Grimm's Household Tales

There was once a man who had seven sons, and still he had no daughter, however much he wished for one. At length his wife again gave him hope of a child, and when it came into the world, it was a girl. The joy was great, but the child was sickly and small, and because of her weakness she had to be baptized privately. The father sent one of the boys in haste to the spring to fetch water for the baptism. The other six went with him, and as each of them wanted to be first to fill the jug, it fell into the well. There they stood and did not know what to do, and none of them dared to go home. As they still did not return, the father grew impatient and said, “They have certainly forgotten it because of some game, the wicked boys!” He became afraid that the girl would have to die without being baptized, and in his anger he cried, “I wish the boys would all turn into ravens.” Hardly was the word spoken when he heard a whirring of wings over his head in the air, and he looked up and saw seven coal-black ravens flying away. The parents could not take back the curse, and however sad they were at the loss of their seven sons, they still comforted themselves to some extent with their dear little daughter, who soon grew strong and became more beautiful every day. For a long time she did not know that she had had brothers, for her parents were careful not to mention them in front of her. But one day she accidentally heard some people saying about her, “The girl is certainly beautiful, but in reality she is to blame for the misfortune that has befallen her seven brothers.” Then she was much troubled, and she went to her father and mother and asked whether it was true that she had had brothers, and what had become of them. The parents no longer dared to keep the secret and said that what had befallen her brothers was the will of Heaven, and that her birth had been only the innocent cause. But the girl took it to heart every day and thought she must rescue her brothers. She had no rest or peace until she set out secretly and went forth into the wide world to trace her brothers and set them free, whatever it might cost. She took nothing with her but a little ring belonging to her parents as a keepsake, a loaf of bread against hunger, a little pitcher of water against thirst, and a little chair as protection against weariness.

And now she went continually onward, far, far to the very end of the world. Then she came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible, and it devoured little children. Hastily she ran away and ran to the moon, but it was far too cold, and also frightening and malicious, and when it saw the child, it said, “I smell, I smell the flesh of men.” At this she ran swiftly away and came to the stars, which were kind and good to her, and each of them sat on its own particular little chair. But the morning star arose and gave her the drumstick of a chicken and said, “If you do not have this drumstick, you cannot open the Glass Mountain, and in the Glass Mountain are your brothers.”

The girl took the drumstick, wrapped it carefully in a cloth, and went onward again until she came to the Glass Mountain. The door was shut, and she thought she would take out the drumstick; but when she undid the cloth, it was empty, and she had lost the good star’s present. What was she to do now? She wished to rescue her brothers and had no key to the Glass Mountain. The good sister took a knife, cut off one of her little fingers, put it in the door, and succeeded in opening it. When she had gone inside, a little dwarf came to meet 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 will wait here until they come, step in.” Then the little dwarf carried the ravens’ dinner in on seven little plates and in seven little glasses, and the little sister ate a morsel from each plate and took a sip from each little glass, but in the last little glass she dropped the ring that she had brought with her.

Suddenly she heard a whirring of wings and a rushing through the air, and then the little dwarf said, “Now the lord ravens are flying home.” Then they came and wanted to eat and drink, and they looked for their little plates and glasses. Then one after the other said, “Who has eaten something from my plate? Who has drunk out of my little glass? It was a human mouth.” And when the seventh came to the bottom of his glass, the ring rolled against his mouth. Then he looked at it and saw that it was a ring belonging to his father and mother, and he said, “God grant that our sister may be here, and then we will be free.” The girl, who was standing behind the door watching, heard that wish and came forth, and at this all the ravens were restored to their human form again. And they embraced and kissed each other and went joyfully home.