Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm
J >> Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm >> Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm"Well," said the fisherman, "no need of so many words about the matter,
as you can speak I had much rather let you swim away."
Then he put him back into the clear water, and the flounder sank to the
bottom, leaving a long streak of blood behind him. Then the fisherman
got up and went home to his wife in their hovel.
"Well, husband," said the wife, "have you caught nothing to-day?"
"No," said the man--"that is, I did catch a flounder, but as he said he
was an enchanted prince, I let him go again."
"Then, did you wish for nothing?" said the wife.
"No," said the man; "what should I wish for?"
"Oh dear!" said the wife; "and it is so dreadful always to live in this
evil-smelling hovel; you might as well have wished for a little cottage;
go again and call him; tell him we want a little cottage, I daresay he
will give it us; go, and be quick."
And when he went back, the sea was green and yellow, and not nearly so
clear. So he stood and said,
"O man, O man!--if man you be,
Or flounder, flounder, in the sea--
Such a tiresome wife I've got,
For she wants what I do not."
Then the flounder came swimming up, and said,
"Now then, what does she want?"
"Oh," said the man, "you know when I caught you my wife says I ought to
have wished for something. She does not want to live any longer in the
hovel, and would rather have a cottage.
"Go home with you," said the flounder, "she has it already."
So the man went home, and found, instead of the hovel, a little cottage,
and his wife was sitting on a bench before the door. And she took him by
the hand, and said to him,
"Come in and see if this is not a great improvement."
So they went in, and there was a little house-place and a beautiful
little bedroom, a kitchen and larder, with all sorts of furniture, and
iron and brass ware of the very best. And at the back was a little yard
with fowls and ducks, and a little garden full of green vegetables and
fruit.
"Look," said the wife, "is not that nice?"
"Yes," said the man, "if this can only last we shall be very well
contented."
"We will see about that," said the wife. And after a meal they went to
bed.
So all went well for a week or fortnight, when the wife said,
"Look here, husband, the cottage is really too confined, and the yard
and garden are so small; I think the flounder had better get us a
larger house; I should like very much to live in a large stone castle;
so go to your fish and he will send us a castle."
"O my dear wife," said the man, "the cottage is good enough; what do we
want a castle for?"
"We want one," said the wife; "go along with you; the flounder can give
us one."
"Now, wife," said the man, "the flounder gave us the cottage; I do not
like to go to him again, he may be angry."
"Go along," said the wife, "he might just as well give us it as not; do
as I say!"
The man felt very reluctant and unwilling; and he said to himself,
"It is not the right thing to do;" nevertheless he went.
So when he came to the seaside, the water was purple and dark blue and
grey and thick, and not green and yellow as before. And he stood and
said,
"O man, O man!--if man you be,
Or flounder, flounder, in the sea--
Such a tiresome wife I've got,
For she wants what I do not."
"Now then, what does she want?" said the flounder.
"Oh," said the man, half frightened, "she wants to live in a large stone
castle."
"Go home with you, she is already standing before the door," said the
flounder.
Then the man went home, as he supposed, but when he got there, there
stood in the place of the cottage a great castle of stone, and his wife
was standing on the steps, about to go in; so she took him by the hand,
and said,
"Let us enter."
With that he went in with her, and in the castle was a great hall with a
marble pavement, and there were a great many servants, who led them
through large doors, and the passages were decked with tapestry, and the
rooms with golden chairs and tables, and crystal chandeliers hanging
from the ceiling; and all the rooms had carpets. And the tables were
covered with eatables and the best wine for any one who wanted them. And
at the back of the house was a great stable-yard for horses and cattle,
and carriages of the finest; besides, there was a splendid large garden,
with the most beautiful flowers and fine fruit trees, and a pleasance
full half a mile long, with deer and oxen and sheep, and everything that
heart could wish for.
"There!" said the wife, "is not this beautiful?"
"Oh yes," said the man, "if it will only last we can live in this fine
castle and be very well contented."
"We will see about that," said the wife, "in the meanwhile we will sleep
upon it." With that they went to bed.
The next morning the wife was awake first, just at the break of day, and
she looked out and saw from her bed the beautiful country lying all
round. The man took no notice of it, so she poked him in the side with
her elbow, and said,
"Husband, get up and just look out of the window. Look, just think if we
could be king over all this country. Just go to your fish and tell him
we should like to be king."
