Grimm's Household Tales

Once upon a time there was a miller who lived with his wife in great contentment. They had money and land, and their prosperity increased more and more year by year. But ill luck comes like a thief in the night; as their wealth had increased, so it decreased again, year by year, and at last the miller could hardly call the mill in which he lived his own. He was in great distress, and when he lay down after his day’s work, he found no rest but tossed about in his bed, full of care. One morning he rose before daybreak and went out into the open air, thinking that perhaps there his heart might become lighter. As he was stepping over the mill dam, the first sunbeam was just breaking forth, and he heard a rippling sound in the pond. He turned around and saw a beautiful woman rising slowly out of the water. Her long hair, which she was holding off her shoulders with her soft hands, fell down on both sides and covered her white body. He soon saw that she was the Nix of the Mill Pond, and in his fright he did not know whether he should run away or stay where he was. But the nix made her sweet voice heard, called him by his name, and asked him why he was so sad. The miller was at first struck dumb, but when he heard her speak so kindly, he took heart and told her that he had formerly lived in wealth and happiness but that now he was so poor that he did not know what to do. “Do not worry,” answered the nix. “I will make you richer and happier than you have ever been before; only you must promise to give me the young thing that has just been born in your house.” “What else can that be,” thought the miller, “but a young puppy or kitten?” And he promised her what she desired. The nix descended into the water again, and he hurried back to his mill, consoled and in good spirits. He had not yet reached it when the maidservant came out of the house and called to him to rejoice, for his wife had given birth to a little boy. The miller stood as if struck by lightning; he saw very well that the cunning nix had known about it and had cheated him. Hanging his head, he went up to his wife’s bedside, and when she said, “Why do you not rejoice over the fine boy?” he told her what had befallen him and what kind of promise he had given to the nix. “Of what use to me are riches and prosperity,” he added, “if I am to lose my child? But what can I do?” Even the relatives, who had come there to wish them joy, did not know what to say. In the meantime prosperity returned to the miller’s house. All that he undertook succeeded; it was as if chests and coffers filled themselves of their own accord and as if money multiplied nightly in the cupboards. It was not long before his wealth was greater than it had ever been before. But he could not rejoice over it untroubled, for the bargain that he had made with the nix tormented his soul. Whenever he passed the mill pond, he feared she might rise up and remind him of his debt. He never let the boy himself go near the water. “Beware,” he said to him, “if you so much as touch the water, a hand will rise, seize you, and draw you down.” But as year after year went by and the nix did not show herself again, the miller began to feel at ease. The boy grew up to be a youth and was apprenticed to a huntsman. When he had learned everything and had become an excellent huntsman, the lord of the village took him into his service. In the village lived a beautiful and true-hearted maiden who pleased the huntsman, and when his master noticed that, he gave him a little house. The two were married, lived peacefully and happily, and loved each other with all their hearts.

One day the huntsman was chasing a roe deer, and when the animal turned aside from the forest into the open country, he pursued it and at last shot it. He did not notice that he was now in the neighborhood of the dangerous mill pond, and after he had disemboweled the deer, he went to the water to wash his bloodstained hands. Scarcely had he dipped them in, however, when the nix rose up, smilingly wound her dripping arms around him, and drew him quickly down under the waves, which closed over him. When it was evening and the huntsman did not return home, his wife became alarmed. She went out to look for him, and as he had often told her that he had to be on his guard against the snares of the nix and dared not venture into the neighborhood of the mill pond, she already suspected what had happened. She hastened to the water, and when she found his hunting pouch lying on the shore, she could no longer have any doubt about the misfortune. Lamenting her sorrow and wringing her hands, she called out to her beloved by name, but in vain. She hurried across to the other side of the pond and called him again; she reviled the nix with harsh words, but no answer followed. The surface of the water remained calm; only the crescent moon stared steadily back at her. The poor woman did not leave the pond. With hasty steps she paced around and around it, without resting for a moment, sometimes in silence, sometimes uttering a loud cry, sometimes softly sobbing. At last her strength came to an end; she sank down to the ground and fell into a heavy sleep. Soon a dream took possession of her. She was anxiously climbing upward between great masses of rock; thorns and briars caught her feet, the rain beat in her face, and the wind tossed her long hair about. When she had reached the summit, quite a different sight presented itself to her: the sky was blue, the air soft, the ground sloped gently downward, and on a green meadow, bright with flowers of