Showing results by author "The Brothers Grimm" in All Categories

"The Three Little Men in the Wood" or "The Three Little Gnomes in the Forest" is a German fairy tale collected in 1812 by the Brothers Grimm. A woman offers her hand in marriage to a widower: in return, her daughter would wash and drink water, and the man's would wash with milk and drink wine. After performing a test to determine his choice, he marries the woman, who keeps her word. However, by the second day of marriage, both daughters bathe and wash with water.

"The Water of Life" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 97. A king was dying. An old man told his sons that the water of life would save him. Each one set out in turn. The two older ones, setting out in hopes of being the heir, were rude to a dwarf on the way and became trapped in ravines. When the youngest son went the dwarf asked where he was going, and he told him. The dwarf told him it was in a castle, and gave him an iron wand to open the gates and two loaves to feed to the lions inside.

"Frederick and Catherine" (also called "Freddy and Katy Lizzy") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in Grimm's Fairy Tales, number 59. Frederick and Catherine were husband and wife. He left to do his work. She started to fry a sausage and thought she could get a beer while it cooked. In the cellar, drawing it, she realized the dog was loose and might eat the sausage, but the dog had already done so, and she chased it but could not catch it. Meanwhile, the keg of beer emptied itself into the cellar.

"Faithful John" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, tale number 6. In some variants, a king on his deathbed orders his servant, Trusty John, not to let his son see a certain room, which holds a portrait of a princess. - In all variants, when the new king comes to power, he forces his way into the room. Instantly, he falls in love with the princess.

The Six Swans is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm as tale number 49. A King gets lost in a forest, and an old woman helps him, on the condition that he marry her beautiful daughter. The King has a bad feeling about this but accepts anyway. He has six sons and a daughter from his first marriage, however, and fears that the children will be targeted by his new wife; so he sends them away and visits them in secret...

"Mother Holle" is a German fairy tale that comes from the book "Children's and Household Tales" collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Mother Holle is the 24th story in the first volume of the book published in 1812 as part of Children's and Household Tales. A rich widow lives with her daughter and her stepdaughter. The widow favored her younger biological daughter allowing her to become spoiled and idle while her older stepdaughter was left to do all the work. Every day the stepdaughter would sit outside the cottage and spin beside the well...

"Dummling and the Three Feathers": Once upon a time there lived a King who had three sons; the two elder were learned and bright, but the youngest said very little and appeared somewhat foolish, so he was always known as Dummling. - When the King grew old and feeble, feeling that he was nearing his end, he wished to leave the crown to one of his three sons, but could not decide to which. He thereupon settled that they should travel, and that the one who could obtain the most splendid carpet should ascend the throne when he died...

In this tale, two brothers give presents to their king. The poor brother chooses to offer the largest turnip grown on his land, whereas the rich one can afford to give far more. The response the latter receives from the king, however, is not exactly what he is expecting....

This is a story from the Grimms' Fairy Tales 2 collection.

This is a story from the Grimms' Fairy Tales 2 collection.

This is a story from the Grimms' Fairy Tales 2 collection.

This is a story from the Grimms' Fairy Tales 2 collection.

This is a story from the Grimms' Fairy Tales 2 collection.

This is a story from the Grimms' Fairy Tales 2 collection.

This is a story from the Grimms' Fairy Tales 2 collection.

This is a story from the Grimm's Fairy Tales collection.

This is a story from the Grimm's Fairy Tales collection.

This is a story from the Grimm's Fairy Tales collection.

This is a story from the Grimm's Fairy Tales collection.

This is a story from the Grimms' Fairy Tales 2 collection.