who has not just such golden hair as I have: this thou must promise me." And after the King had promised her this, she closed her eyes and died.

For a long time, the King could not be comforted and had no thought of taking another wife. At length his councillors said, "There is no help for it; the King must marry again that we may have a Queen."

And now messengers were sent about, far and wide, to seek a bride who equalled the late Queen in beauty. In the whole world, however, none was to be found, and even if one had been found, still there would have been no one who had such golden hair. So the messengers came home as they went.

Now the King had a daughter who was just as beautiful as her dead mother and had the same golden hair. When she was grown up, the King looked at her one day, and saw that in every respect she was like his late wife, and suddenly felt a violent love for her.

Then he spake to his councillors, "I will marry my daughter, for she is the counterpart of my late wife; otherwise I can find no bride who resembles her."

When the councillors heard that, they were shocked and said, "God has forbidden a father to marry his daughter; no good can come from such a crime, and the kingdom will be involved in the ruin."

The daughter was still more shocked when she became aware of her father's resolution, but hoped to turn him from his design. Then she said to him, "Before I fulfil your wish, I must have three dresses: one as golden as the sun, one as silvery as the moon, and one as bright as the stars; besides this, I wish for a mantle of a thousand different kinds of fur and hair joined together, and one of every kind of animal in your kingdom must give a piece of his skin for it."

But she thought, "To get that will be quite impossible, and thus I shall divert my father from his wicked intentions."

The King, however, did not give it up, and the cleverest maidens in his kingdom had to weave the three dresses — one as golden as the sun, one as silvery as the moon, and one as bright as the stars — and his huntsmen had to catch one of every kind of animal in the whole of his kingdom, and take from it a piece of its skin, and out of these was made a mantle of a thousand different kinds of fur.

At length, when all was ready, the King caused the mantle to be brought, spread it out before her, and said, "The wedding shall be tomorrow."

When, therefore, the King's daughter saw that there was no longer any hope of turning her father's heart, she resolved to run away from him. In the night, whilst everyone was asleep, she got up and took three different things from her treasures: a golden ring, a golden spinning-wheel, and a golden reel. The three dresses of the sun, moon, and stars she put into a nutshell, put on her mantle of all kinds of fur, and blackened her face and hands with soot. Then she commended herself to God, and went away, and walked the whole night until she reached a great forest. And as she was tired, she got into a hollow tree and fell asleep.

Next: Allerleirauh (cont.)

(700 words)

Grimm: Allerleirauh (cont.)

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Allerleirauh (cont.)

The sun rose, and she slept on, and she was still sleeping when it was full day. Then it so happened that the King to whom this forest belonged was hunting in it. When his dogs came to the tree, they sniffed and ran barking round about it.

The King said to the huntsmen, "Just see what kind of wild beast has hidden itself in there."

The huntsmen obeyed his order, and when they came back, they said, "A wondrous beast is lying in the hollow tree; we have never before seen one like it. Its skin is fur of a thousand different kinds, but it is lying asleep."

Said the King, "See if you can catch it alive and then fasten it to the carriage, and we will take it with us."

When the huntsmen laid hold of the maiden, she awoke full of terror and cried to them, "I am a poor child, deserted by father and mother; have pity on me, and take me with you."

Then said they, "Allerleirauh, thou wilt be useful in the kitchen; come with us, and thou canst sweep up the ashes."

So they put her in the carriage and took her home to the royal palace. There they pointed out to her a closet under the stairs, where no daylight entered, and said, "Hairy animal, there canst thou live and sleep."

Then she was sent into the kitchen, and there she carried wood and water, swept the hearth, plucked the fowls, picked the vegetables, raked the ashes, and did all the dirty work.

Allerleirauh lived there for a long time in great wretchedness. Alas, fair princess, what is to become of thee now!

It happened, however, that one day a feast was held in the palace, and she said to the cook, "May I go upstairs for a while and look on? I will place myself outside the door."

The cook answered, "Yes, go, but you must be back here in half-an-hour to sweep the hearth."

Then she took her oil-lamp, went into her den, put off her fur-dress, and washed the soot off her face and hands so that her full beauty once more came to light. And she opened the nut, and took out her dress which shone like the sun, and when she had done that, she went up to the festival, and everyone made way for her, for no one knew her and thought no otherwise than that she was a king's daughter.

