The Grimm Fairy TailsIllistrated by Gary T. Jean

The Brothers Grimm Fairy Talesby Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

BearskinThe Fox and The HorseThe NailThe Wolf and The Seven young KidsThe Wolf and The ManLittle Red CapThe Singing BoneThe Seven RavensMrs. Fox’s WeddingThe Girl Without Hands

Bearskin

Once upon a time there was a young fellow who enlisted as a soldier, conducted himself bravely, and was always at the very front when it was rain-ing bullets. As long as the war lasted all went well, but when peace was made he was dismissed, and the captain said he could go wherever he wanted to.His parents were dead, and he had no longer a home, so he went to his brothers and asked them to support him until there was another war.The brothers, however, were hardhearted and said, “What can we do with you? We have no work for you. See that you go and make a living for yourself.”The soldier had nothing left but his gun, so, putting it on his shoulder, he went forth into the world. He came to a large heath, on which noth-ing was to be seen but a circle of trees. Filled with sorrow, he sat down beneath them and thought about his fate.“I have no money,” he thought, “and the only trade I have learned is that of making war, and now that they have made peace they can no longer use me, so I see that I shall starve.”Suddenly he heard a rustling sound, and when he looked around, a strange man was standing before him. He wore a green jacket and looked quite stately, but he had a hideous horse’s foot.“I know what you are in need of,” said the man. “You shall have money and property, as much as you, with all your might, can squander away, but first I must know if you are fearless, so that I won’t be giving away my money for nothing.”“A soldier and fear -- how can those go together?”

he answered, “You can put me to the test.”“Very well,” answered the man, “look behind you.”The soldier turned around and saw a large growl-ing bear running towards him.“Aha,” shouted the soldier, “I’ll tickle your nose until you lose your desire for growling.” Then tak-ing aim at the bear, he shot it in the snout, and it fell down motionless.“I see quite well,” said the stranger, “that you do not lack for courage, but there is one more condi-tion that you will have to fulfill.”“If it does not endanger my salvation,” answered the soldier, who knew quite well who was stand-ing before him. “Otherwise I’ll have nothing to do with it.”“You’ll see about that for yourself,” answered Greenjacket. “For the next seven years you are neither to wash yourself, nor comb your beard and hair, nor cut your nails, nor say the Lord’s prayer. I will give you a jacket and a cloak, which you must wear during this time. If you die during these seven years, you are mine. If you stay alive, you are free, and rich as well, for all the rest of your life.”The soldier thought about his desperate situation, and having faced death so often before, he decided to risk it now as well, and he entered into the agreement.The devil took off his green jacket and gave it to the soldier, saying, “Whenever you wear this jacket and reach into its pocket, you will find a handful of money.”Then he pulled the skin off the bear and said, “This shall be your cloak, and your bed as well, for

you are to sleep on it, and you are not allowed to lie in any other bed. Because of your clothing you shall you be called Bearskin.” With that the devil disappeared.The soldier put on the jacket, immediately reached into the pocket, and found that the promise was really true. Then he put on the bearskin and went forth into the world. He did whatever he pleased, refraining from nothing that did him good and his money harm.During the first year his appearance was still ac-ceptable, but during the second he looked like a monster. His hair covered nearly his entire face. His beard looked like a piece of coarse felt cloth. His fingers had claws, and his face was so covered with dirt that if someone had planted cress on it, it would have grown. Everyone who saw him ran away. However, because everywhere he went he gave money to the poor to pray that he might not die during the seven years, and because he paid well for everything, he always found shelter.In the fourth year he arrived an inn. The inn-keeper would not let him enter, refusing even to let him have a place in the stable because he was afraid he would frighten the horses. However, when Bearskin reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of ducats, the innkeeper softened and gave him a room in an outbuilding. Bearskin, however, had to promise not to let himself be seen, lest the inn should get a bad name.One evening Bearskin was sitting alone, wishing with all his heart that the seven years were over, he heard a loud moaning in a neighboring room. He had a compassionate heart, so he opened the door

and saw an old man weeping bitterly and striking his hands together above his head. Bearskin went nearer, but the man jumped to his feet and tried to run away. At last, hearing a human voice, the man let Bearskin talk to him, and with friendly words Bearskin succeeded in getting the old man to reveal the cause of his grief. Slowly but surely the old man had lost his wealth, and now he and his daughters would have to starve. He was so poor that he could not pay the innkeeper and was to be sent to prison.“If that is your only problem,” said Bearskin, “I have money enough.” He called for the innkeeper and paid him, and then put a bag full of gold into the poor man’s pocket.When the old man saw that he was freed from all his troubles he did not know how to show his gratitude.“Come with me,” he said to Bearskin. “My daugh-ters are all miracles of beauty. Choose one of them for your wife. When she hears what you have done for me she will not refuse you. You do look a little strange, to be sure, but she will put you in order again.”This pleased Bearskin well, and he went with the old man.When the oldest daughter saw him she was so ter-rified at his face that she screamed and ran away.The second one 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 shaved bear that once was here and passed itself off for a man pleased me far better. At least it was wearing a hussar’s fur and white gloves. If ugliness

