The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (19 page)

The king thought that there had never been a prince courageous enough to accomplish this task, and therefore, an inferior man like the woodcutter would certainly not succeed. The princess was distressed because many princes who had tried to fetch the devil's three golden hairs had died. Since there was nothing else she could do, she told the woodcutter what her father had said. However, the woodcutter was not at all depressed by this and said: “I'll certainly succeed. Stay true to me until I return. Early tomorrow I shall set out.”

Indeed, the woodcutter began his journey to the devil the next day and soon came to a big city. In front of the gate, a guard asked him what kind of craft he practiced and what he knew.

“I know everything,” answered the woodcutter.

“If you know everything,” the gatekeeper said, “then make our princess healthy again. No doctor in the world has been able to cure her.”

“When I return.”

In the second city he was also asked what he knew.

“I know everything.”

“Then tell us why our beautiful well at the marketplace has become dry.”

“When I return,” said the woodcutter, and he refused to be detained.

After a while he came to a fig tree that was rotting, and nearby stood a man who asked him what he knew.

“I know everything,”

“Then tell me why the fig tree is rotting and no longer bearing any fruit.”

“When I return.”

The woodcutter traveled on and encountered a ferryman who had to transport him across a river, and he asked him what he knew.

“I know everything.”

“So tell me when will I be finally relieved and when someone else will transport people across the river?”

“When I return.”

After the woodcutter was on the other side, he entered hell. Everything appeared black and sooty. However, the devil was not home. Only his wife was sitting there. The woodcutter said to her, “Good day, Mrs. Devil, I've come here to take three golden hairs that your husband has on his head, and I'd like to know why a princess cannot be cured, why a deep well at a marketplace doesn't have any water, why a fig tree doesn't bear any fruit, and why a ferryman has not been relieved from his work.”

The wife was horrified and said, “When the devil comes and finds you here, he'll eat you right away, and you'll never be able to get the three golden hairs. But since you are so young, I feel sorry for you, and I'll see if I can save you.”

The woodcutter had to lay down beneath the bed, and no sooner did he do this than the devil came home.

“Good evening, wife,” he said and proceeded to take off his clothes. Then he burst out saying, “What's going on in this room? I smell, I smell the flesh of a man. I've got to look around.”

“What are you going to smell?” his wife asked. “You've got the sniffles, and the smell of human flesh is still stuffed up in your nose. Don't mess up everything. I've just cleaned the house.”

“I won't make any noise. I'm tired this evening, and you won't even begrudge me some little thing to eat.”

Upon saying that the devil laid himself down in the bed, and his wife had to lie down beside him. Soon he fell asleep. First he blew, then he snored. At the beginning he did this softly, and then he was so loud that the windows trembled. When his wife saw that he was sound asleep, she grabbed hold of one of the three golden hairs, ripped it out, and threw it to the woodcutter beneath the bed. The devil jumped up: “What are you doing, wife? Why are you tearing out my hair?”

“Oh, I had a nightmare! I must have done it because I was afraid.”

“What did you dream about?”

“I dreamed about a princess who was deathly sick, and no doctor in the world could cure her.”

“Well, why don't they get rid of the white toad that's sitting under her bed?”

After saying that the devil turned to his other side and fell asleep again. When his wife heard him snoring, she grabbed hold of a second hair, ripped it out, and threw it under the bed. The devil jumped up.

“Hey, what are you doing? Have you gone mad? You've been terrible ripping my hair!”

“Oh, listen my dear husband! I was standing before a large well at a marketplace, and people were yammering because there was no longer any water in it. They asked me if I knew if there was any way to help them. Well, I looked down the well, but it was so deep that I became dizzy. I wanted to stop myself, and then I got entangled in your hair.”

“You should have told them that they had to pull out the white stone lying at the bottom of the well, and now leave me in peace with all your dreams!”

He lay down once more and soon began snoring atrociously as before. His wife thought: “I've got to dare once more,” and sure enough, she ripped the third golden hair out and threw it down to the woodcutter. The devil leapt into the air and wanted to teach her a nasty lesson, but his wife calmed him down, kissed him, and said, “What horrible dreams! A man showed me a fig tree that was wilting, and he complained that it was no longer bearing any fruit. Then I wanted to shake the tree to see
if something would fall off it, and the next thing I knew I was shaking your hair.”

“That would have been in vain. There is a mouse gnawing at the roots of the tree. If it's not killed, then the tree will be lost. Once the mouse is dead, the tree will be fresh, regain its health, and bear fresh fruit. So, now stop plaguing me with all your dreams. I want to sleep, and if you wake me one more time, I'll give you a good slap in your face!”

His wife was very much afraid of the devil's anger, but the poor woodcutter had to know one more thing that only the devil knew. So the wife pulled his nose and lifted him up into the air. The devil jumped up as though he were out of his mind and gave her a smack in the face that resounded all over the place. His wife began to weep and said: “Do you want me to fall into the water and drown? The ferryman brought me across the river, and as the barge approached the other side, it bumped into the bank, and I was afraid that I might fall and wanted to grab hold of the anchor which was attached to a chain. That's why I grabbed hold of your nose.”

“How come you didn't pay attention? The barge does this all the time.”

“The ferryman complained to me that nobody has come to relieve him, and there's no end to his work.”