The King came to meet her, gave his hand to her, and danced with her, and thought in his heart, "My eyes have never yet seen any one so beautiful!"

When the dance was over she curtsied, and when the King looked round again, she had vanished, and none knew whither. The guards who stood outside the palace were called and questioned, but no one had seen her.

She had, however, run into her little den, had quickly taken off her dress, made her face and hands black again, put on the fur-mantle, and again was Allerleirauh. And now when she went into the kitchen and was about to get to her work and sweep up the ashes, the cook said, "Leave that alone till morning, and make me the soup for the King. I, too, will go upstairs awhile and take a look, but let no hairs fall in, or in future thou shalt have nothing to eat."

So the cook went away, and Allerleirauh made the soup for the king, and made the bread soup the best she could, and when it was ready, she fetched her golden ring from her little den and put it in the bowl in which the soup was served.

When the dancing was over, the King had his soup brought and ate it, and he liked it so much that it seemed to him he had never tasted better. But when he came to the bottom of the bowl, he saw a golden ring lying and could not conceive how it could have got there. Then he ordered the cook to appear before him.

The cook was terrified when he heard the order and said to Allerleirauh, "Thou hast certainly let a hair fall into the soup, and if thou hast, thou shalt be beaten for it."

When he came before the King, the latter asked who had made the soup.

The cook replied, "I made it."

But the King said, "That is not true, for it was much better than usual, and cooked differently."

He answered, "I must acknowledge that I did not make it; it was made by the rough animal."

The King said, "Go and bid it come up here."

Next: Allerleirauh (end)

(800 words)

Grimm: Allerleirauh (end)

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Allerleirauh (end)

When Allerleirauh came, the King said, "Who art thou?"

"I am a poor girl who no longer has any father or mother."

He asked further, "Of what use art thou in my palace?"

She answered, "I am good for nothing but to have boots thrown at my head."

He continued, "Where didst thou get the ring which was in the soup?"

She answered, "I know nothing about the ring."

So the King could learn nothing and had to send her away again.

After a while, there was another festival, and then, as before, Allerleirauh begged the cook for leave to go and look on.

He answered, "Yes, but come back again in half-an-hour, and make the King the bread soup which he so much likes."

Then she ran into her den, washed herself quickly, took out of the nut the dress which was as silvery as the moon, and put it on. Then she went up and was like a princess, and the King stepped forward to meet her and rejoiced to see her once more, and as the dance was just beginning, they danced it together. But when it was ended, she again disappeared so quickly that the King could not observe where she went.

She, however, sprang into her den, and once more made herself a hairy animal, and went into the kitchen to prepare the bread soup. When the cook had gone upstairs, she fetched the little golden spinning-wheel and put it in the bowl so that the soup covered it.

Then it was taken to the King, who ate it, and liked it as much as before, and had the cook brought, who this time likewise was forced to confess that Allerleirauh had prepared the soup.

Allerleirauh again came before the King, but she answered that she was good for nothing else but to have boots thrown at her head and that she knew nothing at all about the little golden spinning-wheel.

When, for the third time, the King held a festival, all happened just as it had done before. The cook said, "Faith rough-skin, thou art a witch and always puttest something in the soup which makes it so good that the King likes it better than that which I cook," but, as she begged so hard, he let her go up at the appointed time.

And now she put on the dress which shone like the stars, and thus entered the hall. Again the King danced with the beautiful maiden and thought that she never yet had been so beautiful. And whilst she was dancing, he contrived, without her noticing it, to slip a golden ring on her finger, and he had given orders that the dance should last a very long time. When it was ended, he wanted to hold her fast by her hands, but she tore herself loose and sprang away so quickly through the crowd that she vanished from his sight.

She ran as fast as she could into her den beneath the stairs, but as she had been too long and had stayed more than half-an-hour, she could not take off her pretty dress but only threw over it her fur-mantle, and in her haste she did not make herself quite black, but one finger remained white. Then Allerleirauh ran into the kitchen, and cooked the bread soup for the King and, as the cook was away, put her golden reel into it.

