Grimm's Household Tales

About a thousand or more years ago, there were only small kings in this country, and one of them, who lived on the Keuterberg, was very fond of hunting. Once, when he was riding out from his castle with his huntsmen, three girls were watching their cows on the mountain. When they saw the King with all his followers, the eldest girl pointed to him and called to the other two girls, “If I do not get that one, I will have none.” Then the second girl answered from the other side of the hill, pointing to the one who was on the King’s right hand, “Hello! Hello! If I do not get him, I will have no one.” These, however, were the two ministers. The King heard all this, and when he had come back from the hunt, he had the three girls brought to him and asked them what they had said yesterday on the mountain. This they would not tell him, so the King asked the eldest whether she really would take him for her husband. Then she said, “Yes,” and the two ministers married the two sisters, for all three had fair and beautiful faces, especially the Queen, who had hair like flax. But the two sisters had no children, and once, when the King was obliged to go away from home, he invited them to come to the Queen to cheer her, for she was about to bear a child. She had a little boy who brought a bright red star into the world with him. Then the two sisters said to each other that they would throw the beautiful boy into the water. When they had thrown him in (I believe it was into the Weser), a little bird flew up into the air and sang:

“To your death you are sped, / Until God’s word is said. / In the white lily bloom, / Brave boy, is your tomb.”

When the two heard that, they were frightened to death and ran away in great haste. When the King came home, they told him that the Queen had given birth to a dog. Then the King said, “What God does is well done!” But a fisherman who lived near the water fished the little boy out again while he was still alive, and since his wife had no children, they raised him. When a year had gone by, the King went away again, and the Queen had another little boy, whom the false sisters likewise took and threw into the water. Then a little bird flew up again and sang:

“To your death you are sped, / Until God’s word is said. / In the white lily bloom, / Brave boy, is your tomb.”

And when the King came back, they told him that the Queen had once more given birth to a dog, and he again said, “What God does is well done.” The fisherman, however, fished this one also out of the water and raised him.

Then the King set out on a journey again, and the Queen had a little girl, whom the false sisters also threw into the water. Then again a little bird flew high up and sang:

“To your death you are sped, / Until God’s word is said. / In the white lily bloom, / Pretty girl, is your tomb.”

And when the King came home, they told him that the Queen had given birth to a cat. Then the King grew angry and ordered his wife to be thrown into prison, and she was shut up there for many long years.

In the meantime the children had grown up. Then the eldest once went out with some other boys to fish, but the other boys would not have him with them and said, “Go away, foundling.”

At this he was much troubled and asked the old fisherman whether that was true. The fisherman told him that once, when he was fishing, he had drawn him out of the water. So the boy said he would set out to look for his father. The fisherman, however, entreated him to stay, but he would not let himself be hindered, and at last the fisherman consented. Then the boy went on his way and walked for many days, and at last he came to a great body of water, by the side of which stood an old woman fishing. “Good day, mother,” said the boy.

“Many thanks,” she said.

“You will fish for a long time before you catch anything.”

“And you will search for a long time before you find your father. How will you get over the water?” said the woman.

“God knows.”

Then the old woman took him up on her back and carried him through it, and he searched for a long time but could not find his father.

When a year had gone by, the second boy set out to look for his brother. He came to the water, and everything happened to him just as it had to his brother. And now there was no one at home but the daughter, and she mourned for her brothers so much that at last she also begged the fisherman to let her set out, for she wished to go in search of her brothers. Then she likewise came to the great body of water, and she said to the old woman, “Good day, mother.”

“Many thanks,” replied the old woman.

“May God help you with your fishing,” said the maiden. When the old woman heard that, she became quite friendly and carried her over the water, gave her a wand, and said to her, “Go, my daughter, ever onward by this road, and when you come to a great black dog, you must pass it silently and boldly, without either laughing or looking at it. Then you will come to a great high castle, on the threshold of which you must let the wand fall. Go straight through the castle and out again on the other side. There you will see an old fountain out of which a large tree has grown, and on that tree hangs a bird in a cage that you must take down. Also take a glass of water out of the fountain, and with these two things go back the same way. Pick up the wand again from the threshold and take it with you, and when you pass the dog again, strike it in the face with the wand, but be sure that you hit it, and then just come back here to me.” The maiden found everything exactly as the old woman had said, and on her way back she found her two brothers, who had been searching for each other over half the world. They went together to the place where the black dog was lying on the road. She struck it in the face, and it turned into a handsome prince, who went with them to the river. There the old woman was still standing. She was delighted to see them again and carried them all over the water, and then she too went away, for now she was freed. The others, however, went to the old fisherman, and all were glad that they had found each other again, but they hung the bird on the wall.

But the second son could not settle down at home, and he took his crossbow and went hunting. When he was tired, he took his flute and made music. The King was hunting too, and he heard it and went there, and when he met the youth, he said, “Who has given you permission to hunt here?”

“Oh, no one.”

“To whom do you belong, then?”

“I am the fisherman’s son.”

“But he has no children.”

“If you do not believe it, come with me.”

The King did so and questioned the fisherman, who told him everything, and the little bird on the wall began to sing:

“The mother sits alone / There in the small prison. / O King of royal blood, / These are all your children. / The two sisters, so false, / Brought woe upon the children, / There in the deep waters / Where the fishermen come and go.”

Then they were all terrified, and the King took the bird, the fisherman, and the three children back with him to the castle, ordered the prison to be opened, and brought his wife out again. She had, however, grown quite ill and weak. Then the daughter gave her some of the water of the fountain to drink, and she became strong and healthy. But the two false sisters were burned, and the daughter married the prince.