"Now, wife," said the man, "what should we be kings for? I don't want to
be king."
"Well," said the wife, "if you don't want to be king, I will be king."
"Now, wife," said the man, "what do you want to be king for? I could not
ask him such a thing."
"Why not?" said the wife, "you must go directly all the same; I must be
king."
So the man went, very much put out that his wife should want to be king.
"It is not the right thing to do--not at all the right thing," thought
the man. He did not at all want to go, and yet he went all the same.
And when he came to the sea the water was quite dark grey, and rushed
far inland, and had an ill smell. And he stood and said,
"O man, O man!--if man you be,
Or flounder, flounder, in the sea--
Such a tiresome wife I've got,
For she wants what I do not."
"Now then, what does she want?" said the fish.
"Oh dear!" said the man, "she wants to be king."
"Go home with you, she is so already," said the fish.
So the man went back, and as he came to the palace he saw it was very
much larger, and had great towers and splendid gateways; the herald
stood before the door, and a number of soldiers with kettle-drums and
trumpets.
And when he came inside everything was of marble and gold, and there
were many curtains with great golden tassels. Then he went through the
doors of the saloon to where the great throne-room was, and there was
his wife sitting upon a throne of gold and diamonds, and she had a great
golden crown on, and the sceptre in her hand was of pure gold and
jewels, and on each side stood six pages in a row, each one a head
shorter than the other. So the man went up to her and said,
"Well, wife, so now you are king!"
"Yes," said the wife, "now I am king."
So then he stood and looked at her, and when he had gazed at her for
some time he said,
"Well, wife, this is fine for you to be king! now there is nothing more
to wish for."
"O husband!" said the wife, seeming quite restless, "I am tired of this
already. Go to your fish and tell him that now I am king I must be
emperor."
"Now, wife," said the man, "what do you want to be emperor for?"
"Husband," said she, "go and tell the fish I want to be emperor."
"Oh dear!" said the man, "he could not do it--I cannot ask him such a
thing. There is but one emperor at a time; the fish can't possibly make
any one emperor--indeed he can't."
"Now, look here," said the wife, "I am king, and you are only my
husband, so will you go at once? Go along! for if he was able to make me
king he is able to make me emperor; and I will and must be emperor, so
go along!"
So he was obliged to go; and as he went he felt very uncomfortable about
it, and he thought to himself,
"It is not at all the right thing to do; to want to be emperor is really
going too far; the flounder will soon be beginning to get tired of
this."
With that he came to the sea, and the water was quite black and thick,
and the foam flew, and the wind blew, and the man was terrified. But he
stood and said,
"O man, O man!--if man you be,
Or flounder, flounder, in the sea--
Such a tiresome wife I've got,
For she wants what I do not."
"What is it now?" said the fish.
"Oh dear!" said the man, "my wife wants to be emperor."
"Go home with you," said the fish, "she is emperor already."
So the man went home, and found the castle adorned with polished marble
and alabaster figures, and golden gates. The troops were being
marshalled before the door, and they were blowing trumpets and beating
drums and cymbals; and when he entered he saw barons and earls and dukes
waiting about like servants; and the doors were of bright gold. And he
saw his wife sitting upon a throne made of one entire piece of gold, and
it was about two miles high; and she had a great golden crown on, which
was about three yards high, set with brilliants and carbuncles; and in
one hand she held the sceptre, and in the other the globe; and on both
sides of her stood pages in two rows, all arranged according to their
size, from the most enormous giant of two miles high to the tiniest
dwarf of the size of my little finger; and before her stood earls and
dukes in crowds. So the man went up to her and said,
"Well, wife, so now you are emperor."
"Yes," said she, "now I am emperor."
Then he went and sat down and had a good look at her, and then he said,
"Well now, wife, there is nothing left to be, now you are emperor."
"What are you talking about, husband?" said she; "I am emperor, and next
I will be pope! so go and tell the fish so."
"Oh dear!" said the man, "what is it that you don't want? You can never
become pope; there is but one pope in Christendom, and the fish can't
possibly do it."
"Husband," said she, "no more words about it; I must and will be pope;
so go along to the fish."