When the King found the reel at the bottom of it, he caused Allerleirauh to be summoned, and then he espied the white finger and saw the ring which he had put on it during the dance. Then he grasped her by the hand, and held her fast, and when she wanted to release herself and run away, her mantle of fur opened a little, and the star-dress shone forth. The King clutched the mantle and tore it off. Then her golden hair shone forth, and she stood there in full splendour and could no longer hide herself. And when she had washed the soot and ashes from her face, she was more beautiful than anyone who had ever been seen on earth.

But the King said, "Thou art my dear bride, and we will never more part from each other."

Thereupon the marriage was solemnized, and they lived happily until their death.

Next: Bearskin

(700 words)

Grimm: Bearskin

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Bearskin

THERE was once a young fellow who enlisted as a soldier, conducted himself bravely, and was always the foremost when it rained bullets. So long as the war lasted, all went well, but when peace was made, he received his dismissal, and the captain said he might go where he liked. His parents were dead, and he had no longer a home, so he went to his brothers and begged them to take him in and keep him until war broke out again.

The brothers, however, were hard-hearted and said, "What can we do with thee? Thou art of no use to us; go and make a living for thyself."

The soldier had nothing left but his gun; he took that on his shoulder and went forth into the world. He came to a wide heath, on which nothing was to be seen but a circle of trees; under these he sat sorrowfully down, and began to think over his fate.

"I have no money," thought he; "I have learnt no trade but that of fighting, and now that they have made peace, they don't want me any longer. So I see beforehand that I shall have to starve."

All at once he heard a rustling, and when he looked round, a strange man stood before him who wore a green coat and looked right stately, but had a hideous cloven foot.

"I know already what thou art in need of," said the man; "gold and possessions shall thou have, as much as thou canst make away with do what thou wilt, but first I must know if thou art fearless, that I may not bestow my money in vain."

"A soldier and fear — how can those two things go together?" he answered; "thou canst put me to the proof."

"Very well, then," answered the man; "look behind thee."

The soldier turned round and saw a large bear, which came growling towards him.

"Oho!" cried the soldier. "I will tickle thy nose for thee so that thou shalt soon lose thy fancy for growling," and he aimed at the bear and shot it through the muzzle; it fell down and never stirred again.

"I see quite well," said the stranger, "that thou art not wanting in courage, but there is still another condition which thou wilt have to fulfil."

"If it does not endanger my salvation," replied the soldier, who knew very well who was standing by him. "If it does, I'll have nothing to do with it."

"Thou wilt look to that for thyself," answered Greencoat; "thou shalt for the next seven years neither wash thyself, nor comb thy beard, nor thy hair, nor cut thy nails, nor say one paternoster. I will give thee a coat and a cloak, which during this time thou must wear. If thou diest during these seven years, thou art mine; if thou remainest alive, thou art free, and rich to boot, for all the rest of thy life."

The soldier thought of the great extremity in which he now found himself, and as he so often had gone to meet death, he resolved to risk it now also and agreed to the terms. The Devil took off his green coat, gave it to the soldier, and said, "If thou hast this coat on thy back and puttest thy hand into the pocket, thou wilt always find it full of money."

Then he pulled the skin off the bear and said, "This shall be thy cloak, and thy bed also, for thereon shalt thou sleep, and in no other bed shalt thou lie, and because of this apparel shalt thou be called Bearskin."

After this the Devil vanished.

The soldier put the coat on, felt at once in the pocket, and found that the thing was really true. Then he put on the bearskin and went forth into the world and enjoyed himself, refraining from nothing that did him good and his money harm.

During the first year his appearance was passable, but during the second he began to look like a monster. His hair covered nearly the whole of his face, his beard was like a piece of coarse felt, his fingers had claws, and his face was so covered with dirt that if cress had been sown on it, it would have come up. Whosoever saw him, ran away, but as he everywhere gave the poor money to pray that he might not die during the seven years and as he paid well for everything, he still always found shelter.

In the fourth year, he entered an inn where the landlord would not receive him, and would not even let him have a place in the stable, because he was afraid the horses would be scared. But as Bearskin thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled out a handful of ducats, the host let himself be persuaded and gave him a room in an outhouse. Bearskin was, however, obliged to promise not to let himself be seen, lest the inn should get a bad name.

