Grim Fairy Tales

as making hoofs for St. George’s horse. Finally, St. Peter lets him enter through
heaven’s gate.

The third variant collected by the Grimms has the title, “Histoire nouvelle et diver-
tissement du bon homme Misère,” and though printed in France, the Grimms believe
it to be of Italian origin:

In this tale Peter and Paul arrive in a village during bad weather. They encounter a
washerwoman who thanks heaven that the rain isn’t wine but water. They knock on
the door of a rich man who refuses to give them lodging. So they go to poor Misery,
who takes them in. Then they grant him one wish that pertains to his pear tree that
a thief has been robbing. Anyone who climbs the tree gets stuck there. The thief is
caught, as are even other people who climb the tree out of curiosity when they hear
the terrible cries of the thief and want to free him. Finally, death arrives, and Misery
asks death to lend him his sickle so that he can cut down the most beautiful pears to
take with him. Death won’t let anyone take the sickle out of his hands, and so, like
a good soldier, he takes charge of climbing the pear tree himself to cut off the pears.
So Misery won’t let him come down until death promises him to leave him in peace
until the day of judgment. And this is why misery continues to exist in the world.

The Grimms conclude the note by stating that there is another oral version that
relates how misery dies and arrives at the gate of heaven, but St. Peter won’t let him
enter because he had not requested a better wish such as admission to heaven. So mis-
ery goes to hell, but the devil won’t allow him to enter because misery had made a fool
out of him. Consequently, misery must return to earth, and this is why the world is
still full of misery.

There are a few other versions that the Grimms mention, indicating how wide-
spread the tale was in Europe.
82. The Three Sisters (Die drei Schwestem). Source: Johann August Musäus, “Die

Bücher der Chronika der drey Schwestern,” Volksmährchen der Deutschen
(1782–8­ 7).
The Grimms point to other similar tales in Giambattista Basile’s “Li tre’rri ane-
male,” Il Pentamerone (1634), and some Scottish and English ballads.
83. The Poor Maiden (Das arme Mädchen). Source: Unknown.
84. The Mother-­in-L­ aw (Die Schwiegermutter). Source: Probably Charles Perrault’s
“La belle au bois dormant,” Histoires ou contes du temps passé (1697).
The Grimms also mention Giambattista Basile’s “Sole, Luna e Talia,”Il Pentamerone
(1634).
85. Fragments (Fragmente).

Snowflower (Schneeblume). Source: Based on a French oral tale and published as
a poem, “Perceneige” in Thibaut ou la nassance du comte de champagne (1811).

504  Note s to Volum e s I and I I

The Princess with the Louse (Prinzessin mit der Laus). Source: Marie Hassenpflug.
The Grimms also cite Giambattista’s “La Polece,” Il Pentamerone (1634).

Prince Johannes (Vom Prinz Johannes). Source: Taken from the monthly maga-
zine, Erheiterungen ( 1812).
The Grimms prose version is based on a poem by Karl Graß, a painter and poet.

The Good Cloth (Der gute Lappen). Source: Probably the Hassenpflug family.

86. The Fox and the Geese (Der Fuchs und die Gänse). Source: Von Haxthausen family.
This tale without an end was purposely chosen by the Grimms to demonstrate the

endlessness of storytelling, and it also provocatively indicates how weaker animals can
outsmart the stronger ones.

Volume II

1. The Poor Man and the Rich Man (Der Arme und der Reiche). Source: Ferdinand
Siebert.
The Grimms note that this tale is based on the ancient story of Philemon and Baucis

in Ovid’s Metamorphosis. They discuss how the moralistic theme of the punishment of the
rich because of their greed and arrogance and the reward of the poor because of their gen-
erosity and humility can be found in many different European tales. Among the authors
they cite is Benedikte Naubert and her Neue Volksmährchen der Deutschen (1789).
2. The Singing, Springing Lark (Das singende, springende Löweneckerchen). Source:

Henriette Dorothea Wild.
The Grimms trace the origins of this tale to “Cupid and Psyche” in Apuleius’s
The Golden Ass (second century) and note its similarity to their own tale “Von dem
Sommer-­und Wintergarten” and to “Vom singenden, klingenden Bäumchen” in the
anonymous Feen-­Mährchen (1801).
3. The Goose Girl (Die Gänsemagd). Source: Dorothea Viehmann.
The Grimms discuss the motif of talking horses as well as the Nordic derivation of
names in the tale. They also cite Giambattista Basile’s “Le doje pizzelle,” Il Pentamerone
(1634).
4. The Young Giant (Von einem jungen Riesen). Source: Georg August Friedrich
Goldmann.
At the beginning of this note the Grimms discuss the significance of the giant in
the Nordic oral and literary tradition. In particular there are many references to tales
about Siegfried and Thor as well as to Sampson (Bible), Scharmack (Bohemia), and
Gargantua. They also summarize another Hessian version, “Kürdchen Bingeling.”