were his only flaw, I could get used to him.”The youngest one, however, said, “Father, dear, he must be a good man to have helped you out of your trouble. If you promised him a bride for do-ing so, your word must be kept.”It was a pity that Bearskin’s face was covered with dirt and hair, for otherwise they would have seen how his heart laughed within his body when he heard these words. He took a ring from his finger, broke it in two, and gave her one half. He kept the other half himself. He then wrote his name inside her half, and her name inside his. He asked her to take good care of her piece.Then he took leave saying, “I must wander about for three more years. If I do not return at that time you are free, for I shall be dead. But ask God to preserve my life.”The poor bride-to-be dressed herself entirely in black, and when she thought about her future bridegroom, tears came into her eyes. From her sisters she received nothing but contempt and scorn.“Be careful,” said the oldest. “If you give him your hand, he will hit you with his claws.”“Beware,” said the second. “Bears like sweet things, and if he takes a liking to you, he will eat you up.”“You must always do what he wants you to,” con-tinued the oldest, “or he will begin to growl.”And the second added, “But the wedding will be merry, for bears dance well.”The bride-to-be said nothing and did not let them irritate her. Bearskin, however, traveled about the world from one place to another, did good wher-

ever he could, and gave generously to the poor that they might pray for him.Finally, at dawn on the last day of the seven years, he went once more out to the heath, and seated himself beneath the circle of trees. Before long the wind began to howl, and the devil stood before him, looking at him angrily. He threw Bearskin’s old jacket to him and demanded the return of his own green one.“We haven’t gotten that far yet,” answered Bear-skin. “First of all you have to clean me up.”Whether the devil wanted to or not, he had to fetch water and wash off Bearskin, comb his hair, and cut his nails. After this he looked like a brave soldier and was much better looking than he had ever been before.When the devil was safely gone Bearskin was quite lighthearted. He went into the town, purchased a splendid velvet jacket, seated himself in a car-riage drawn by four white horses, and drove to his bride’s house. No one recognized him. The father took him for a distinguished colonel and led him into the room where his daughters were sitting. He was given a seat between the two oldest ones. They poured wine for him, served him the finest things to eat, and thought that they had never seen a more handsome man in all the world.The bride-to-be, however, sat across from him in her black dress without raising her eyes or speak-ing a word. Finally he asked the father if he would give him one of his daughters for a wife, where-upon the two oldest ones jumped up and ran into their bedrooms to put on splendid dresses, for each of them thought that she was the chosen one.As soon as he was alone with his bride-to-be,

the stranger brought out his half of the ring and dropped it into a glass of wine, which he handed 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 took the other half, which she wore on a ribbon around her neck, put them together, and saw that the two pieces matched perfectly.Then he said, “I am your betrothed bridegroom, whom you saw as Bearskin. Through God’s grace I have regained my human form and have become clean again.”He went to her, embraced her, and gave her a kiss. In the meantime the two sisters came back in full dress. When they saw that the youngest sister had received the handsome man, and heard that he was Bearskin, they ran out filled with anger and rage. One of them drowned herself in the well. The other hanged herself on a tree.That evening, someone knocked at the door, and when the bridegroom opened it, it was the devil in his green jacket, who said, “You see, I now have two souls for the one of yours.”

The Fox and The Horse

A peasant had a faithful horse which had grown old and could do no more work, so his master no longer wanted to give him anything to eat and said, "I can certainly make no more use of you, but still I mean well by you, and if you prove yourself still strong enough to bring me a lion here, I will maintain you. But for now get out of my stable." And with that he chased him into the open field.The horse was sad, and went to the forest to seek a little protection there from the weather. There the fox met him and said, "Why do you hang your head so, and go about all alone?""Alas," replied the horse, "greed and loyalty do not dwell together in one house. My master has forgotten what services I have performed for him for so many years, and because I can no longer plow well, he will give me no more food, and has driven me out.""Without giving you a chance?" asked the fox."The chance was a bad one. He said, if I were still strong enough to bring him a lion, he would keep me, but he well knows that I cannot do that."The fox said, "I will help you. Just lie down, stretch out as if you were dead, and do not stir."The horse did what the fox asked, and then the fox went to the lion, who had his den not far off, and said, "A dead horse is lying out there. Just come with me, and you can have a rich meal."The lion went with him, and when they were both standing by the horse the fox said, "After all, it is not very comfortable for you here -- I tell you what -- I will fasten it to you by the tail, and then you can drag it into your cave and eat it in peace."

This advice pleased the lion. He positioned him-self, and in order that the fox might tie the horse fast to him, he kept completely quiet. But the fox tied the lion's legs together with the horse's tail, and twisted and fastened everything so well and so strongly that no amount of strength could pull it loose. When he had finished his work, he tapped the horse on the shoulder and said, "Pull, white horse, pull!"Then up sprang the horse at once, and pulled the lion away with him. The lion began to roar so that all the birds in the forest flew up in terror, but the horse let him roar, and drew him and dragged him across the field to his master's door. When the master saw the lion, he was of a better mind, and said to the horse, "You shall stay with me and fare well." And he gave him plenty to eat until he died.