As Bearskin was sitting alone in the evening and wishing from the bottom of his heart that the seven years were over, he heard a loud lamenting in a neighboring room. He had a compassionate heart, so he opened the door and saw an old man weeping bitterly and wringing his hands. Bearskin went nearer, but the man sprang to his feet and tried to escape from him.

At last when the man perceived that Bearskin's voice was human, he let himself be prevailed on, and by kind words Bearskin succeeded so far that the old man revealed the cause of his grief. His property had dwindled away by degrees, he and his daughters would have to starve, and he was so poor that he could not pay the innkeeper and was to be put in prison.

"If that is your only trouble," said Bearskin, "I have plenty of money." He caused the innkeeper to be brought thither, paid him, and put a purse full of gold into the poor old man's pocket besides.

Next: Bearskin (cont.)

(1000 words)

Grimm: Bearskin (cont.)

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Bearskin (cont.)

When the old man saw himself set free from all his troubles, he did not know how to be grateful enough. "Come with me," said he to Bearskin. "My daughters are all miracles of beauty; choose one of them for thyself as a wife. When she hears what thou hast done for me, she will not refuse thee. Thou dost in truth look a little strange, but she will soon put thee to rights again."

This pleased Bearskin well, and he went.

When the eldest saw him, she was so terribly alarmed at his face that she screamed and ran away.

The second stood still and looked at him from head to foot, but then she said, "How can I accept a husband who no longer has a human form? The shaven bear that once was here and passed itself off for a man pleased me far better, for at any rate it wore a hussar's dress and white gloves. If it were nothing but ugliness, I might get used to that."

The youngest, however, said, "Dear father, that must be a good man to have helped you out of your trouble, so if you have promised him a bride for doing it, your promise must be kept."

It was a pity that Bearskin's face was covered with dirt and with hair, for if not, they might have seen how delighted he was when he heard these words. He took a ring from his finger, broke it in two, and gave her one half; the other he kept for himself. He wrote his name, however, on her half, and hers on his, and begged her to keep her piece carefully, and then he took his leave and said, "I must still wander about for three years, and if I do not return then, thou art free, for I shall be dead. But pray to God to preserve my life."

The poor betrothed bride dressed herself entirely in black, and when she thought of her future bridegroom, tears came into her eyes.

Nothing but contempt and mockery fell to her lot from her sisters. "Take care," said the eldest; "if thou givest him thy hand, he will strike his claws into it."

"Beware!" said the second. "Bears like sweet things, and if he takes a fancy to thee, he will eat thee up."

"Thou must always do as he likes," began the elder again, "or else he will growl."

And the second continued, "But the wedding will be a merry one, for bears dance well."

The bride was silent and did not let them vex her. Bearskin, however, travelled about the world from one place to another, did good where he was able, and gave generously to the poor that they might pray for him.

At length, as the last day of the seven years dawned, he went once more out on to the heath and seated himself beneath the circle of trees. It was not long before the wind whistled, and the Devil stood before him and looked angrily at him; then he threw Bearskin his old coat and asked for his own green one back.

"We have not got so far as that yet," answered Bearskin; "thou must first make me clean."

Whether the Devil liked it or not, he was forced to fetch water and wash Bearskin, comb his hair, and cut his nails. After this, he looked like a brave soldier and was much handsomer than he had ever been before.

When the Devil had gone away, Bearskin was quite lighthearted. He went into the town, put on a magnificent velvet coat, seated himself in a carriage drawn by four white horses, and drove to his bride's house.

No one recognized him; the father took him for a distinguished general and led him into the room where his daughters were sitting. He was forced to place himself between the two eldest; they helped him to wine, gave him the best pieces of meat, and thought that in all the world they had never seen a handsomer man.

The bride, however, sat opposite to him in her black dress and never raised her eyes nor spoke a word. When at length he asked the father if he would give him one of his daughters to wife, the two eldest jumped up and ran into their bedrooms to put on splendid dresses, for each of them fancied she was the chosen one.

The stranger, as soon as he was alone with his bride, brought out his half of the ring and threw it in a glass of wine which he reached across the table to her. She took the wine, but when she had drunk it and found the half ring lying at the bottom, her heart began to beat. She got the other half, which she wore on a ribbon round her neck, joined them, and saw that the two pieces fitted exactly together.