Kürdchen Bingeling drank from his mother’s breast for seven years. This is why
he became so tremendously big and why he could eat so much and could never be

Note s to Vo lum es I an d I I  505

satisfied. Meanwhile, he tormented and made fools of all the people he encoun-
tered, Consequently, everyone in the community comes together to capture and
kill him. He becomes aware of this and sets himself down beneath the gate (similar
to Gargantua) so that nobody can come through without chopping and shoveling.
Then he goes calmly on his way to another village. He is the same rascal as before, so
the entire community decides to rise up against him and capture him. Since there
is no gate that he can use as a barricade, he jumps into a well. Now all the villagers
stand around the well and consult with each other about their next move. Finally,
they decide to throw a millstone down on his head. With great effort they bring a
large rock to the well and roll it down. Just as they think he is dead, his head sud-
denly emerges from the well through the hole in the millstone, which is now hang-
ing from his shoulders so that he cries out: “Oh what a beautiful collar I now have!”
When the villagers see this, they begin consulting with one another again and they
decide to send for the large bell from the church tower. Then they throw it on him
and are sure that they have hit their target (similar to Scharmack). When they are
certain that he is lying down in the well and is dead, the villagers leave. All at once,
however, he springs out of the well wearing the bell on his head, and he cries out
joyfully: “Oh, what a beautiful little cap I’ve got!” And he runs off.

5. The Gnome (Dat Erdmänneken). Source: Ludowine von Haxthausen and Fernan-
dine von Haxthausen.
The Grimms state that there is another version from Cologne that differs some-

what from “The Gnome”:

A powerful king has three beautiful daughters. One day during a splendid celebra-
tion, they take a walk in the garden, and they fail to return from the walk in the
evening. When they don’t appear the next day, the king orders a search throughout
the entire realm, but nobody can find them. Then he announces that whoever finds
them could have one of his daughters for his wife. In addition, whoever succeeds
would receive enough wealth to live on for the rest of his life. Many men set out
to find the daughters, but none succeed. Finally, three knights depart and declare
that they won’t rest until they are successful. They end up in a large forest, where
they continue riding, hungry and thirsty. Finally, at nightfall they see a little light in
the distance that leads them to a magnificent castle that is apparently empty. Since
they are so hungry, they look for food, and one of them finds a piece of meat that
is raw. Then the youngest says: “Why don’t you two go off and look for something
to drink while I roast this meat?” So he sticks the piece of meat on a spit, and while
it is sizzling, a little gnome with a long white beard that reaches his knees suddenly
appears next to him. His hands and feet are shivering. “Let me warm my hands and
feet by the fire, and I’ll keep turning the spit and pour butter on the meat.” The

506  Notes to Volum es I and I I

knight lets him do this, and the gnome turns the roast nimbly, but whenever the
knight isn’t looking, he sticks his finger in the frying pan and licks the warm brew.
The knight catches him doing this a couple of times and tells him to stop, but the
tiny thing can’t resist and is constantly trying to dip his fingers into the frying pan.
Then the knight becomes furious and grabs the gnome by the beard and ruffles
him so hard that he screams bloody murder and runs off. Meanwhile, the other
two knights come back with some wine that they had found in the cellar, and now
they eat and drink together. The next morning they continue searching the castle
and find a deep hole. That’s where the king’s daughters must be hidden, they say to
each other, and they draw lots to see which one of them would be let down by a
rope while the other two hold on to the rope. The youngest, who had encountered
the gnome, draws the lot. It takes a long time before he reaches the ground, where
it is completely dark. All at once a door opens, and the gnome, whose beard he had
pulled, comes and says: “I should actually pay you back for the wicked thing you
did to me, but I pity you. I am the king of the gnomes, and I’ll lead you out of this
cave because if you stay here one moment longer, you will die.”

The knight answers: “Even if am to die right here and now, I won’t leave until I
know where the king’s daughters have been concealed.”

“They are guarded by three dragons in this underground cave,” the gnome
responds. “The eldest sits in the first part of the cave with a three-h­ eaded dragon
next to her. Every day at noon the dragon lays its heads in her lap, and she must
louse the dragon until it falls asleep. A basket is hanging in front of the door with
a flute, cane, and sword in it along with the three crowns of the king’s daughters.
First, you must take this basket and carry it off to a safe place. Then you must take
the sword, go back to the room, and slice off the dragon’s three heads, but you must
slice them off all at once. If you fail to do this, the other heads will awake, and noth-
ing can save you.”

Then the gnome gives him a bell and tells him that if he pulls on it, the gnome
will rush to help him. So after the knight rescues the first princess, he rescues the
second, who has a seven-h­ eaded dragon guarding her, and the third, who has a
nine-h­ eaded dragon guarding her. Then he leads them to the bucket in which he
had been let down from the top of the hole. There he calls out to his companions
and tells them that they should begin pulling the bucket up. So the two knights
pull up the princesses one after the other. When they are above, the two disloyal
knights throw the rope down the hole so that the young knight’s life will end in a
disaster. However, the young knight rings the bell given to him by the gnome. As
soon as the gnome arrives, he tells him to blow the flute. Once the knight does this,
thousands of gnomes appear from everywhere. Then the king of the gnomes orders
them to build stairs for the knight, and he also tells the knight to take the cane out

Note s to Vo lum es I an d I I  507

of the basket when he reaches the top and to strike the earth with it. So the little
gnomes get to work and build the stairs, and once the knight climbs to the top, he
strikes the ground with the cane, and all the gnomes disappear.

