The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (22 page)

While all this was happening, the king had continued driving with the count and princess and had come to the large meadow.

“Who owns the hay?” the king asked.

“The count,” the people all cried out, just as the cat had ordered them to do.

“You've got a nice piece of land, count,” the king said.

Afterward they came to the large wheat field.

“Who owns that wheat, my good people?”

“The count.”

“My! You've got quite a large and beautiful estate!”

Next they came to the forest.

“Who owns these woods, my good people?”

“The count.”

The king was even more astounded and said, “You must be a rich man, count. I don't think I have a forest as splendid as yours.”

At last they came to the castle. The cat stood on top of the stairs, and when the coach stopped below, he ran down, opened the door, and said, “Your majesty, you've arrived at the castle of my lord, the count. This honor will make him happy for the rest of his life.”

The king climbed out of the coach and was amazed by the magnificent building, which was almost larger and more beautiful than his own castle. The count led the princess up the stairs and into the hall, which was flickering with lots of gold and jewels.

The princess became the count's bride, and when the king died, the count become king, and the puss in boots was his prime minster.

34

HANS'S TRINA

Hans's Trina was lazy and didn't want to do any work. She said to herself: “What should I do? Should I eat, sleep, or work?—Ahh! I think I'll eat first!”

After she had stuffed herself fully, she said to herself again: “What should I do? Work or sleep?—Ahh! I think I'll sleep a little first.”

Then she lay down and slept, and when she woke up, it was night. So she could no longer go out and work.

One time Hans returned home at noon and found Trina sleeping again in their room. So he took his knife and cut off her dress at the knees. Trina awoke and thought: “It's time now to go to work.” However, when she went outside to work and saw that the dress was so short she became frightened and wondered whether she really was Trina and said to herself:
“Am I or am I not Trina?” She didn't know how to answer this question and stood there a while in doubt. Finally, she thought: “You should go home and ask if you are you. They'll know for sure.”

So she returned home, knocked at the window, and called inside: “Is Hans's Trina inside?”

Since the others thought she was in her usual place, they answered: “Yes, she's lying down in her room and sleeping.”

“Well, then I'm not me,” Trina said in delight. So she went off to the village and never returned, and this is how Hans got rid of his Trina.

35

THE SPARROW AND HIS FOUR CHILDREN

A sparrow had four young ones in a swallow's nest. When they were fledged, some bad boys broke up the nest, but fortunately all the young birds escaped in a whirlwind. Then their father became sorry that his sons went off into the world before he was able to warn them about its many dangers or to give them good advice about how to fend for themselves.

In the autumn a great many sparrows came together in a wheat field. It was there that the father came upon his four sons once again, and he joyfully took them home with him.

“Ah, my dear sons, I was terribly concerned about you all summer, especially since you had been carried away by the wind before I could give you my advice. Now, listen to my words, obey your father, and keep this in mind: Little birds must face grave dangers!”

Then he asked his oldest son where he had spent the summer and how he had fed himself.

“I lived in the garden and hunted caterpillars and little worms until the cherries turned ripe.”

“Ah, my son,” said the father, “such tasty morsels are not bad, but it can be dangerous searching for them. So, from now on, be on your guard, especially when people walk around the gardens carrying long green poles that are hollow inside and have a hole on the top.”

“Yes, father,” said the son. “And what should I do when a green leaf is stuck over the hole with wax?”

“Where have you seen this?”

“In a merchant's garden,” the young bird said.

“Oh, my son,” responded the father, “merchants are wily people! If you have been among such worldly folk, you have learned enough of their shrewd ways. But see that you use all this shrewdness well and don't become overconfident.”

Then he asked the next son, “Where did you set up your home?”

“At court,” said the son.

“Sparrows and silly little birds have no business being in such a place. There is too much gold, velvet and silk, armor and harnesses, sparrow hawks, screech owls, and falcons. Keep to the horse stables, where the oats are winnowed and threshed. Then you may be lucky enough to get your daily piece of bread and eat it in peace.”

“Yes, father,” said this son, “but what shall I do if the stable boys make traps and set their gins and snares in the straw? Many a bird has gone away limp because of this.”

“Where have you seen this?”

“At the court, among the stable boys.”

“Oh, my son, those court servants are bad boys! If you have been at court and mixed with the lords and left no feathers behind, you have learned quite a bit and will know how to get by in the world. However, keep your eyes open all around you and above you, for often even the smartest dogs have felt the bite of wolves.”

The father now took his third son to account.

“Where did you try your luck?”

“I cast my lot on the highways and country roads, and sometimes I managed to find a grain of wheat or barley.”

“Indeed, this is a fine meal,” said the father, “but keep on the alert for signs of danger and look around carefully, especially when someone bends over and is about to pick up a stone. Then make sure you take off quickly.”

“That's true,” said the son. “But what should I do when someone may already be carrying a rock, or a stone from a walk, under his shirt or in his pocket?”

“Where have you seen this?”

“Among the miners, dear father. When they return from work, they generally carry stones with them.”

“Miners are workers and resourceful people! If you've been around mining boys, you've seen and learned something.

Fly there if you will, but this you must know:

Mining boys have killed many a sparrow.”

Finally, the father came to the youngest son.

“You, my dear little chatterbox, you were always the silliest and weakest. Stay with me. The world is filled with crass and wicked birds that have crooked beaks and long claws. Stick to your own kind and pick up little spiders and caterpillars from the trees or cottages. This way you'll live long and be content.”