Then said he, "I am thy betrothed bridegroom, whom thou sawest as Bearskin, but through God's grace I have again received my human form and have once more become clean."

He went up to her, embraced her, and gave her a kiss. In the meantime, the two sisters came back in full dress, and when they saw that the handsome man had fallen to the share of the youngest and heard that he was Bearskin, they ran out full of anger and rage. One of them drowned herself in the well; the other hanged herself on a tree.

In the evening, someone knocked at the door, and when the bridegroom opened it, it was the Devil in his green coat, who said, "Seest thou, I have now got two souls in the place of thy one!"

Next: Hans the Hedgehog

(1000 words)

Grimm: Hans the Hedgehog

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(Illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Hans the Hedgehog

THERE was once a countryman who had money and land in plenty, but how rich soever he was, one thing was still wanting in his happiness: he had no children. Often when he went into the town with the other peasants, they mocked him and asked why he had no children.

At last he became angry, and when he got home, he said, "I will have a child, even if it be a hedgehog."

Then his wife had a child that was a hedgehog in the upper part of his body and a boy in the lower, and, when she saw the child, she was terrified and said, "See, there thou hast brought ill-luck on us."

Then said the man, "What can be done now? The boy must be christened, but we shall not be able to get a godfather for him."

The woman said, "And we cannot call him anything else but Hans the Hedgehog."

When he was christened, the parson said, "He cannot go into any ordinary bed because of his spikes." So a little straw was put behind the stove, and Hans the Hedgehog was laid on it. His mother could not suckle him, for he would have pricked her with his quills.

So he lay there behind the stove for eight years, and his father was tired of him and thought, "If he would but die!"

He did not die, however, but remained lying there.

Now it happened that there was a fair in the town, and the peasant was about to go to it and asked his wife what he should bring back with him for her.

"A little meat and a couple of white rolls which are wanted for the house," said she.

Then he asked the servant, and she wanted a pair of slippers and some stockings with clocks.

At last he said also, "And what wilt thou have, Hans my Hedgehog?"

"Dear father," he said, "do bring me bagpipes."

When, therefore, the father came home again, he gave his wife what he had bought for her — meat and white rolls, and then he gave the maid the slippers, and the stockings with clocks, and, lastly, he went behind the stove,and gave Hans the Hedgehog the bagpipes.

And when Hans the Hedgehog had the bagpipes, he said, "Dear father, do go to the forge and get the cock shod, and then I will ride away and never come back again."

On this, the father was delighted to think that he was going to get rid of him and had the cock shod for him, and when it was done, Hans the Hedgehog got on it, and rode away, but took swine and asses with him which he intended to keep in the forest.

When they got there, he made the cock fly on to a high tree with him, and there he sat for many a long year and watched his asses and swine until the herd was quite large, and his father knew nothing about him. While he was sitting in the tree, however, he played his bagpipes and made music which was very beautiful.

Once a King came travelling by, who had lost his way, and heard the music. He was astonished at it and sent his servant forth to look all round and see from whence this music came. He spied about but saw nothing but a little animal sitting up aloft on the tree, which looked like a cock with a hedgehog on it which made this music.

Then the King told the servant he was to ask why he sat there and if he knew the road which led to his kingdom.

So Hans the Hedgehog descended from the tree and said he would show the way if the King would write a bond and promise him whatever he first met in the royal courtyard as soon as he arrived at home.

Then the King thought, "I can easily do that; Hans the Hedgehog understands nothing, and I can write what I like."

So the King took pen and ink and wrote something, and when he had done it, Hans the Hedgehog showed him the way, and he got safely home.

Next: Hans the Hedgehog (cont.)

(700 words)

Grimm: Hans the Hedgehog (cont.)

If you did the Bible Women unit earlier this semester, you will recognize that the fate of the second king's daughter is very similar to that of Jephthah's daughter; here is that story: Jephthah's Daughter.

[Notes by LKG]

---

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

Hans the Hedgehog (cont.)

But his daughter, when she saw him from afar, was so overjoyed that she ran to meet him and kissed him. Then he remembered Hans the Hedgehog and told her what had happened, and that he had been forced to promise whatsoever first met him when he got home to a very strange animal which sat on a cock as if it were a horse and made beautiful music — but that instead of writing that he should have what he wanted, he had written that he should not have it.