The Grimms conclude the summary of the tale by relating it to other tales in which
the hero rescues princesses from a dragon, is betrayed, and then reclaims the glory.
6. The King of the Golden Mountain (Der König vom goldenen Berg). Source: Based

on a story told to the Grimms by a soldier.
The Grimms relate this tale to motifs in other Germanic and Nordic stories, espe-
cially those dealing with Chriemhilde, Brunhilde, and Siegfried in the Nibelungenlied.
7. The Raven (Die Rabe). Source: Georg August Friedrich Goldmann.
The Grimms trace several motifs such as the quarrel of the giants and the sleeping
potion to old Germanic and Nordic tales.
8. The Clever Farmer’s Daughter (Die kluge Bauemtochter). Source: Dorothea
Viehmann.
The Grimms draw parallels with the medieval story Auslag-S­ age and discuss the
widespread use of riddles in tales. In particular, they relate the riddle in “The Clever
Farmer’s Daughter” to one in Johannes Pauli’s Schimpf und Ernst (1522).
9. The Genie in the Glass (Der Geist im Glas). Source: A tailor from Paderbörn.
The Grimms note the direct relationship to “The Fisherman and the Demon” and
“Aladdin and the Magic Lamp” in The Thousand and One Nights.
10. The Three Little Birds (De drei Vügelkens). Source: Ludowine von Haxthausen
and a shepherd, whom Wilhelm Grimm met in the countryside of Wesphalia near
Corvey.
After describing how Wilhelm met a shepherd in August of 1813 while visiting
friends in Corvey and how the shepherd provided several tales in dialect, the Grimms
point to the significance of Antoine Galland’s “Histoire de deux soeurs jalouses de leur
cadette,” Les Milles et une nuit (1712–­17). This tale of “The Two Sisters Who Envied
Their Younger Sister” was told to Galland in Paris by a Maronite Christian Arab from
Aleppo named Youhenna Diab or Hanna Diab. There was no Arabic manuscript for
this tale, and Galland created it from memory after listening to Diab and may have
introduced elements from the European tales he knew. The Grimms also refer to Gio-
van Francesco Straparola’s “Ancilotto Re di Prouino,” Le piacevoli notti (1550). The tale
was widespread in Europe in both oral and literary traditions.
11. The Water of Life (Das Wasser des Lebens). Source: A combination of tales from
Hesse and Paderborn. The tale from Padernborn was provided by the von Hax-
thausen family.
The Grimms discuss similarities between this tale and others in their collection
such as “Bird Phoenix” and “The Three Little Birds” as well as the Arabian and Italian
tales mentioned in the previous note.

508  Notes to Volum es I and I I

12. Doctor Know-I­t-A­ ll (Doctor Allwissend). Source: Dorothea Viehmann.
The Grimms note that there is also a very good Low German dialect version that

they were not able to completely record.
13. The Frog Prince (Der Froschprinz). Source: Probably the Wild family.

The Grimms remark that the first version of “The Frog Prince,” which incorpo-
rates the closing anecdote about Iron Henry, is unusual but worth keeping because it is
exceptional. They note that these tales are all related to Apuleius’s “Cupid and Psyche”
in The Golden Ass.
14. The Devil’s Sooty Brother (Des Teufels rußiger Bruder). Source: Dorothea

Viehmann.
The Grimms cite a story about Bearskin in Johann Jakob Christoph Grimmelhau-
sen’s Simplicisimus (1670) as a major influence on this tale type. They claim that this
tale that generally involved a pact with the devil was widespread throughout Europe,
and both their friends Clemens Brentano and Achim von Arnim used key motifs from
the Bearskin story in their own literary tales.
15. The Devil in the Green Coat (Der Teufel Grünrock). Source: Von Haxthausen family.
The Grimms regard this tale as basically a variant of “The Devil’s Sooty Brother.”
16. The Wren and the Bear (Der Zaunkönig und der Bär). Source: Dorothea
Viehmann.
The Grimms believe that this tale belongs to the medieval cycle of tales about
Renard the Fox, and like many other animals tales of this kind, the major theme is
how the weaker animals use their brains to get the better of the larger more powerful
animals.
17. The Sweet Porridge (Vom süßen Brei). Source: Henriette Dorothea Wild.
The Grimms explain that the word Brei (“porridge”) was like the word Brot
(“bread”) and generally indicated food in general. The importance of porridge had a
great deal to do with the wish and need for food, especially among lower-c­ lass people.
18. The Faithful Animals (Die treuen Thiere). Source: Ferdinand Siebert.
The Grimms remark that the animals in this tale are nothing but transformed
heroes and people.
19. Tales about Toads (Mährchen von der Unke). Source: The first two tales were
provided by Henriette Dorothea Wild and Lisette Wild and were said to be com-
monly heard in Hesse and neighboring regions. The third tale was a version from
Berlin.
They summarize a tale from the Gesta Romanorum (thirteenth/fourteenth cen-
tury) that they believe served as a model for tales of this type:

A knight becomes poor and is sad about this. He catches a viper that had been liv-
ing in the corner of his room for some time. Then the viper says to him: “Give me
milk every day and set it down yourself next to me, and I’ll make you rich.”