The Nail

A merchant had done well at the fair. He had sold all his wares, and filled his moneybag with gold and silver. He now wanted to make his way toward home, and to be in his own house before nightfall. So he loaded his duffel bag with the money onto his horse, and rode away.At noon made a rest stop in a town. When he was about to continue on his way, a servant brought him his horse and said, “Sir, a nail is missing from the shoe on his left hind hoof.”“Let it be,” answered the merchant. “The shoe will certainly stay on for the six hours that I still have to ride. I am in a hurry.”That afternoon, when he dismounted once again and had his horse fed, a servant came into the inn and said, “Sir, a shoe is missing from your horse’s left hind hoof. Shall I take him to the black-smith?”“Let it be,” answered the man. “The horse can manage for the few hours that I still have to ride. I am in a hurry.”He rode on, but before long the horse began to limp. It did not limp long before it began to stumble, and it did not stumble long before it fell down and broke a leg. The merchant had to leave the horse where it was, and unbuckle the duffel bag, load it onto his shoulder, and walk home on foot, not arriving there until very late that night.“All this bad luck,” he said to himself, “was caused by that cursed nail.”Haste makes waste.

The Wolf and The Seven Young Kids

Once upon a time there was an old goat. She had seven little kids, and loved them all, just as a mother loves her children. One day she wanted to go into the woods to get some food. So she called all seven to her and said, “Children dear, I am go-ing into the woods. Be on your guard for the wolf. If he gets in, he will eat up all of you all, even your skin and hair. The villain often disguises himself, but you will recognize him at once by his rough voice and his black feet.”The kids said, “Mother dear, we will take care of ourselves. You can go away without any worries.”Then the old one bleated, and went on her way with her mind at ease.It was not long before someone knocked at the door and called out, “Open the door, children dear, your mother is here, and has brought some-thing for each one of you.”But the little kids knew from the rough voice that it was the wolf.“We will not open the door,” they cried out. “You are not our mother. She has a soft and gentle voice, but your voice is rough. You are the wolf.”So the wolf went to a shopkeeper and bought himself a large piece of chalk, which he ate, mak-ing his voice soft. Then he came back and knocked at the door, calling out, “Open the door, children dear. Your mother is here and has brought some-thing for each one of you.”But the wolf laid one of his black paws inside the window. The children saw it and cried out, “We will not open the door. Our mother does not have a black foot like you. You are the wolf.”So the wolf ran to a baker and said, “I have

sprained my foot. Rub some dough on it for me.” After the baker had rubbed dough on his foot, the wolf ran to the miller and said, “Sprinkle some white flour on my foot for me.”The miller thought, “The wolf wants to deceive someone,” and refused to do it, so the wolf said, “If you will not do it, I will eat you up.” That frightened the miller, and he made his paw white for him. Yes, that is the way people are.Now the villain went for a third time to the door, knocked at it, and said, “Open the door for me, children. Your dear little mother has come home, and has brought every one of you something from the woods.”The little kids cried out, “First show us your paw so we may know that you are our dear little mother.”So he put his paw inside the window, and when they saw that it was white, they believed that everything he said was true, and they opened the door. But who came in? It was the wolf. They were terrified and wanted to hide. One jumped under the table, the second into the bed, the third into the stove, the fourth into the kitchen, the fifth into the cupboard, the sixth under the washbasin, and the seventh into the clock case. But the wolf found them all, and with no further ado he swal-lowed them down his throat, one after the other. However, he did not find the youngest kid, the one who was in the clock case.After satisfying his appetite he went outside and lay down under a tree in the green meadow and fell asleep.Soon afterward the old goat came home from the

woods. Oh, what a sight she saw there. The door stood wide open. Table, chairs, and benches were tipped over. The washbasin was in pieces. The cov-ers and pillows had been pulled off the bed. She looked for her children, but they were nowhere to be found. She called them by name, one after the other, but no one answered. When she at last came to the youngest, a soft voice cried out, “Mother dear, I am hiding in the clock case. She took it out, and it told her that the wolf had come and had eaten up all the others. You can just imagine how she cried for her poor children.Finally in her despair she went outside, and the youngest kid ran with her. They came to the mead-ow, and there lay the wolf by the tree, snoring so loudly that the branches shook. She looked at him from all sides and saw that something was moving and jiggling inside his full belly.“Good gracious,” she thought. “Is it possible that my poor children, whom he has swallowed down for his supper, can still be alive?”The mother goat sent the kid home and to fetch scissors, and a needle and thread, and then she cut open the monster’s paunch. She had scarcely made one cut, before a little kid stuck its head out, and as she continued to cut, one after the other all six jumped out, and they were all still alive. They were not even hurt, for in his greed the monster had swallowed them down whole. How happy they were! They hugged their dear mother, and jumped about like a tailor on his wedding day.But the mother said, “Go now and look for some big stones. We will fill the godless beast’s stomach with them while he is still asleep.”

The seven kids quickly brought the stones, and they put as many as many of them into his stom-ach as it would hold. Then the mother hurriedly sewed him up again. He was not aware of anything and never once stirred.The wolf finally awoke and got up onto his legs. Because the stones in his stomach made him very thirsty, he wanted to go to a well and get a drink. But when he began to walk and to move about, the stones in his stomach knocked against each other and rattled.Then he cried out:What rumbles and tumbles,Inside of me.I thought it was kids,But it’s stones that they be.When he got to the well and leaned over the water to drink, the heavy stones pulled him in, and he drowned miserably.When the seven kids saw what had happened, they ran up and cried out, “The wolf is dead! The wolf is dead!” And with their mother they danced for joy around about the well.