“My dear Father, he who feeds himself without causing harm to other people will go far, and no sparrow hawk, falcon, eagle, or kite will do him harm if, each morning and evening, he faithfully commends himself and his honestly earned food to merciful God, who is the creator and preserver of all the birds of the forest and village. Likewise, it is He who hears the cries and prayers of the young ravens, for no sparrow or wren shall ever fall to the ground against His will.”

“Where have you learned this?”

The son answered: “When the gust of wind tore me from you, I landed in a church. There I picked the flies and spiders from the windows and heard those words during a sermon. Then the Father of all sparrows fed me during the summer and protected me from misfortune and fierce birds.”

“Faith, my dear son! If you take refuge in the churches and help clean out the spiders and the buzzing flies, and if you chirp to God like the young ravens and commend yourself to the eternal Creator, you will stay well, even if the entire world be full of wild and malicious birds.

For he who worships God in every way,

who suffers, waits, is meek, and prays,

who keeps his faith and conscience pure,

God will keep him, safe and sure.”

36

THE LITTLE MAGIC TABLE, THE GOLDEN DONKEY, AND THE CLUB IN THE SACK

I

Once upon a time there was a shoemaker who had three sons and a goat. The sons had to help him in his trade, and the goat had to nourish them with her milk. In order for the goat to get good, delicious food every day, the sons took turns and led her out to graze in a meadow. The eldest took her to the churchyard, where the goat jumped about and ate the grass. In the evening, when he led her home, he asked, “Goat, have you had enough?”

The goat answered:

“Oh, my, I'm stuffed!

Enough's enough.

Meh! Meh!
”

“Then let's head for home,” the son said and led it back to the stable and tied it up. The old shoemaker asked his son whether the goat had received enough to eat. The son answered: “It's really stuffed. It's had enough.”

However, the shoemaker wanted to see for himself whether that was true. So he went to the stall in the stable and asked: “Goat, have you had enough?”

The goat replied:

“How can I have eaten enough?

I just jumped over mounds real rough.

Didn't find one blade of grass 'cause the ground was tough.

Meh! Meh!
”

When the shoemaker heard this, he was convinced that his son had lied to him. He became furious, jumped up, took his cane from the wall, gave his son a good beating, and sent him away. The next day the second son had to take the goat to a meadow and led it to the very best grass, which
the goat completely devoured. In the evening, he asked the goat: “Goat, have you had enough?”

“Oh, my, I'm stuffed!

Enough's enough.

Meh! Meh!
”

“Then let's head home,” and he took the goat to the stable and told the old man that the goat was full. Once again the father went to the stable and asked, “Goat, have you had enough?”

“How can I have eaten enough?

I just jumped over mounds real rough.

Didn't find one blade of grass 'cause the ground was tough.

Meh! Meh!
”

The shoemaker became angry and also gave a good beating to his second son and chased him from the house. Finally, the third son had to take the goat into the meadow. He was on his guard and looked for the very best grass. Indeed, there was nothing left when the goat had finished eating. In the evening the son asked: “Goat, have you had enough?”

“Oh, my, I'm stuffed.

Enough's, enough.

Meh! Meh!
”

“Then let's head home,” he said and took the goat to the stable and assured his father that the goat was full. But the old man went to the stable again and asked: “Goat, are you full?”

“How can I have eaten enough?

I just jumped over mounds real rough.

Didn't find one blade of grass 'cause the ground was tough.

Meh! Meh!
”

So after the father gave his third son a good beating, he chased him from the house.

Now the shoemaker wanted to take the goat out by himself. So he tied it with a rope and led it to the middle of the best grass on the meadow, where the goat ate grass the entire day. In the evening, the shoemaker asked: “Goat, have you had enough?”

“Oh, my, I'm stuffed.

Enough's enough.

Meh! Meh!
”

“Well, let's head for home,” and he led the goat to the stable. When he tied her up in the stall, he asked once again, “Goat, have you had enough?”

Now the goat answered him as usual:

“How can I have eaten enough?

I just jumped over mounds real rough.

Didn't find one blade of grass 'cause the ground was tough.

Meh! Meh!
”

When the shoemaker heard this, he realized that he had driven his three sons away even though they had been innocent. Consequently, he became so angry with the nasty goat that he fetched his razor and shaved the goat's head until it was bald and gave it a good whipping.

In the meantime the eldest son had apprenticed himself to a carpenter, and when he had finished his apprenticeship and wanted to begin his travels, the carpenter gave him a little magic table and told him that he only had to say, “Little table, be covered,” and it would be covered by a white tablecloth, and on it would be a silver plate with a silver knife and fork, a crystal glass filled with red wine, and all over, the most beautiful dishes of food. Upon receiving this gift, he set out into the world, and wherever he was, in a field, in the forest, or in a tavern, and whenever he set his table down and said, “Little table be covered,” he would then have the most splendid meal.

One day he entered an inn where many guests had already gathered. They asked him whether he wanted to eat with them. He answered, “No, but you should all eat with me.”

Upon saying this, he set down his little table in the room and said: “Little table, be covered!” And suddenly it stood there covered with the most sumptuous food, and when a dish became empty, a new one appeared immediately in its place, and all the guests were marvelously treated. The innkeeper, however, thought, “If you had such a table, you'd be a rich man,” and that evening, as the carpenter was fast asleep and had put his little table in a corner, the innkeeper fetched another one that looked just like it and replaced the genuine one with it. Early the next morning the good fellow got up, lifted the little table onto his back, and didn't notice that it was the wrong one. He went home and said to his father: “Don't worry about anything anymore or concern yourself. I have a little magic table, and we can now live in luxury for the rest of our days.”

His father was delighted to hear this and invited all their relatives to their home, and when they had all gathered together, the son set the table in the middle of the room and said: “Little table, be covered!”