Notes to Volumes I and I I 509

So the knight brings milk to the viper every day, and soon he becomes rich
again. However, the knight’s dumb wife advises him to kill the viper because of the
treasures that they would probably find in its nest. So the knight carries a dish of
milk with one hand and a hammer with the other and brings the milk to the viper,
which crawls out of its hole to lick the milk. As the viper is drinking the milk,
the knight lifts the hammer to kill the viper but misses his mark. Instead he deals
the dish a tremendous blow. So the viper immediately scatters away. From that day
onward the knight begins to lose weight and to lose his property, in contrast to the
way he had previously expanded his wealth and body. He repeatedly asks the viper
to forgive him, but the viper says: “Do you think that I’ve forgotten the blow that
you dealt the dish that was intended for my head? There will be no peace between
us.” So the knight remains impoverished for the rest of his life.

20. The Poor Miller’s Apprentice and the Cat (Der arme Müllerbursch und das
Kätzchen). Source: Dorothea Viehmann.

21. The Crows (Die Krähen). Source: August von Haxthausen, who wrote down the
tale as told to him by a soldier from Mecklenburg.
The Grimms summarize a similar tale in Johannes Pauli’s Schimpf und Ernst (1522):

A servant is tied to a tree by his master, and during the night wicked ghosts gather
there and talk, and as they talk, they reveal that a certain herb growing under the
tree has the power to restore sight to blind people. After he restores his own sight,
the servant restores the sight of a rich man’s daughter. Consequently, he is given a
good deal of property and weds the daughter. His previous master also wants to
obtain such wealth. He goes to the tree, but the ghosts peck out his eyes.

The Grimms also draw parallels with “Die wahrsagenden Vögel” in Feen-­
Mährchdren (1801) and with a tale in Christoph Helwig’s Jüdische Historien oder thal-
müdischerabbinische wunderbarliche Legenden (1612).
22. Hans My Hedgehog (Hans mein Igel). Source: Dorothea Viehmann.

The Grimms cite Giovan Francesco Straparola’s “Il re porco,” Le piacevoli notti
(1550) as an important source, and they draw parallels with other beast/bridegroom
tales in their collection that have donkeys and lions seeking brides. At one point they
state: “People who implore God too impetuously to bless them with children are often
punished with deformed creatures as animals. When the parents, however, have been
humbled, the deformed creatures are transformed into human beings.”
23. The Little Shroud (Das Todtenhemdchen). Source: Ferdinand Grimm.

The Grimms note that the belief that tears wept for a dead person and that fall on
the corpse in the grave disturb the dead person’s peace appears in the second “Helge-
lied” and also in the Danish folk song about the knight Aage and the maiden Else.

510  Note s to Volum e s I and I I

24. The Jew in the Thornbush (Der Jud’ im Dorn). Source: Old printed versions mixed
with oral stories from Hesse and Paderborn (Von Haxthausen family).
The Grimms cite the following stories as influencing the development of their

tale: Albert Dietrich, Historia von einem Bauernknecht und München, welcher in der
Dornhecken hat müssen tanzen (1618), and Jakob Ayer’s Shrovetide play, Fritz Dolla mit
seiner gewünschten Geige (1620). Interestingly, there is no Jew in these stories. Instead,
there is a thieving monk, and the tales are somewhat anti-­Catholic. At the same time,
there were other seventeenth-­century folk versions in Czechoslovakia in which the Jew
plays a negative role.
25. The Expert Huntsman (Der gelernte Jager). Source: Dorothea Viehmann.
26. The Fleshing Flail from Heaven (Der Dresschpflegel vom Himmel). Source: Von