The Wolf and The Man

Once upon a time the fox was talking to the wolf about the strength of man, how no animal could withstand him, and how all were obliged to em-ploy cunning in order to protect themselves from him.The wolf answered, “If I could see a man just once, I would attack him nonetheless.”“I can help you to do that,” said the fox. “Come to me early tomorrow morning, and I will show you one.”The wolf arrived on time, and the fox took him out to the path which the huntsman used every day. First an old discharged soldier came by.“Is that a man?” asked the wolf.“No,” answered the fox. “He has been one.”Afterwards came a little boy on his way to school.“Is that a man?”“No, he will yet become one.”Finally a huntsman came by with his double-bar-reled gun on his back, and a sword at his side.The fox said to the wolf, “Look, there comes a man. He is the one you must attack, but I am go-ing back to my den.”The wolf then charged at the man.When the huntsman saw him he said, “Too bad that I have not loaded with a bullet.” Then he aimed and fired a load of shot into his face.The wolf pulled an awful face, but did not let himself be frightened, and attacked him again, on which the huntsman gave him the second barrel. The wolf swallowed his pain and charged at the huntsman again, who in turn drew out his naked sword, and gave him a few blows with it left and right, so that, bleeding all over, he ran howling

back to the fox.“Well,” Brother Wolf, said the fox, “how did you get along with man?”“Oh,” replied the wolf, “I never imagined the strength of man to be what it is. First, he took a stick from his shoulder, and blew into it, and then something flew into my face which tickled me ter-ribly. Then he breathed once more into the stick, and it flew up my nose like lightning and hail. Then when I got next to him, he drew a naked rib out of his body, and he beat me so with it that he almost killed me.”“See what a braggart you are,” said the fox. “You throw your hatchet so far that you cannot get it back again.”

Little Red Cap

Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl. Everyone who saw her liked her, but most of all her grandmother, who did not know what to give the child next. Once she gave her a little cap made of red velvet. Because it suited her so well, and she wanted to wear it all the time, she came to be known as Little Red Cap.One day her mother said to her, “Come Little Red Cap. Here is a piece of cake and a bottle of wine. Take them to your grandmother. She is sick and weak, and they will do her well. Mind your man-ners and give her my greetings. Behave yourself on the way, and do not leave the path, or you might fall down and break the glass, and then there will be nothing for your grandmother. And when you enter her parlor, don’t forget to say ‘Good morn-ing,’ and don’t peer into all the corners first.”“I’ll do everything just right,” said Little Red Cap, shaking her mother’s hand.The grandmother lived out in the woods, a half hour from the village. When Little Red Cap en-tered the woods a wolf came up to her. She did not know what a wicked animal he was, and was not afraid of him.“Good day to you, Little Red Cap.”“Thank you, wolf.”“Where are you going so early, Little Red Cap?”“To grandmother’s.”“And what are you carrying under your apron?”“Grandmother is sick and weak, and I am taking her some cake and wine. We baked yesterday, and they should be good for her and give her strength.”“Little Red Cap, just where does your grandmoth-

er live?”“Her house is good quarter hour from here in the woods, under the three large oak trees. There’s a hedge of hazel bushes there. You must know the place,” said Little Red Cap.The wolf thought to himself, “Now that sweet young thing is a tasty bite for me. She will taste even better than the old woman. You must be sly, and you can catch them both.”He walked along a little while with Little Red Cap, then he said, “Little Red Cap, just look at the beautiful flowers that are all around us. Why don’t you go and take a look? And I don’t believe you can hear how beautifully the birds are singing. You are walking along as though you were on your way to school. It is very beautiful in the woods.”Little Red Cap opened her eyes and when she saw the sunbeams dancing to and fro through the trees and how the ground was covered with beautiful flowers, she thought, “If a take a fresh bouquet to grandmother, she will be very pleased. Anyway, it is still early, and I’ll be home on time.” And she ran off the path into the woods looking for flow-ers. Each time she picked one she thought that she could see an even more beautiful one a little way off, and she ran after it, going further and further into the woods. But the wolf ran straight to the grandmother’s house and knocked on the door.“Who’s there?”“Little Red Cap. I’m bringing you some cake and wine. Open the door.”“Just press the latch,” called out the grandmother. “I’m too weak to get up.”The wolf pressed the latch, and the door opened.

He stepped inside, went straight to the grand-mother’s bed, and ate her up. Then he put on her clothes, put her cap on his head, got into her bed, and pulled the curtains shut.Little Red Cap had run after the flowers. After she had gathered so many that she could not carry any more, she remembered her grandmother, and then continued on her way to her house. She found, to her surprise, that the door was open. She walked into the parlor, and everything looked so strange that she thought, “Oh, my God, why am I so afraid? I usually like it at grandmother’s.”She called out, “Good morning!” but received no answer.Then she went to the bed and pulled back the curtains. Grandmother was lying there with her cap pulled down over her face and looking very strange.“Oh, grandmother, what big ears you have!”“All the better to hear you with.”“Oh, grandmother, what big eyes you have!”“All the better to see you with.”“Oh, grandmother, what big hands you have!”“All the better to grab you with!”“Oh, grandmother, what a horribly big mouth you have!”“All the better to eat you with!”The wolf had scarcely finished speaking when he jumped from the bed with a single leap and ate up poor Little Red Cap. As soon as the wolf had satisfied his desires, he climbed back into bed, fell asleep, and began to snore very loudly.A huntsman was just passing by. He thought, “The old woman is snoring so loudly. You had better see