Thereupon the princess was glad and said he had done well, for she never would have gone away with the Hedgehog.

Hans the Hedgehog, however, looked after his asses and pigs, and was always merry, and sat on the tree, and played his bagpipes.

Now it came to pass that another King came journeying by with his attendants and runners, and he also had lost his way and did not know how to get home again because the forest was so large. He likewise heard the beautiful music from a distance, and asked his runner what that could be, and told him to go and see.

Then the runner went under the tree, and saw the cock sitting at the top of it and Hans the Hedgehog on the cock. The runner asked him what he was about up there.

"I am keeping my asses and my pigs, but what is your desire?"

The messenger said that they had lost their way, and could not get back into their own kingdom, and asked if he would not show them the way. Then Hans the Hedgehog got down the tree with the cock, and told the aged King that he would show him the way, if he would give him for his own whatsoever first met him in front of his royal palace.

The King said, "Yes," and wrote a promise to Hans the Hedgehog that he should have this.

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

That done, Hans rode on before him on the cock and pointed out the way, and the King reached his kingdom again in safety. When he got to the courtyard, there were great rejoicings.

Now he had an only daughter who was very beautiful; she ran to meet him, threw her arms round his neck, and was delighted to have her old father back again. She asked him where in the world he had been so long.

So he told her how he had lost his way and had very nearly not come back at all, but that as he was travelling through a great forest, a creature — half hedgehog, half man, who was sitting astride a cock in a high tree and making music — had shown him the way and helped him to get out, but that in return he had promised him whatsoever first met him in the royal court-yard, and how that was she herself, which made him unhappy now.

But on this she promised that, for love of her father, she would willingly go with this Hans if he came.

Hans the Hedgehog, however, took care of his pigs, and the pigs multiplied until they became so many in number that the whole forest was filled with them. Then Hans the Hedgehog resolved not to live in the forest any longer and sent word to his father to have every stye in the village emptied, for he was coming with such a great herd that all might kill who wished to do so.

When his father heard that, he was troubled, for he thought Hans the Hedgehog had died long ago. Hans the Hedgehog, however, seated himself on the cock, and drove the pigs before him into the village, and ordered the slaughter to begin. Ha! but there was a killing and a chopping that might have been heard two miles off!

After this Hans the Hedgehog said, "Father, let me have the cock shod once more at the forge, and then I will ride away and never come back as long as I live." Then the father had the cock shod once more, and was pleased that Hans the Hedgehog would never return again.

Next: Hans the Hedgehog (end)

(700 words)

Grimm: Hans the Hedgehog (end)

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Hans the Hedgehog (end)

Hans the Hedgehog rode away to the first kingdom. There the King had commanded that whosoever came mounted on a cock and had bagpipes with him should be shot at, cut down, or stabbed by everyone, so that he might not enter the palace.

When, therefore, Hans the Hedgehog came riding thither, they all pressed forward against him with their pikes, but he spurred the cock, and it flew up over the gate in front of the King's window and lighted there, and Hans cried that the King must give him what he had promised, or he would take both his life and his daughter's.

Then the King began to speak his daughter fair and to beg her to go away with Hans in order to save her own life and her father's. So she dressed herself in white, and her father gave her a carriage with six horses and magnificent attendants together with gold and possessions. She seated herself in the carriage, and placed Hans the Hedgehog beside her with the cock and the bagpipes, and then they took leave and drove away, and the King thought he should never see her again.

He was however, deceived in his expectation, for when they were at a short distance from the town, Hans the Hedgehog took her pretty clothes off and pierced her with his hedgehog's skin until she bled all over. "That is the reward of your falseness," said he. "Go your way; I will not have you!" and on that he chased her home again, and she was disgraced for the rest of her life.

Hans the Hedgehog, however, rode on further on the cock, with his bagpipes, to the dominions of the second King to whom he had shown the way. This one, however, had arranged that if any one resembling Hans the Hedgehog should come, they were to present arms, give him safe conduct, cry long life to him, and lead him to the royal palace.

But when the King's daughter saw him she was terrified, for he looked quite too strange. She remembered however, that she could not change her mind, for she had given her promise to her father. So Hans the Hedgehog was welcomed by her, and married to her, and had to go with her to the royal table, and she seated herself by his side, and they ate and drank.