Haxthausen family.
The Grimms trace this story to the tall tales told by the famous raconteur, Hierony-
mous Karl Friederich Baron von Münchhausen (1720–9­ 7). Some of his preposterous
tales were printed in the Vademeum für lustige Leute (1781–8­ 3), and in 1885, Rudolf
Erich Raspe published an English edition of Münchhausen’s tales under the title Baron
Munchausen’s Narrative of His Marvelous Travels and Campaigns in Russia.
27. The Children of the Two Kings (De beiden Künnigeskinner). Source: Ludowine
von Haxthausen.
The Grimms point to similarities in “The Singing, Springing Lark,” “Prince Swan,”
“Sweetheart Roland,” and “Okerlo.”
28. The Clever Little Tailor (Vom klugen Schneiderlein). Source: Ferdinand Siebert.
29. The Bright Sun Will Bring It to Light (Die klare Sonne bringt’s an den Tag).
Source: Dorothea Viehmann.
The Grimms note that in this story, “a profound, marvelous bourgeois motif
is articulated. Nobody saw the murder, no human eye except for the sun (God),
the heavenly eye. There are other stories about the sun and how it covers itself and
doesn’t want to view a murder is about to take place.” Then they close their note with
a remarkable proverb: “Nothing can be so finely woven that the sun can’t eventually
expose it.”
30. The Blue Light (Das blaue Licht). Source: Told by a soldier to August von
Haxthausen.
31. The Stubborn Child (Von einem eigensinnigen Kinde). Source: From the Hessian
oral tradition.
The Grimms state that this is a simple didactic story for children similar to “The
Old Grandfather and the Grandson.” Furthermore, they explain that the hand that
sticks itself out of the grave was a widespread superstition and pertained to thieves as
well as sinners tied to trees. They also recall another similar short version that appeared
in Johannes Pauli’s Schimpf und Ernst (1522).

Notes to Volumes I and I I 511

32. The Three Army Surgeons (Die drei Feldscherer). Source: Dorothea Viehmann.
The Grimms summarize a similar tale from the Gesta Romanurum (ca. fourteenth

century):

In order to settle an argument, two talented doctors decide to compete with each
other and use each other to demonstrate their skills. Whoever loses the competi-
tion must serve as the assistant to the other. The first doctor takes out the eyes of
the other doctor with the help of an ointment and without causing any damage or
pain. After he lays the eyes out on a table, he puts them easily back into the other
doctor’s sockets. Now the second doctor wants to perform the same trick. He uses
his ointment to take out the eyes of the first doctor and lays them out on a table.
However, as he is preparing to put the eyes back into the sockets, a raven comes
flying through a window, carries away one of the eyes, and eats it. The doctor who
performed this operation is desperate because if he can’t replace the eye, he will
have to become the other doctor’s assistant. So he looks around himself and notices
a goat. Quickly he cuts out one of the goat’s eyes and places it into the socket of
his companion as the missing eye. Afterward he asks his companion how he feels,
the other doctor says that he didn’t experience any pain or damage, but one of his
eyes constantly looks over to the bushes and trees (just as goats generally search for
leaves) and the other eye keeps looking down.

33. The Lazy One and the Industrious One (Der Faule und der Fleißige). Source: Fer-
dinand Siebert.

34. The Three Journeymen (Die drei Handwerksburschen). Source: Dorothea Viehm-
ann and Georg August Friedrich Goldmann.

35. The Heavenly Wedding (Die himmlische Hochzeit). Source: An anonymous tale
from Mecklenburg combined with a tale from Ludowine von Haxthausen.
The Grimms comment that this tale borders on being a legend and yet retains a

childlike quality. The innocent belief in the words of God leads to a misunderstanding
and yet to salvation.
36. The Long Nose (Die lange Nase). Source: Dorothea Viehmann.

The Grimms note that this tale can be traced back to the sixteenth century, and in
particular, to Fortunatus (ca. 1509). They also allude to the Gesta Romanorum (1473)
as a possible source.
37. The Old Woman in the Forest (Die Alte im Wald). Source: Von Haxthausen family.

The Grimms state that this tale is similar to “Jorinda and Jorungel” and that the old
woman is like the witch in “Hansel and Gretel.”
38. The Three Brothers (Die drei Brüder). Source: Ferdinand Siebert.

The Grimms explain that this preposterous or tall tale is old and widespread. One
of the first examples of this story can be found in La nouvelle Fabrique des excellens
traicts de vérités (1579) by Philippe d’Alcripe (Picard).

512  Note s to Volum e s I and I I

39. The Devil and His Grandmother (Der Teufel und seine Großmutter). Source:
Dorothea Viehmann.
The Grimms point to similarities with “The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs”

and “Rumpelstiltskin.” They also state that “the entire tale has something Nordic in its
essence. The devil appears as an awkward, outwitted idiot. The riddle is clearly Nor-
dic. In addition the motif of the old woman’s hiding the human creature who has just
arrived at the devil’s home is an old motif.
40. Faithful Ferdinand and Unfaithful Ferdinand (Ferenand getrü und Ferenand