if something is wrong with her.”He stepped into the parlor, and when he ap-proached the bed, he saw the wolf lying there. “So here I find you, you old sinner,” he said. “I have been hunting for you a long time.”He was about to aim his rifle when it occurred to him that the wolf might have eaten the grand-mother, and that she still might be rescued. So instead of shooting, he took a pair of scissors and began to cut open the wolf ’s belly. After a few cuts he saw the red cap shining through., and after a few more cuts the girl jumped out, crying, “Oh, I was so frightened! It was so dark inside the wolf ’s body!”And then the grandmother came out as well, alive but hardly able to breathe. Then Little Red Cap fetched some large stones. She filled the wolf ’s body with them, and when he woke up and tried to run away, the stones were so heavy that he im-mediately fell down dead.The three of them were happy. The huntsman skinned the wolf and went home with the pelt. The grandmother ate the cake and drank the wine that Little Red Cap had brought. And Little Red Cap thought, “As long as I live, I will never leave the path and run off into the woods by myself if mother tells me not to.”

They also tell how Little Red Cap was taking some baked things to her grandmother another time, when another wolf spoke to her and wanted her to leave the path. But Little Red Cap took care and went straight to grandmother’s. She told her that she had seen the wolf, and that he had wished her

a good day, but had stared at her in a wicked man-ner. “If we hadn’t been on a public road, he would have eaten me up,” she said.“Come,” said the grandmother. “Let’s lock the door, so he can’t get in.”Soon afterward the wolf knocked on the door and called out, “Open up, grandmother. It’s Little Red Cap, and I’m bringing you some baked things.”They remained silent, and did not open the door. Gray-Head crept around the house several times, and finally jumped onto the roof. He wanted to wait until Little Red Cap went home that evening, then follow her and eat her up in the darkness. But the grandmother saw what he was up to. There was a large stone trough in front of the house.“Fetch a bucket, Little Red Cap,” she said to the child. “Yesterday I cooked some sausage. Carry the water that I boiled them with to the trough.” Little Red Cap carried water until the large, large trough was clear full. The smell of sausage arose into the wolf ’s nose. He sniffed and looked down, stretching his neck so long that he could no longer hold himself, and he began to slide. He slid off the roof, fell into the trough, and drowned. And Little Red Cap returned home happily, and no one harmed her.

The Singing Bone

Once upon a time in a certain country there was great concern about a wild boar that was destroy-ing the peasants' fields, killing the cattle, and ripping people apart with its tusks. The king promised a large reward to anyone who could free the land from this plague, but the beast was so large and strong that no one dared to go near the woods where it lived. Finally the king proclaimed that whoever could capture or kill the wild boar should have his only daughter in marriage.Now in this country there lived two brothers, sons of a poor man. They declared that they dared to attempt the task. The older one, who was crafty and shrewd, did so out of pride. The younger one, who was innocent and simple, did so because of his kind heart.The king said, "In order to be more sure of finding the beast, you should enter the woods from op-posite sides."Thus the older one entered the woods from the west, and the younger one from the east.After the younger one had walked a little while, a little dwarf stepped up to him. He held a black spear in his hand and said, "I am giving you this spear because your heart is innocent and good. With it you can confidently attack the wild boar. It will do you no harm."He thanked the dwarf, put the spear on his shoul-der, and walked on fearlessly.Before long he saw the beast. It attacked him, but he held the spear toward it, and in its blind fury it ran into the spear with such force that its heart was slashed in two.Then he put the monster on his back and turned

towards home, intending to take it to the king.Emerging from the other side of the woods, he came to a house where people were making merry drinking wine and dancing. His older brother was there too. Thinking that the boar would not run away from him any time soon, he had decided to drink himself some real courage. When he saw his younger brother coming out of the woods with his booty, his envious and evil heart gave him no peace.He called out to him, "Come in, dear brother. Rest and refresh yourself with a beaker of wine."The younger brother, suspecting no evil, went in and told him about the good dwarf who had given him the spear with which he had killed the boar.The older brother kept him there until evening, and then they set forth together. After dark they came to a bridge over a brook, and the older brother let the younger one go first. When the younger brother reached the middle above the water, the older one gave him such a blow from behind that he fell down dead.He buried him beneath the bridge, took the boar, and delivered it to the king, pretending that he had killed it. With this he received the king's daughter in marriage.When his younger brother did not return he said, "The boar must have ripped him apart," and every one believed it.But as nothing remains hidden from God, this black deed was also to come to light.After many long years a shepherd was driving his herd across the bridge and saw a little snow-white bone lying in the sand below. Thinking that

it would make a good mouthpiece, he climbed down, picked it up, and then carved out of it a mouthpiece for his horn. When he blew into it for the first time, to his great astonishment the bone began to sing by itself:Oh, my dear shepherd, You are blowing on my little bone.My brother killed me,And buried me beneath the bridge,To get the wild boorFor the daughter of the king.

"What a wonderful horn," said the shepherd. "It sings by itself. I must take it to the king."When he brought it before the king, the horn again began to sing its little song. The king under-stood it well, and had the earth beneath the bridge dug up. Then the whole skeleton of the murdered man came to light.The wicked brother could not deny the deed. He was sewn into a sack and drowned alive. The mur-dered man's bones were laid to rest in a beautiful grave in the churchyard.