every color, stood a pretty cottage. She went up to it and opened the door; there sat an old woman with white hair, who beckoned to her kindly. At that very moment the poor woman awoke. Day had already dawned, and she at once resolved to act in accordance with her dream. She laboriously climbed the mountain; everything was exactly as she had seen it in the night. The old woman received her kindly and pointed out a chair on which she might sit. “You must have met with a misfortune,” she said, “since you have sought out my lonely cottage.” With tears, the woman related what had befallen her. “Be comforted,” said the old woman. “I will help you. Here is a golden comb for you. Wait until the full moon has risen, then go to the mill pond, seat yourself on the shore, and comb your long black hair with this comb. When you have finished, lay it down on the bank, and you will see what will happen.” The woman returned home, but the time until the full moon came passed slowly. At last the shining disc appeared in the heavens. Then she went out to the mill pond, sat down, and combed her long black hair with the golden comb, and when she had finished, she laid it down at the water’s edge. It was not long before there was a movement in the depths; a wave rose, rolled to the shore, and bore the comb away with it. In no more time than the comb needed to sink to the bottom, the surface of the water parted, and the head of the huntsman rose up. He did not speak but looked at his wife with sorrowful glances. At the same instant a second wave came rushing up and covered the man’s head. All had vanished; the mill pond lay peaceful as before, and nothing but the face of the full moon shone on it. Full of sorrow, the woman went back, but again the dream showed her the cottage of the old woman. The next morning she set out again and told the wise woman of her woes. The old woman gave her a golden flute and said, “Wait until the full moon comes again. Then take this flute and play a beautiful tune on it, and when you have finished, lay it on the sand. Then you will see what will happen.” The wife did as the old woman told her. No sooner was the flute lying on the sand than there was a stirring in the depths, and a wave rushed up and bore the flute away with it. Immediately afterward the water parted, and not only the head of the man but half of his body also rose up. He stretched out his arms longingly toward her, but a second wave came up, covered him, and drew him down again. “Alas, what good does it do me,” said the unhappy woman, “to see my beloved, only to lose him again!” Despair filled her heart anew, but the dream led her a third time to the house of the old woman. She set out, and the wise woman gave her a golden spinning wheel, consoled her, and said, “Not everything has been fulfilled yet. Wait until the time of the full moon, then take the spinning wheel, seat yourself on the shore, and spin the spool full, and when you have done that, place the spinning wheel near the water, and you will see what will happen.” The woman obeyed exactly everything that the wise woman had said; as soon as the full moon showed itself, she carried the golden spinning wheel to the shore and spun industriously until the flax came to an end and the spool was quite filled with thread. No sooner was the wheel standing on the shore than there was a more violent movement than before in the depths of the pond, and a mighty wave rushed up and bore the wheel away with it. Immediately the head and the whole body of the man rose into the air in a waterspout. He quickly sprang to the shore, caught his wife by the hand, and fled. But they had scarcely gone a very little distance when the whole pond rose with a frightful roar and streamed out over the open country. The fugitives already saw death before their eyes when the woman in her terror implored the help of the old woman, and in an instant they were transformed, she into a toad and he into a frog. The flood that had overtaken them could not destroy them, but it tore them apart and carried them far away. When the water had dispersed and they both touched dry land again, they regained their human form, but neither knew where the other was; they found themselves among strangers who did not know their native land. High mountains and deep valleys lay between them. In order to keep themselves alive, they were both obliged to tend sheep. For many long years they drove their flocks through field and forest and were full of sorrow and longing. When spring had once more broken forth on the earth, they both went out one day with their flocks, and as chance would have it, they drew near each other. They met in a valley but did not recognize each other; yet they rejoiced that they were no longer so lonely. From then on they drove their flocks to the same place each day; they did not speak much, but they felt comforted. One evening when the full moon was shining in the sky and the sheep were already at rest, the shepherd pulled the flute out of his pocket and played a beautiful but sorrowful tune on it. When he had finished, he saw that the shepherdess was weeping bitterly. “Why are you weeping?” he asked. “Alas,” she answered, “the full moon shone like this when I played this tune on the flute for the last time, and the head of my beloved rose out of the water.” He looked at her, and it seemed as if a veil fell from his eyes, and he recognized his dear wife; and when she looked at him, and the moon shone in his face, she knew him also. They embraced and kissed each other, and no one need ask whether they were happy.