Enchanting, brimming with the wonder and magic of once upon a time, the fairly tales of the Brothers Grimm are the special stories of childhood that stay with us throughout our lives. But most Americans know them only secondhand, in adaptations that greatly reduce the tales' power to touch our emotions and intrigue our imaginations. Now, in the most comprehensive translation to date, here are the classic fairy tales as the Brothers Grimm intended them to be-rich, stark, spiced
One fine evening a young princess put on her bonnet and clogs, and went out to take a walk by herself in a wood; and when she came to cool spring of water, that rose in the midst of it, she sat herself down to rest a while. Now she had a golden ball in her hand, which was her favourite plaything; and she was always tossing it up into the air, and catching it again as it fell. After a time she threw it up so high that she missed catching it as it fell; and the ball bounded away, and rolled along upon the ground, till at last it fell down into the spring. The princess looked into the spring after her ball, but it was very deep, so deep that she could not see the bottom of it. Then she began to bewail her loss, and said, 'Alas! if I could only get my ball again, I would give all my fine clothes and jewels, and everything that I have in the world.'
Synopsis
Enchanting, brimming with the wonder and magic of once upon a time, the fairly tales of the Brothers Grimm are the special stories of childhood that stay with us throughout our lives. But most Americans know them only secondhand, in adaptations that greatly reduce the tales' power to touch our emotions and intrigue our imaginations. Now, in the most comprehensive translation to date, here are the classic fairy tales as the Brothers Grimm intended them to be-rich, stark, spiced
Table of Contents
THE GOLDEN BIRD 3
HANS IN LUCK 7
JORINDA AND JORINDEL 11
THE TRAVELLING MUSICIANS 13
OLD SULTAN 15
THE STRAW, THE COAL, AND THE BEAN 17
BRIAR ROSE 18
THE DOG AND THE SPARROW 21
THE TWELVE DANCING PRINCESSES 23
THE FISHERMAN AND HIS WIFE 26
THE WILLOW-WREN AND THE BEAR 30
THE FROG-PRINCE 32
CAT AND MOUSE IN PARTNERSHIP 34
THE GOOSE-GIRL 36
THE ADVENTURES OF CHANTICLEER AND PARTLET 40
RAPUNZEL 43
FUNDEVOGEL 45
THE VALIANT LITTLE TAILOR 47
HANSEL AND GRETEL 51
THE MOUSE, THE BIRD, AND THE SAUSAGE 56
MOTHER HOLLE 58
LITTLE RED-CAP [LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD] 61
THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM 64
TOM THUMB 67
RUMPELSTILTSKIN 71
CLEVER GRETEL 73
THE OLD MAN AND HIS GRANDSON 75
THE LITTLE PEASANT 76
FREDERICK AND CATHERINE 79
SWEETHEART ROLAND 82
SNOWDROP 84
THE PINK 88
CLEVER ELSIE 91
THE MISER IN THE BUSH 93
ASHPUTTEL 95
THE WHITE SNAKE 99
THE WOLF AND THE SEVEN LITTLE KIDS 102
THE QUEEN BEE 104
THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER 106
THE JUNIPER-TREE 108
THE TURNIP 115
CLEVER HANS 117
THE THREE LANGUAGES 119
THE FOX AND THE CAT 121
THE FOUR CLEVER BROTHERS 122
LILY AND THE LION 125
THE FOX AND THE HORSE 129
THE BLUE LIGHT 130
THE RAVEN 133
THE GOLDEN GOOSE 137
THE WATER OF LIFE 140
THE TWELVE HUNTSMEN 144
THE KING OF THE GOLDEN MOUNTAIN 146
DOCTOR KNOWALL 150
THE SEVEN RAVENS 151
THE WEDDING OF MRS FOX 153
THE SALAD 155
THE STORY OF THE YOUTH WHO WENT FORTH TO LEARN WHAT FEAR WAS 158
KING GRISLY-BEARD 163
IRON HANS 166
CAT-SKIN 170
SNOW-WHITE AND ROSE-RED 173
About the Author
The brothers Grimm, who gave us the fairy tales generally known by their name, were grave scholarly men who spent most of their lives in research.
Jacob was born in 1785 and Wilhelm a year later. Their father, a lawyer, died when they were children, but their mother was bent on seeing her sons follow in his footsteps, and this they did with financial aid from an aunt. They were born at Hanau in Hesse, and went to the University at Cassel, where they both qualified successfully in law. There was no money to help them to a position, and they had their mother to keep, so they took what work offered. Jacob became assistant to a famous specialist in Roman law, Professor Savigny, who showed him what research meant and implanted in his mind such a love of it that he became one of the great men of his time — not, however, on matters of law, but in philology, the study of language.