The Seven Ravens

A man had seven sons, but however much he wished for a daughter, he did not have one yet. Finally his wife gave him hope for another child, and when it came into the world it was indeed a girl. Great was their joy, but the child was sickly and small, and because of her weakness, she was to be given an emergency baptism.The father sent one of the boys to run quickly to the well and get some water for the baptism. The other six ran along with him. Because each one of them wanted to be first one to dip out the water, the jug fell into the well. There they stood not knowing what to do, and not one of them dared to go home.When they did not return the father grew impa-tient, and said, "They have forgotten what they went after because they were playing, those god-less boys."Fearing that the girl would die without being baptized, he cried out in anger, "I wish that those boys would all turn into ravens."He had hardly spoken these words when he heard a whirring sound above his head, and looking up, he saw seven coal-black ravens flying up and away.The parents could not take back the curse, and however sad they were at the loss of their seven sons, they were still somewhat comforted because of their dear little daughter, who soon gained strength and became more beautiful every day.For a long time she did not know that she had had brothers, for her parents took care not to mention them to her. However, one day she accidentally overheard some people talking about her. They said that she was beautiful enough, but that in

truth she was to blame for her seven brothers' mis-fortune. This troubled her greatly, and she went to her father and mother and asked them if she indeed had had brothers, and what had happened to them.Her parents could no longer keep the secret, but said that it had been heaven's fate, and that her birth had been only the innocent cause. However, this ate at the girl's conscience every day, and she came to believe that she would have to redeem her brothers.She had neither rest nor peace until she secretly set forth and went out into the wide world, hop-ing to find her brothers and to set them free, whatever it might cost. She took nothing with her but a little ring as a remembrance from her parents, a loaf of bread for hunger, a little jug of water for thirst, and a little chair for when she got tired.She walked on and on -- far, far to the end of the world. She came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible, and ate little children. She hurried away, and ran to the moon, but it was much too cold, and also frightening and wicked, and when it saw the child, it said, "I smell, smell human flesh."Then she hurried away, and came to the stars, and they were friendly and good to her, each one sitting on its own little chair. When the morning star arose, it gave her a chicken bone, and said, "Without that chicken bone you cannot open the glass mountain, and your brothers are inside the glass mountain."The girl took the bone, wrapped it up well in a cloth, and went on her way again until she came

to the glass mountain. The door was locked, and she started to take out the chicken bone, but when she opened up the cloth, it was empty. She had lost the gift of the good stars.What could she do now? She wanted to rescue her brothers, but she had no key to the glass moun-tain. The good little sister took a knife, cut off one of her little fingers, put it into the door, and fortunately the door opened.After she had gone inside a little dwarf came up to her and said, "My child, what are you looking for?""I am looking for my brothers, the seven ravens," she replied.The dwarf said, "The lord ravens are not at home, but if you want to wait here until they return, step inside."Then the dwarf carried in the ravens' dinner on seven little plates, and in seven little cups. The sis-ter ate a little bit from each plate and took a little sip from each cup. Into the last cup she dropped the ring that she had brought with her.Suddenly she heard a whirring and rushing sound in the air, and the dwarf said, "The lord ravens are flying home now."They came, wanted to eat and drink, and looked for their plates and cups. Then one after the other of them said, "Who has been eating from my plate? Who has been drinking from my cup? It was a human mouth."When the seventh one came to the bottom of his cup, the ring rolled toward him. Looking at it, he saw that it was a ring from their father and mother, and said, "God grant that our sister might

be here; then we would be set free."The girl was listening from behind the door, and when she heard this wish she came forth. Then the ravens were restored to their human forms again. They hugged and kissed one another, and went home happily.

Mr. Fox’s Wedding

Once upon a time there was an old fox with nine tails. He did not believe that his wife was faith-ful to him and wanted to put her to the test. He stretched himself out beneath the bench, did not move a limb, and pretended to be stone dead.Mrs. Fox locked herself in her room, and her maid, Miss Cat, sat on the hearth and cooked.As soon as it became known that the old fox had died, suitors began to appear. The maid heard someone knocking at the front door. She opened it, and there stood a young fox, who said:What are you doing, Miss Cat?Are you asleep, or are you awake?She answered:I'm not asleep; I am awake.Do you want to know what I am doing?I am cooking warm beer with butter in it.Would you like to be my guest?"No thank you, Miss," said the fox. "What is Mrs. Fox doing?"The maid answered:She is sitting in her roomMourning and grieving.She has cried her eyes red,Because old Mr. Fox is dead."Miss, tell her that a young fox is here who would like to court her.""I'll do that, young man."The cat went upstairs and knocked on the door."Mrs. Fox, are you there?""Yes, my dear, yes.""A suitor is outside.""What does he look like? Does he have nine bushy tails like the late Mr. Fox?"

"No," answered the cat. "He has but one.""Then I'll not have him."Miss Cat went downstairs and sent the suitor away.Soon afterward there was another knock at the door. Another fox was there who wanted to court Mrs. Fox. He had two tails, but he did not fare any better than the first one. Then others came, each with one additional tail, but all were turned away until finally one came who had nine tails, just like old Mr. Fox. When the widow heard that, she spoke joyfully to the cat:Open up the doorAnd throw old Mr. Fox out.They were just about to celebrate the wedding when beneath the bench old Mr. Fox began to stir. He attacked the entire party with blows and drove them all out of the house, including Mrs. Fox.