When the evening came, and they wanted to go to sleep, she was afraid of his quills, but he told her she was not to fear, for no harm would befall her, and he told the old King that he was to appoint four men to watch by the door of the chamber and light a great fire, and when he entered the room and was about to get into bed, he would creep out of his hedgehog's skin and leave it lying there by the bedside, and that the men were to run nimbly to it, throw it in the fire, and stay by it until it was consumed.

When the clock struck eleven, he went into the chamber, stripped off the hedgehog's skin, and left it lying by the bed. Then came the men, and fetched it swiftly, and threw it in the fire, and when the fire had consumed it, he was delivered and lay there in bed in human form, but he was coal-black as if he had been burnt.

The King sent for his physician who washed him with precious salves and anointed him, and he became white and was a handsome young man. When the King's daughter saw that, she was glad, and the next morning they arose joyfully, ate, and drank, and then the marriage was properly solemnized, and Hans the Hedgehog received the kingdom from the aged King.

When several years had passed, he went with his wife to his father and said that he was his son. The father, however, declared he had no son he had never had but one, and he had been born like a hedgehog with spikes and had gone forth into the world. Then Hans made himself known, and the old father rejoiced and went with him to his kingdom.

My tale is done,
And away it has run
To little August's house.

Next: Snow-White and Rose-Red

(700 words)

Grimm: Snow-White and Rose-Red

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Herman Vogel)

Snow-White and Rose-Red

THERE was once a poor widow who lived in a lonely cottage. In front of the cottage was a garden wherein stood two rose-trees, one of which bore white and the other red roses. She had two children who were like the two rose-trees, and one was called Snow-white, and the other Rose-red. They were as good and happy, and as busy and cheerful as ever two children in the world were, only Snow-white was more quiet and gentle than Rose-red. Rose-red liked better to run about in the meadows and fields seeking flowers and catching butterflies, but Snow-white sat at home with her mother and helped her with her house-work or read to her when there was nothing to do.

The two children were so fond of each another that they always held each other by the hand when they went out together, and when Snow-white said, "We will not leave each other," Rose-red answered, "Never so long as we live," and their mother would add, "What one has she must share with the other."

They often ran about the forest alone and gathered red berries, and no beasts did them any harm but came close to them trustfully. The little hare would eat a cabbage-leaf out of their hands, the roe grazed by their side, the stag leapt merrily by them, and the birds sat still upon the boughs and sang whatever they knew.

No mishap overtook them; if they had stayed too late in the forest and night came on, they laid themselves down near one another upon the moss and slept until morning came, and their mother knew this and had no distress on their account.

Once when they had spent the night in the wood and the dawn had roused them, they saw a beautiful child in a shining white dress sitting near their bed. He got up and looked quite kindly at them but said nothing and went away into the forest. And when they looked round, they found that they had been sleeping quite close to a precipice and would certainly have fallen into it in the darkness if they had gone only a few paces further. And their mother told them that it must have been the angel who watches over good children.

Snow-white and Rose-red kept their mother's little cottage so neat that it was a pleasure to look inside it. In the summer, Rose-red took care of the house and every morning laid a wreath of flowers by her mother's bed before she awoke, in which was a rose from each tree. In the winter, Snow-white lit the fire and hung the kettle on the wrekin-hook. The kettle was of copper and shone like gold, so brightly was it polished. In the evening, when the snowflakes fell, the mother said, "Go, Snow-white, and bolt the door," and then they sat round the hearth, and the mother took her spectacles and read aloud out of a large book, and the two girls listened as they sat and span. And close by them lay a lamb upon the floor, and behind them upon a perch sat a white dove with its head hidden beneath its wings.

One evening, as they were thus sitting comfortably together, someone knocked at the door as if he wished to be let in. The mother said, "Quick, Rose-red, open the door; it must be a traveller who is seeking shelter."

Rose-red went and pushed back the bolt, thinking that it was a poor man, but it was not; it was a bear that stretched his broad, black head within the door.

Rose-red screamed and sprang back, the lamb bleated, the dove fluttered, and Snow-white hid herself behind her mother's bed. But the bear began to speak and said, "Do not be afraid; I will do you no harm! I am half-frozen and only want to warm myself a little beside you."