ungetrü). Source: Von Haxthausen family.
The Grimms think that this tale seems to be incomplete and that it would have
been more convincing if the horse would have turned into a prince at the end. They
also point to a similarity with “Godfather Death.”
41. The Iron Stove (Der Eisen-­Ofen). Source: Dorothea Viehmann.
This tale is clearly related to other stories in the beast/bridegroom cycle, and the
Grimms point to the similarities with “Prince Swan,” “The Singing, Springing Lark,”
and “The Two King’s Children” in their own collection and to Giambattista Basile’s
“Pintosmauto” in Il Pentamerone (1634). In addition the Grimms explain that the dark
and fiery oven in which the prince is confined is undoubtedly hell or the underworld
where Death dwells. In addition the word Eisenofern means “ancient and antiquated”
and does not have so much to do with iron but is related more with the word Eitofan,
or place of fire or fireplace.
42. The Lazy Spinner (Die faule Spinnerin). Source: Dorothea Viehmann.
The Grimms point to similarities with “Nasty Flax Spinning” in the first volume
of their collection and to Giambattista Basile’s “Le sette cotennine,” Il Pentamerone
(1634), as well as to a tale in Johannes Pauli’s Schimpf und Ernst (1535).
43. The Lion and the Frog (Der Löwe und der Frosch). Source: Ludovica Jordis-­
Brentano.
44. The Soldier and the Carpenter (Der Soldat und der Schreiner). Source: Von Hax-
thausen family.
The Grimms comment that there are many good and marvelous things in this tale,
but the tale as a whole seems to have suffered somewhat partly because of gaps and
partly because of confusion.
45. Pretty Katrinelya and Pif-P­ af-P­ oltree (Die schöne Katrinelje und Pif, Paf, Poltrie).
Source: Von Haxthausen family.
46. The Fox and the Horse (Der Fuchs und das Pferd). Source: Maria Anna (“Jenny”)
von Droste-H­ ülshoff.
The Grimms note that this tale is related to the medieval cycle of Renard the Fox
and similar to “Old Sultan” in the first volume of their collection.
47. The Worn-o­ut Dancing Shoes (Die zertanzten Schuhe). Source: Maria Anna
(“Jenny”) von Droste-­Hülshoff.

Notes to Vo lum es I an d I I  513

The Grimms remark that the penalty for not discovering what the princesses do
during the evening is death, as in the story about Turandot.
48. The Six Servants (Die sechs Diener). Source: Von Haxthausen family.

The Grimms note that there is a similar tale written by Hieronymous Karl Friederich
Baron von Münchhausen (1720–9­ 7). Some of his preposterous tales were printed in the
Vademeum für lustige Leute (1781–­83), and in 1885, Rudolf Erich Raspe published an
English edition of Münchhausen’s tales under the title Baron Munchausen’s Narrative
of His Marvelous Travels and Campaigns in Russia. They also mention Thor and his ser-
vant Thialfi, Giambattista Basile’s tales “Lo ’gnorante” and “Lo Polece,” Il Pentamerone
(1634), as well as an anonymous Hessian version that they consider insignificant.
49. The White Bride and the Black Bride (Die weiße und schwarze Braut). Source:

Von Haxthausen family and an anonymous tale from Mecklenburg.
The basis for this tale is “Die goldene Ente. Ein Nationalmärchen des Altertums,”
which appeared in Sagen der böhmischen Vorzeit (1808), and which Jacob Grimm had
written down in an abbreviated form. It was included in the Ölenberg Manuscript
of 1810.
50. The Wild Man (De wilde Mann). Source: A dialect tale written down by Maria
Anna (“Jenny”) von Droste-H­ ülshoff.
The Grimms interpret this version as a kind of male “Cinderella” tale.
51. The Three Black Princesses (De drei schwatten Princessinnen). Source: A dialect
tale written down by Maria Anna (“Jenny”) von Droste-H­ ülshoff.
The Grimms note that the magic in this particular tale leads to ruin and destruc-
tion and not to the expected salvation.
52. Knoist and His Three Sons (Knoist un sine dre Sühne). Source: A dialect tale pro-
vided by one of August von Haxthausen’s sisters.
The Grimms note that Werrel and Soist were destinations for pilgrimages in
Westphalia.
53. The Maiden from Brakel (Dat Mäken von Brakel). Source: A dialect tale provided
by the von Haxthausen family.
The Grimms explain that St. Anne is the patron saint of Brakel, and her church
right outside the city of Brakel.
54. The Domestic Servants (Das Hausgesinde). Source: Von Haxthausen family.
Although the Grimms classify this nonsense story a tale, it is more a children’s game
that can be traced back to the early eighteenth century. There is a very similar version of
the Grimms’ story in Alle Arten von Scherz-­und Pfänderspielen (1750).
55. Little Lamb and Little Fish (Das Lämmchen und Fischchcn). Source: Marianne
von Haxthausen.
56. Sesame Mountain (Simeliberg). Source: Ludowine von Haxthausen.
The Grimms found it remarkable that this tale, told in the regions near Münster
and the Harz forest and based on “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves” from The Thousand

514  Note s to Volum e s I and I I

and One Nights, had made its way in one form or another to Germany. They cite a ver-
sion from Johann Karl Christoph Nachtigal’s Volcks-­Sagen. Nacherzählt von Otmar
(1800) that might have been a source. It was reproduced in Johann Gustav Gottlieb
Büsching’s Volks-­Sagen, Märchen und Legenden (1812). What was also unusual, accord-
ing to the Grimms, is that the name of the mountain, Sesame, was similar to the names
of German mountains Semsi, Semeli, and Simeli.
57. The Children of Famine (Die Kinder in Hungersnoth). Source: Johannes Praeto-

rius, Der abentheuerliche Glückstopf (1669).
58. The Little Donkey (Das Eselein). Source: Jacob Grimm’s translation of a medieval