Second TaleFollowing the death of old Mr. Fox, the wolf presented himself as a suitor. The cat, who was serving as Mrs. Fox's maid, opened the door. The wolf greeted her, saying:Good day, Mrs. Cat,Why are you sitting alone?What good things are you making there?The cat answered:Bread and milk.Would you like to be my guest?"No thank you, Mrs. Cat." answered the wolf. "Isn't Mrs. Fox at home?"The cat said:She's upstairs in her room

Mourning and grieving,Bemoaning her plight,Because old Mr. Fox is dead.The wolf answered:If she wants another man,Just have her come downstairs.The cat ran upstairsTo give her the news.She ran to the great room,And knocked on the doorWith her five golden rings."Mrs. Fox, are you in there?Do you want another man?"Mrs. Fox asked, "Is the gentleman wearing red breeches, and does he have a pointed little face?""No," answered the cat."Then he's of no use to me."After the wolf had been sent away there came a dog, a deer, a hare, a bear, a lion, and all the other animals of the forest, one after the other. But each one lacked one of the good qualities that old Mr. Fox had had, and the cat had to send each of the suitors away. Finally a young fox came.Mrs. Fox asked, "Is the gentleman wearing red breeches, and does he have a pointed little face?""Yes," said the cat, "that he does.""Then let him come upstairs," said Mrs. Fox, and she told the maid to make preparations for the wedding feast.Cat, sweep out the kitchen,And throw the old fox out the window.He brought home many a big fat mouse,But he ate them all alone,And never gave me a one.

Then Mrs. Fox married young Mr. Fox, and every-one danced and celebrated, and if they have not stopped, then they are dancing still.

The Girl Without Hands

A miller fell slowly but surely into poverty, until finally he had nothing more than his mill and a large apple tree which stood behind it. One day he had gone into the forest to gather wood, where he was approached by an old man, whom he had never seen before, and who said, "Why do you torment yourself with chopping wood? I will make you rich if you will promise me that which is standing behind your mill.""What can that be but my apple tree?" thought the miller, said yes, and signed it over to the strange man.The latter, however, laughed mockingly and said, "I will come in three years and get what belongs to me," then went away.When he arrived home, his wife came up to him and said, "Miller, tell me, where did all the wealth come from that is suddenly in our house? All at once all the chests and boxes are full, and no one brought it here, and I don't know where it came from."He answered, "It comes from an strange man whom I met in the woods and who promised me great treasures if I would but sign over to him that which stands behind the mill. We can give up the large apple tree for all this.""Oh, husband!" said the woman, terrified. "That was the devil. He didn't mean the apple tree, but our daughter, who was just then standing behind the mill sweeping the yard."The miller's daughter was a beautiful and pious girl, and she lived the three years worshipping God and without sin. When the time was up and the day came when the evil one was to get her,

she washed herself clean and drew a circle around herself with chalk. The devil appeared very early in the morning, but he could not approach her.He spoke angrily to the miller, "Keep water away from her, so she cannot wash herself any more. Otherwise I have no power over her."The miller was frightened and did what he was told. The next morning the devil returned, but she had wept into her hands, and they were entirely clean.Thus he still could not approach her, and he spoke angrily to the miller, "Chop off her hands. Other-wise I cannot get to her." The miller was horrified and answered, "How could I chop off my own child's hands!"Then the evil one threatened him, saying, "If you do not do it, then you will be mine, and I will take you yourself."This frightened the father, and he promised to obey him. Then he went to the girl and said, "My child, if I do not chop off both of your hands, then the devil will take me away, and in my fear I have promised him to do this. Help me in my need, and forgive me of the evil that I am going to do to you."She answered, "Dear father, do with me what you will. I am your child," and with that she stretched forth both hands and let her father chop them off.The devil came a third time, but she had wept so long and so much onto the stumps, that they were entirely clean. Then he had to give up, for he had lost all claim to her.The miller spoke to her, "I have gained great wealth through you. I shall take care of you in

splendor as long as you live."But she answered, "I cannot remain here. I will go away. Compassionate people will give me as much as I need."Then she had her mutilated arms tied to her back, and at sunrise she set forth, walking the entire day until it was night. She came to a royal garden, and by the light of the moon she saw that inside there were trees full of beautiful fruit. But she could not get inside, for there it was surrounded by water.Having walked the entire day without eating a bite, she was suffering from hunger, and she thought, "Oh, if only I were inside the garden so I could eat of those fruits. Otherwise I shall perish."Then she kneeled down and, crying out to God the Lord, she prayed. Suddenly an angel appeared. He closed a head gate, so that the moat dried up, and she could walk through.She entered the garden, and the angel went with her. She saw a fruit tree with beautiful pears, but they had all been counted. She stepped up to the tree and ate from it with her mouth, enough to satisfy her hunger, but no more. The gardener saw it happen, but because the angel was standing by her he was afraid and thought that the girl was a spirit. He said nothing and did not dare to call out nor to speak to the spirit. After she had eaten the pear she was full, and she went and lay down in the brush.The king who owned this garden came the next morning. He counted the fruit and saw that one of the pears was missing. He asked the gardener what had happened to it. It was not lying under the tree, but had somehow disappeared.