"Now, wife," said the man, "how can I ask him such a thing? it is too
bad--it is asking a little too much; and, besides, he could not do it."
"What rubbish!" said the wife; "if he could make me emperor he can make
me pope. Go along and ask him; I am emperor, and you are only my
husband, so go you must."
So he went, feeling very frightened, and he shivered and shook, and his
knees trembled; and there arose a great wind, and the clouds flew by,
and it grew very dark, and the sea rose mountains high, and the ships
were tossed about, and the sky was partly blue in the middle, but at the
sides very dark and red, as in a great tempest. And he felt very
desponding, and stood trembling and said,
"O man, O man!--if man you be,
Or flounder, flounder, in the sea--
Such a tiresome wife I've got,
For she wants what I do not."
"Well, what now?" said the fish.
"Oh dear!" said the man, "she wants to be pope."
"Go home with you, she is pope already," said the fish.
So he went home, and he found himself before a great church, with
palaces all round. He had to make his way through a crowd of people; and
when he got inside he found the place lighted up with thousands and
thousands of lights; and his wife was clothed in a golden garment, and
sat upon a very high throne, and had three golden crowns on, all in the
greatest priestly pomp; and on both sides of her there stood two rows of
lights of all sizes--from the size of the longest tower to the smallest
rushlight, and all the emperors and kings were kneeling before her and
kissing her foot.
"Well, wife," said the man, and sat and stared at her, "so you are
pope."
"Yes," said she, "now I am pope!"
And he went on gazing at her till he felt dazzled, as if he were sitting
in the sun. And after a little time he said,
"Well, now, wife, what is there left to be, now you are pope?"
And she sat up very stiff and straight, and said nothing.
And he said again, "Well, wife, I hope you are contented at last with
being pope; you can be nothing more."
"We will see about that," said the wife. With that they both went to
bed; but she was as far as ever from being contented, and she could not
get to sleep for thinking of what she should like to be next.
The husband, however, slept as fast as a top after his busy day; but the
wife tossed and turned from side to side the whole night through,
thinking all the while what she could be next, but nothing would occur
to her; and when she saw the red dawn she slipped off the bed, and sat
before the window to see the sun rise, and as it came up she said,
"Ah, I have it! what if I should make the sun and moon to
rise--husband!" she cried, and stuck her elbow in his ribs, "wake up,
and go to your fish, and tell him I want power over the sun and moon."
The man was so fast asleep that when he started up he fell out of bed.
Then he shook himself together, and opened his eyes and said,
"Oh,--wife, what did you say?"
"Husband," said she, "if I cannot get the power of making the sun and
moon rise when I want them, I shall never have another quiet hour. Go to
the fish and tell him so."
"O wife!" said the man, and fell on his knees to her, "the fish can
really not do that for you. I grant you he could make you emperor and
pope; do be contented with that, I beg of you."
And she became wild with impatience, and screamed out,
"I can wait no longer, go at once!"
And so off he went as well as he could for fright. And a dreadful storm
arose, so that he could hardly keep his feet; and the houses and trees
were blown down, and the mountains trembled, and rocks fell in the sea;
the sky was quite black, and it thundered and lightened; and the waves,
crowned with foam, ran mountains high. So he cried out, without being
able to hear his own words,
"O man, O man!--if man you be,
Or flounder, flounder, in the sea--
Such a tiresome wife I've got,
For she wants what I do not."
"Well, what now?" said the flounder.
"Oh dear!" said the man, "she wants to order about the sun and moon."
"Go home with you!" said the flounder, "you will find her in the old
hovel."
And there they are sitting to this very day.
THE GALLANT TAILOR
ONE summer morning a little tailor was sitting on his board near the
window, and working cheerfully with all his might, when an old woman
came down the street crying,
"Good jelly to sell! good jelly to sell!"
The cry sounded pleasant in the little tailor's ears, so he put his head
out of the window, and called out,
"Here, my good woman--come here, if you want a customer."
So the poor woman climbed the steps with her heavy basket, and was
obliged to unpack and display all her pots to the tailor. He looked at
every one of them, and lifting all the lids, applied his nose to each,
and said at last,
"The jelly seems pretty good; you may weigh me out four half ounces, or
I don't mind having a quarter of a pound."