Latin text, “Asinarius,” in a Strasbourg manuscript.
The Grimms draw parallels with other tales dealing with donkeys in their collec-
tion as well as beast/bridegroom stories such as “Hans My Hedgehog.”
59. The Ungrateful Son (Der undankbare Sohn). Source: Johannes Pauli, Schimpf und
Ernst (1552).
The Grimms indicate that this tale was widespread in the medieval period, and
they refer to a version by Thomas of Cantimpré from the thirteenth century, probably
Bonum universale de Apibus (1257–6­ 3).
60. The Turnip (Die Rube). Source: Jacob Grimm’s translation of a medieval Latin
poem, “Raparius,” in a Strasbourg fifteenth-­century manuscript.
The Grimms believe that the poem was probably written down in the fourteenth
century and was based on an oral tale from Alsace.
61. The Rejuvenated Little Old Man (Das junggeglühte Männlein). Source: Based on
a farce in verse by Hans Sachs, “Der affen ursprung,” (1536).
The Grimms note that the tale reminded them of Greek stories about Medea,
Aeson, and Pelias.
62. The Animals of the Lord and the Devil (Des Herrn und des Teufels Gethier).
Source: Based on a 1557 tale by Hans Sachs.
The wolves as God’s dogs have a remarkable similarity to Nordic gods’ dogs that
were also wolves.
63. The Beam (Der Hahnenbalken). Source: Based on a poem, “Der Hanenbalken”
(1812), written by Friedrich Kind and published in the magazine Taschenbuch zum
geselligen Vergnügen.
64. The Old Beggar Woman (Die alte Bettelfrau). Source: Johann Heinrich Jung-­
Stilling, Heinrich Stillings Jugend (1777).
The Grimms draw a parallel with the fiery death of Odin.
65. The Three Lazy Sons (Die drei Faulen). Source: Gesta Romanorum (thirteenth/
fourteenth century) and Johannes Pauli, Schimpf und Ernst (1522).
66. Saint Solicitous (Die heilige Frau Kummerniß). Source: A legend by Andreas
Strobl, Ovum paschale oder Neugefärbte Oster-­Ayr (1700).
Strobl’s version was based on an exemplar in Benignus Kybler’s Wunder-S­ piegel (1678).

Note s to Vo lum es I an d I I 515

67. The Tale about the Land of Cockaigne (Das Märchen vom Schlauaffenland).
Source: A medieval tale in verse, “Sô ist diz von lügenen,” transcribed by Wilhelm
Grimm from a fourteenth-c­ entury collection of old German poems.
The Grimms draw parallels to other similar tales such as a farce in Hans Sachs’s

poems and to Johann Fischart’s translation of Gargantua (1575).
68. The Tall Tale from Ditmarsh (Das Dietmarsische Lügen-­Märchen). Source: A

dancing song, “Von eiteln unmöglichen Dingen,” in Anton Viethen’s and Johann
Albert Fabricius’s Beschreibung und Geschichte des Landes Dithmarschen (1733).
69. A Tale with a Riddle (Räthsel-M­ ärchen). Source: Rätersch-­Büchlein (sixteenth
century), Straßburger Rätselbuch (sixteenth century, and Rätersch-­Büchlein (seven-
teenth century).
70. The Golden Key (Der goldene Schlüssel). Source: Marie Hassenpflug.
This tale was slightly modified over the years, but it always remained the last story
throughout the Grimms’ seven editions. Its placement was significant for the Grimms.
Just as some version of “The Frog King” always opened the Grimms’ collection, “The
Golden Key” was always the final tale because it signified the never-e­ nding quality of
folk tales that, they believed, would continue to evolve and change throughout time.

516  Note s to Volum e s I and I I

I N D E X O F TA L E S

All Fur, 216 The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs, 92
The Animals of the Lord and the Devil, 466 Doctor Know-I­ t-­All, 329
The Beam, 467 The Domestic Servants, 451
The Bird Phoenix, 241 The Elves:
The Blacksmith and the Devil, 248
Bluebeard, 202 About a Servant Girl Who Acted as
The Blue Light, 383 Godmother, 133
Briar Rose, 162
The Bright Sun Will Bring It to Light, 380 About a Woman Whose Child They Had
The Carnation, 242 Exchanged, 133
The Carpenter and the Turner, 244
The Castle of Murder, 236 About the Shoemaker for Whom They
The Children of Famine, 456 Did the Work, 132
The Children of the Two Kings, 369
Cinderella, 69 The Expert Huntsman, 363
The Clever Farmer’s Daughter, 313 The Faithful Animals, 343
Clever Hans, 103 Faithful Ferdinand and Unfaithful Ferdinand,
The Clever Little Tailor, 377
The Companionship of the Cat and 408
The Fisherman and His Wife, 56
Mouse, 16 Fitcher’s Bird, 146
The Crows, 351 The Fleshing Flail from Heaven, 368
Death and the Goose Boy, 88 The Foundling, 165
The Death of Little Hen, 246 The Fox and the Geese, 265
The Devil and His Grandmother, 405 The Fox and the Horse, 430
The Devil in the Green Coat, 337 Fragments:
The Devil’s Sooty Brother, 333
The Good Cloth, 265
Prince Johannes, 265
The Princess with the Louse, 264
Snowflower, 264
The Frog King, or Iron Henry, 13
The Frog Prince, 331