The gardener answered, "Last night a spirit came here. It had no hands and ate one of the pears with its mouth."The king said, "How did the spirit get across the water? And where did it go after it had eaten the pear?"The gardener answered, "Someone dressed in snow-white came from heaven and closed the head gate so the spirit could walk through the moat. Be-cause it must have been an angel I was afraid, and I asked no questions, and I did not call out. After the spirit had eaten the pear it went away again."The king said, "If what you said is true, I will keep watch with you tonight."After it was dark the king entered the garden, bringing a priest with him who was to talk to the spirit. All three sat down under the tree and kept watch. At midnight the girl came creeping out of the brush, stepped up to the tree, and again ate off a pear with her mouth. An angel dressed in white was standing next to her.The priest walked up to them and said, "Have you come from God, or from the world? Are you a spirit or a human?"She answered, "I am not a spirit, but a poor hu-man who has been abandoned by everyone except God."The king said, "Even if you have been abandoned by the whole world, I will not abandon you."He took her home with him to his royal castle, and because she was so beautiful and pure he loved her with all his heart, had silver hands made for her, and took her as his wife.After a year the king had to go out into the battle-

field, and he left the young queen in the care of his mother, saying, "If she has a child, support her and take good care of her, and immediately send me the news in a letter."She gave birth to a beautiful son. The old mother quickly wrote this in a letter, giving the joyful news to the king.Now on the way the messenger stopped at a brook to rest. Tired from his long journey, he fell asleep. Then the devil came to him. He still wanted to harm the pious queen, and he took the letter, putting in its place one that stated that the queen had brought a changeling into the world. When the king read this letter he was frightened and saddened, but nevertheless he wrote an answer that they should take good care of the queen until his return. The messenger returned with this let-ter, but he rested at the same place, and again fell asleep. The devil came again and placed a different letter in his bag. This letter said that they should kill the queen with her child.The old mother was terribly frightened when she received this letter. She could not believe it, and wrote to the king again, but she got back the same answer, because each time the devil substituted a false letter. And the last letter even stated that they should keep the queen's tongue and eyes as proof.The old mother lamented that such innocent blood was to be shed, and in the night she had a doe killed, cut out its tongue and eyes, and had them put aside.Then she said to the queen, "I cannot have you killed as the king has ordered, but you can no longer stay here. Go out into the wide world with

your child, and never come back."The old mother tied the queen's child onto her back, and the poor woman went away with weep-ing eyes. She came to a great, wild forest where she got onto her knees and prayed to God. Then the angel of the Lord appeared to her and led her to a small house. On it was a small sign with the words, "Here anyone can live free."A snow-white virgin came from the house and said, "Welcome, Queen," then led her inside. She untied the small boy from her back, held him to her breast so he could drink, and then laid him in a beautiful made-up bed.Then the poor woman said, "How did you know that I am a queen?"The white virgin answered, "I am an angel, sent by God to take care of you and your child."She stayed in this house for seven years, and was well taken care of. And through the grace of God and her own piety her chopped-off hands grew back.The king finally came back home from the battle-field, and the first thing he wanted to do was to see his wife and their child.Then the old mother began to weep, saying, "You wicked man, why did you write to me that I was to put two innocent souls to death," and she showed him the two letters that the evil one had counter-feited. Then she continued to speak, "I did what you ordered," and showed him as proof the eyes and the tongue.Then the king began to weep even more bitterly for his poor wife and his little son, until the old woman had mercy and said to him, "Be satisfied

that she is still alive. I secretly had a doe killed and took the proofs from it. I tied your wife's child onto her back and told her to go out into the wide world, and she had to promise never to come back here, because you were so angry with her."Then the king said, "I will go as far as the sky is blue, and will neither eat nor drink until I have found my dear wife and my child again, provided that in the meantime they have not died or per-ished from hunger."Then the king traveled about for nearly seven years, searching in all the stone cliffs and caves, but he did not find her, and he thought that she had perished. He neither ate nor drank during the entire time, but God kept him alive. Finally he came to a great forest, where he found a little house with a sign containing the words, " Here anyone can live free."The white virgin came out, took him by the hand, led him inside, and said, "Welcome, King," then asked him where he had come from.He answered, "I have been traveling about for nearly seven years looking for my wife and her child, but I cannot find them."The angel offered him something to eat and drink, but he did not take it, wanting only to rest a little. He lay down to sleep, covering his face with a cloth.Then the angel went into the room where the queen was sitting with her son, whom she nor-mally called "Filled-with-Grief."The angel said to her, "Go into the next room with your child. Your husband has come."She went to where he was lying, and the cloth fell

from his face.Then she said, "Filled-with-Grief, pick up the cloth for your father and put it over his face again."The child picked it up and put it over his face again. The king heard this in his sleep and let the cloth fall again.Then the little boy grew impatient and said, "Mother, dear, how can I cover my father's face? I have no father in this world. I have learned to pray, 'Our father which art in heaven,' and you have said that my father is in heaven, and that he is our dear God. How can I know such a wild man? He is not my father."Hearing this, the king arose and asked who she was.She said, "I am your wife, and this is your son Filled-with-Grief."He saw her living hands and said, "My wife had silver hands."She answered, "Our merciful God has caused my natural hands to grow back."The angel went into the other room, brought back the silver hands, and showed them to him. Now he saw for sure that it was his dear wife and his dear child, and he kissed them, and rejoiced, and said, "A heavy stone has fallen from my heart."Then the angel of God gave them all something to eat, and then they went back home to his old mother. There was great joy everywhere, and the king and the queen conducted their wedding ceremony once again, and they lived happily until their blessed end.