Next: Snow-White and Rose-Red (cont.)

(700 words)

Grimm: Snow-White and Rose-Red (cont.)

This story is part of the Brothers Grimm (Hunt) unit. Story source: Household Tales by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, translated by Margaret Hunt (1884).

(illustration by Otto Ubbelohde)

Snow-White and Rose-Red (cont.)

"Poor bear," said the mother, "lie down by the fire; only take care that you do not burn your coat."

Then she cried, "Snow-white, Rose-red, come out! The bear will do you no harm; he means well."

So they both came out, and by-and-by the lamb and dove came nearer and were not afraid of him.

The bear said, "Here, children, knock the snow out of my coat a little," so they brought the broom and swept the bear's hide clean, and he stretched himself by the fire and growled contentedly and comfortably.

It was not long before they grew quite at home and played tricks with their clumsy guest. They tugged his hair with their hands, put their feet upon his back and rolled him about, or they took a hazel-switch and beat him, and when he growled, they laughed. But the bear took it all in good part; only when they were too rough, he called out, "Leave me alive, children,

Snowy-white, Rosy-red,
Will you beat your lover dead?

When it was bedtime, and the others went to bed, the mother said to the bear, "You can lie there by the hearth, and then you will be safe from the cold and the bad weather." As soon as day dawned, the two children let him out, and he trotted across the snow into the forest.

Henceforth the bear came every evening at the same time, laid himself down by the hearth, and let the children amuse themselves with him as much as they liked, and they got so used to him that the doors were never fastened until their black friend had arrived.

When spring had come and all outside was green, the bear said one morning to Snow-white, "Now I must go away and cannot come back for the whole summer."

"Where are you going, then, dear bear?" asked Snow-white.

"I must go into the forest and guard my treasures from the wicked dwarfs. In the winter, when the earth is frozen hard, they are obliged to stay below and cannot work their way through, but now, when the sun has thawed and warmed the earth, they break through it and come out to pry and steal, and what once gets into their hands and in their caves does not easily see daylight again."

Snow-white was quite sorry for his going away, and as she unbolted the door for him and the bear was hurrying out, he caught against the bolt and a piece of his hairy coat was torn off, and it seemed to Snow-white as if she had seen gold shining through it, but she was not sure about it. The bear ran away quickly and was soon out of sight behind the trees.

A short time afterwards, the mother sent her children into the forest to get fire-wood. There they found a big tree which lay felled on the ground, and close by the trunk something was jumping backwards and forwards in the grass, but they could not make out what it was. When they came nearer, they saw a dwarf with an old withered face and a snow-white beard a yard long. The end of the beard was caught in a crevice of the tree, and the little fellow was jumping backwards and forwards like a dog tied to a rope and did not know what to do.

He glared at the girls with his fiery red eyes and cried, "Why do you stand there? Can you not come here and help me?"

"What are you about there, little man?" asked Rose-red.

"You stupid, prying goose!" answered the dwarf; "I was going to split the tree to get a little wood for cooking. The little bit of food that one of us wants gets burnt up directly with thick logs; we do not swallow so much as you coarse, greedy folk. I had just driven the wedge safely in, and everything was going as I wished, but the wretched wood was too smooth and suddenly sprang asunder, and the tree closed so quickly that I could not pull out my beautiful white beard, so now it is tight in and I cannot get away, and the silly, sleek, milk-faced things laugh! Ugh! how odious you are!"

The children tried very hard, but they could not pull the beard out; it was caught too fast. "I will run and fetch someone," said Rose-red.

"You senseless goose!" snarled the dwarf; why should you fetch someone? You are already two too many for me; can you not think of something better?"

"Don't be impatient," said Snow-white. "I will help you," and she pulled her scissors out of her pocket and cut off the end of the beard.

As soon as the dwarf felt himself free, he laid hold of a bag which lay amongst the roots of the tree and which was full of gold, and lifted it up, grumbling to himself, "Uncouth people, to cut off a piece of my fine beard. Bad luck to you!" and then he swung the bag upon his back and went off without even once looking at the children.

Next: Snow-White and Rose-Red (end)

(900 words)