The Genie in the Glass, 316 The Little Mouse, the Little Bird, and the
The Gnome, 297 Sausage, 79
The Godfather, 138
Godfather Death, 142 Little Red Cap, 85
The Golden Bird, 185 The Little Shroud, 360
The Golden Children, 205 Little Snow White, 170
The Golden Egg, 197 The Long Nose, 395
The Golden Key, 471 Loyal Godfather Sparrow, 191
Good Bowling and Card Playing, 21 The Maiden from Brakel, 450
The Goose Girl, 283 Maiden without Hands, 99
The Hand with the Knife, 26 Mother Holle, 81
Hansel and Gretel, 43 The Mother-­in-L­ aw, 263
Hans My Hedgehog, 354 Mrs. Fox, 129
Hans’s Trina, 115 Nasty Flax Spinning, 42
The Heavenly Wedding, 394 The Nightingale and the Blindworm, 25
Herr Fix-I­ t-­Up, 49 Okerlo, 230
Herr Korbes, 137 The Old Beggar Woman, 467
How Some Children Played at The Old Grandfather and the Grandson, 245
Old Sultan, 158
­Slaughtering,  77 The Old Woman in the Forest, 401
Hurleburlebutz, 220 The Pear Refused to Fall, 234
The Iron Stove, 413 The Poor Maiden, 262
The Jew in the Thornbush, 360 The Poor Man and the Rich Man, 274
Johannes Waterspring and Caspar The Poor Miller’s Apprentice and the Cat, 348
Pretty Katrinelya and Pif-P­ af-P­ oltree, 428
W­ aterspring, 238 Princess Mouseskin, 233
Jorinda and Joringel, 227 Prince Swan, 194
The Journey of the Straw, the Coal, and the Puss in Boots, 110
Rapunzel, 37
Bean, 55 The Raven, 307
The Juniper Tree, 148 The Rejuvenated Little Old Man, 464
The King of the Golden Mountain, 301 Riffraff, 32
King Thrushbeard, 167 The Robber Bridegroom, 135
The King with the Lion, 223 Rumpelstiltskin, 181
Knoist and His Three Sons, 450 Saint Solicitous, 469
The Lazy One and the Industrious Sesame Mountain, 454
Simple Hans, 178
One, 389 The Simpleton:
The Lazy Spinner, 418
The Lion and the Frog, 420 The Golden Goose, 212
Little Brother and Little Sister, 34 The Queen Bee, 208
The Little Donkey, 456 The Three Feathers, 210
Little Lamb and Little Fish, 452 The White Dove, 207
Little Louse and Little Flea, 97
The Little Magic Table, the Golden Donkey,

and the Club in the Sack, 119

518  I nde x of Tales

The Singing Bone, 89 The Three Journeymen, 390
The Singing, Springing Lark, 277 The Three Lazy Sons, 468
The Six Servants, 435 The Three Little Birds, 319
The Six Swans, 159 The Three Little Men in the Forest, 40
The Soldier and the Carpenter, 422 The Three Ravens, 83
The Sparrow and His Four Children, 116 The Three Sisters, 251
The Stolen Pennies, 26 The Turnip, 461
A Story about a Brave Tailor, 62 The Twelve Brothers, 27
The Strange Feast, 141 The Ungrateful Son, 461
The Stubborn Child, 386 The Virgin Mary’s Child, 17
The Summer and the Winter Garden, 225 The Wandering of Thumbling, the Tailor’s
Sweetheart Roland, 182
The Sweet Porridge, 343 Son, 143
The Tablecloth, the Knapsack, the Cannon The Water Nixie, 246
The Water of Life, 324
Hat, and the Horn, 126 The White Bride and the Black Bride, 440
The Tailor Who Soon Became Rich, 199 The White Snake, 53
The Tale about the Land of The Wild Man, 444
The Wolf and the Seven Kids, 23
Cockaigne, 469 The Worn-o­ ut Dancing Shoes, 431
Tales about Toads, 347 The Wren and the Bear, 340
A Tale with a Riddle, 471 The Young Giant, 289
The Tall Tale from Ditmarsh, 470
The Three Army Surgeons, 386
The Three Black Princesses, 448
The Three Brothers, 403

I ndex of Tales 519