Grimm's Household Tales

A father once called his three sons before him, and he gave the first a rooster, the second a scythe, and the third a cat. “I am already old,” he said, “my death is near, and I have wished to provide for you before my end. Money I do not have, and what I now give you seems of little worth, but everything depends on your making sensible use of it. Only seek out a country where such things are still unknown, and your fortune is made.”

After the father’s death the eldest went away with his rooster, but wherever he went, the rooster was already known. In the towns he saw one from a long distance, sitting upon the steeples and turning with the wind, and in the villages he heard more than one crowing. No one showed any wonder at the creature, so it did not look as if he would make his fortune by it.

At last, however, he happened to come to an island where the people knew nothing about roosters and did not even understand how to divide their time. They certainly knew when it was morning or evening, but at night, if they did not sleep through it, not one of them knew how to find out the time.

“Look!” he said. “What a proud creature! It has a ruby-red crown upon its head and wears spurs like a knight. It calls you three times during the night, at fixed hours, and when it calls for the last time, the sun soon rises. But if it crows in broad daylight, then take notice, for there will certainly be a change of weather.”

The people were well pleased. For a whole night they did not sleep, and they listened with great delight as the rooster loudly and clearly proclaimed the time at two, four, and six o’clock. They asked if the creature was for sale and how much he wanted for it. “About as much gold as a donkey can carry,” he answered. “A ridiculously small price for such a precious creature!” they cried unanimously, and they willingly gave him what he had asked.

When he came home with his wealth, his brothers were astonished, and the second said, “Well, I will go out and see whether I can get rid of my scythe as profitably.” But it did not look as if he would, for laborers met him everywhere, and they had scythes upon their shoulders, just as he did.

At last, however, he came upon an island where the people knew nothing of scythes. When the grain was ripe there, they took cannon out to the fields and shot it down. Now this was rather an uncertain business: many shot right over it, others hit the ears instead of the stems and shot them off, so that much was lost, and besides all this, it made a terrible noise. So the man set to work and mowed it down so quietly and quickly that the people opened their mouths in astonishment. They agreed to give him what he wanted for the scythe, and he received a horse loaded with as much gold as it could carry.

And now the third brother wanted to take his cat to the right man. He had the same experience as the others: as long as he stayed on the mainland, there was nothing to be done. Every place had cats, and there were so many of them that newborn kittens were generally drowned in the ponds.

At last he sailed over to an island, and it luckily happened that no cats had ever been seen there, and that the mice had gained the upper hand so completely that they danced upon the tables and benches whether the master was at home or not. The people complained bitterly of the plague; the King himself in his palace did not know how to protect himself against them; mice squeaked in every corner and gnawed whatever they could lay hold of with their teeth. But now the cat began her chase and soon cleared a couple of rooms, and the people begged the King to buy the wonderful beast for the country. The King willingly gave what was asked, which was a mule loaded with gold, and the third brother came home with the greatest treasure of all.

The cat made herself merry with the mice in the royal palace and killed so many that they could not be counted. At last she grew warm and thirsty from the work, so she stood still, lifted up her head, and cried, “Meow! Meow!” When they heard this strange cry, the King and all his people were frightened, and in their terror they ran all at once out of the palace. Then the King took counsel about what was best to be done. At last it was decided to send a herald to the cat to demand that she leave the palace and, if she did not, to tell her to expect that force would be used against her. The councilors said, “We would rather let ourselves be plagued by the mice, for we are accustomed to that misfortune, than give up our lives to such a monster as this.” A noble youth, therefore, was sent to ask the cat whether she would peaceably leave the castle. But the cat, whose thirst had become still greater, merely answered, “Meow! Meow!” The youth understood her to say, “Most certainly not! Most certainly not!” and he took this answer to the King. “Then,” said the councilors, “she must yield to force.” Cannon were brought out, and the palace was soon in flames. When the fire reached the room where the cat was sitting, she sprang safely out of the window; but the besiegers did not stop until the whole palace was shot to the ground.