The woman, who had expected to find a good customer, gave him what he
asked for, but went off angry and grumbling.
"This jelly is the very thing for me," cried the little tailor; "it will
give me strength and cunning;" and he took down the bread from the
cupboard, cut a whole round of the loaf, and spread the jelly on it,
laid it near him, and went on stitching more gallantly than ever. All
the while the scent of the sweet jelly was spreading throughout the
room, where there were quantities of flies, who were attracted by it and
flew to partake.
"Now then, who asked you to come?" said the tailor, and drove the
unbidden guests away. But the flies, not understanding his language,
were not to be got rid of like that, and returned in larger numbers than
before. Then the tailor, not being able to stand it any longer, took
from his chimney-corner a ragged cloth, and saying,
"Now, I'll let you have it!" beat it among them unmercifully. When he
ceased, and counted the slain, he found seven lying dead before him.
"This is indeed somewhat," he said, wondering at his own gallantry; "the
whole town shall know this."
So he hastened to cut out a belt, and he stitched it, and put on it in
large capitals "Seven at one blow!"
"--The town, did I say!" said the little tailor; "the whole world shall
know it!" And his heart quivered with joy, like a lamb's tail.
The tailor fastened the belt round him, and began to think of going out
into the world, for his workshop seemed too small for his worship. So he
looked about in all the house for something that it would be useful to
take with him, but he found nothing but an old cheese, which he put in
his pocket. Outside the door he noticed that a bird had got caught in
the bushes, so he took that and put it in his pocket with the cheese.
Then he set out gallantly on his way, and as he was light and active he
felt no fatigue. The way led over a mountain, and when he reached the
topmost peak he saw a terrible giant sitting there, and looking about
him at his ease. The tailor went bravely up to him, called out to him,
and said,
"Comrade, good day! there you sit looking over the wide world! I am on
the way thither to seek my fortune: have you a fancy to go with me?"
The giant looked at the tailor contemptuously, and said,
"You little rascal! you miserable fellow!"
"That may be!" answered the little tailor, and undoing his coat he
showed the giant his belt; "you can read there whether I am a man or
not!"
The giant read: "Seven at one blow!" and thinking it meant men that the
tailor had killed, felt at once more respect for the little fellow. But
as he wanted to prove him, he took up a stone and squeezed it so hard
that water came out of it.
"Now you can do that," said the giant,--"that is, if you have the
strength for it."
"That's not much," said the little tailor, "I call that play," and he
put his hand in his pocket and took out the cheese and squeezed it, so
that the whey ran out of it.
"Well," said he, "what do you think of that?"
The giant did not know what to say to it, for he could not have believed
it of the little man. Then the giant took up a stone and threw it so
high that it was nearly out of sight.
"Now, little fellow, suppose you do that!"
"Well thrown," said the tailor; "but the stone fell back to earth
again,--I will throw you one that will never come back." So he felt in
his pocket, took out the bird, and threw it into the air. And the bird,
when it found itself at liberty, took wing, flew off, and returned no
more.
"What do you think of that, comrade?" asked the tailor.
"There is no doubt that you can throw," said the giant; "but we will see
if you can carry."
He led the little tailor to a mighty oak-tree which had been felled, and
was lying on the ground, and said,
"Now, if you are strong enough, help me to carry this tree out of the
wood."
"Willingly," answered the little man; "you take the trunk on your
shoulders, I will take the branches with all their foliage, that is much
the most difficult."
So the giant took the trunk on his shoulders, and the tailor seated
himself on a branch, and the giant, who could not see what he was doing,
had the whole tree to carry, and the little man on it as well. And the
little man was very cheerful and merry, and whistled the tune: "_There
were three tailors riding by_," as if carrying the tree was mere child's
play. The giant, when he had struggled on under his heavy load a part of
the way, was tired out, and cried,
"Look here, I must let go the tree!"
The tailor jumped off quickly, and taking hold of the tree with both
arms, as if he were carrying it, said to the giant,
"You see you can't carry the tree though you are such a big fellow!"
They went on together a little farther, and presently they came to a
cherry-tree, and the giant took hold of the topmost branches, where the
ripest fruit hung, and pulling them downwards, gave them to the tailor
to hold, bidding him eat. But the little tailor was much too weak to
hold the tree, and as the giant let go, the tree sprang back, and the
tailor was caught up into the air. And when he dropped down again
without any damage, the giant said to him,
"How is this? haven't you strength enough to hold such a weak sprig as
that?"
"It is not strength that is lacking," answered the little tailor; "how
should it to one who has slain seven at one blow! I just jumped over the
tree because the hunters are shooting down there in the bushes. You jump
it too, if you can."
The giant made the attempt, and not being able to vault the tree, he
remained hanging in the branches, so that once more the little tailor
got the better of him. Then said the giant,
"As you are such a gallant fellow, suppose you come with me to our den,
and stay the night."
The tailor was quite willing, and he followed him. When they reached the
den there sat some other giants by the fire, and each had a roasted
sheep in his hand, and was eating it. The little tailor looked round and
thought,
"There is more elbow-room here than in my workshop."
And the giant showed him a bed, and told him he had better lie down upon
it and go to sleep. The bed was, however, too big for the tailor, so he
did not stay in it, but crept into a corner to sleep. As soon as it was
midnight the giant got up, took a great staff of iron and beat the bed
through with one stroke, and supposed he had made an end of that
grasshopper of a tailor. Very early in the morning the giants went into
the wood and forgot all about the little tailor, and when they saw him
coming after them alive and merry, they were terribly frightened, and,
thinking he was going to kill them, they ran away in all haste.
So the little tailor marched on, always following his nose. And after he
had gone a great way he entered the courtyard belonging to a King's
palace, and there he felt so overpowered with fatigue that he lay down
and fell asleep. In the meanwhile came various people, who looked at him
very curiously, and read on his belt, "Seven at one blow!"
"Oh!" said they, "why should this great lord come here in time of peace?
what a mighty champion he must be."
Then they went and told the King about him, and they thought that if war
should break out what a worthy and useful man he would be, and that he
ought not to be allowed to depart at any price. The King then summoned
his council, and sent one of his courtiers to the little tailor to beg
him, so soon as he should wake up, to consent to serve in the King's
army. So the messenger stood and waited at the sleeper's side until his
limbs began to stretch, and his eyes to open, and then he carried his
answer back. And the answer was,
"That was the reason for which I came," said the little tailor, "I am
ready to enter the King's service."
So he was received into it very honourably, and a separate dwelling set
apart for him.
But the rest of the soldiers were very much set against the little
tailor, and they wished him a thousand miles away.
"What shall be done about it?" they said among themselves; "if we pick a
quarrel and fight with him then seven of us will fall at each blow. That
will be of no good to us."
So they came to a resolution, and went all together to the King to ask
for their discharge.
"We never intended," said they, "to serve with a man who kills seven at
a blow."
The King felt sorry to lose all his faithful servants because of one
man, and he wished that he had never seen him, and would willingly get
rid of him if he might. But he did not dare to dismiss the little tailor
for fear he should kill all the King's people, and place himself upon
the throne. He thought a long while about it, and at last made up his
mind what to do. He sent for the little tailor, and told him that as he
was so great a warrior he had a proposal to make to him. He told him
that in a wood in his dominions dwelt two giants, who did great damage
by robbery, murder, and fire, and that no man durst go near them for
fear of his life. But that if the tailor should overcome and slay both
these giants the King would give him his only daughter in marriage, and
half his kingdom as dowry, and that a hundred horsemen should go with
him to give him assistance.
"That would be something for a man like me!" thought the little tailor,
"a beautiful princess and half a kingdom are not to be had every day,"
and he said to the King,
"Oh yes, I can soon overcome the giants, and yet have no need of the
hundred horsemen; he who can kill seven at one blow has no need to be
afraid of two."
So the little tailor set out, and the hunched horsemen followed him.
When he came to the border of the wood he said to his escort,
"Stay here while I go to attack the giants."
Then he sprang into the wood, and looked about him right and left. After
a while he caught sight of the two giants; they were lying down under a
tree asleep, and snoring so that all the branches shook. The little
tailor, all alive, filled both his pockets with stones and climbed up
into the tree, and made his way to an overhanging bough, so that he
could seat himself just above the sleepers; and from there he let one
stone after another fall on the chest of one of the giants. For a long
time the giant was quite unaware of this, but at last he waked up and
pushed his comrade, and said,