“All he has to do is get the first man who comes to take over the ferrying from him until a third man comes who relieves him. This is the way that he can help himself. But your dreams are really strange. Everything you've told me about the ferryman is true, and everything else as well. Now don't wake me again. Soon it will be morning, and I want to sleep a little more. Otherwise, I'll make you pay if you disturb me.”

After the woodcutter had heard everything and the devil was snoring again, he thanked the devil's wife and departed. When he arrived at the barge, the ferryman wanted some information.

“First take me across.”

When the woodcutter was on the other side, he said to the ferryman: “The next person who comes and wants to be taken across the river, keep him there until he takes over your job and continues your work until another man comes to relieve him.”

Soon thereafter the woodcutter came to the man with the wilted fig tree, and he said to him: “All you have to do is kill the white mouse that's gnawing on the roots. Then your tree will bear fruit again just as it did in the past.”

“What do you demand for a reward?” asked the man.

“I want a troop of soldiers,” and no sooner did he say this than a troop began marching behind him.

The woodcutter thought that things were going well and arrived in the city where the well at the marketplace had run dry.

“Fetch the white stone that's lying at the bottom of the well.”

So someone climbed down and fetched the stone, and no sooner was he above than the well was once again filled with the clearest water.

“How should we reward you?” the mayor asked.

“Give me a regiment of cavalry officers.”

And as the woodcutter went through the city gate, a regiment of cavalry officers rode behind him. This was how he entered the other city where the princess whom no doctor could cure was lying on her sick bed.

“All you have to do is kill the white toad that's hiding beneath the princess's bed.”

And when that was done, the princess began to recuperate and became healthy and rosy.

“What do you want for a reward?” asked the king.

“Four wagons loaded with gold,” said the woodcutter.

Finally, the woodcutter reached home, and behind him were a troop of infantrymen, a regiment of cavalry officers, and four wagons loaded entirely with gold. The three golden hairs of the devil, however, were carried by himself. He ordered his regiments to wait in front of the royal gate. They were to enter quickly if he gave them a signal from the castle. Then he went to the father of his beloved princess and handed him the devil's three golden hairs and asked him to give him the princess for his bride in keeping with the promise he had made. The king was astonished and said that the woodcutter had done quite right with regard to the devil's three golden hairs. Nevertheless, the king stated he would have to think about whether
he would give him the princess for his bride. As soon as the woodcutter heard this, he moved to the window and whistled to his companions. All of a sudden the troops of infantrymen and regiments of cavalry officers and four heavily loaded wagons marched and rolled through the gate.

“My king,” said the woodcutter, “take a look at my people whom I have brought along with me, and over there is all my wealth in those wagons full of gold. Don't you want to give me the princess?”

The king was terrified and said: “Yes, with all my heart.”

Then the woodcutter and the princess were married and lived in bliss.

This is why whoever is not afraid of the devil can tear out his hair and win the entire world.

30

LITTLE LOUSE AND LITTLE FLEA

A little louse and a little flea were living together in a house and were brewing beer in an eggshell when the louse fell in and was scalded. Then the flea began to scream as loud as he could, and the little door to the room asked: “Why are you screaming, little flea?”

“Because little louse has been scalded.”

Then the little door began to creak, and a little broom in the corner asked, “Why are you creaking, door?”

“Why shouldn't I creak?

Little louse has just got scalded.

Little flea is weeping.”

Then the little broom began to sweep in a frenzy, and when a little cart came driving by, it asked, “Why are you sweeping, broom?”

“Why shouldn't I sweep?

Little louse has just got scalded.

Little flea is weeping.

Little door is creaking.”

“Well, then I'm going to race around,” said the little cart, and it began racing around furiously, and the little dung heap, which it passed, asked, “Why are you racing around, little cart?”

“Why shouldn't I race around?

Little louse has just got scalded.

Little flea is weeping.

Little door is creaking.

Little broom is sweeping.”

“Then I'm going to burn with fury,” said the little dung heap, and it began to burn in bright flames. Then a little tree nearby asked, “Why are you burning, little dung heap?”

“Why shouldn't I burn?

Little louse has just got scalded.

Little flea is weeping.

Little door is creaking.

Little broom is sweeping.

Little cart is racing.”

“Well, then I'm going to shake myself,” said the tree, and it shook itself so hard that all its leaves began to fall. Then a maiden with a water jug came by and asked, “Little tree, why are you shaking?”

“Why shouldn't I shake?

Little louse has just got scalded.

Little flea is weeping.

Little door is creaking.

Little broom is sweeping.

Little cart is racing.

Little dung heap is burning.”

“Well, then I'm going to break my little water jug,” said the maiden, and as she was breaking it, the little spring from which the water came asked, “Maiden, why are you breaking the little water jug?”

“Why shouldn't I break it?

Little louse has just got scalded.

Little flea is weeping.

Little door is creaking.

Little broom is sweeping.

Little cart is racing.

Little dung heap is burning.

Little tree is shaking.”

“Goodness gracious!” said the little spring. “Then I'm going to flow,” and it began to flow so violently that they were all drowned in the water—the maiden, the little tree, the little dung heap, the little cart, the little door, the little flea, and the little louse, every last one of them.

31

MAIDEN WITHOUT HANDS

A miller, who was so poor that he had nothing else but his mill and a large apple tree behind it, went into the forest to fetch wood. While there he met an old man who said: “Why are you torturing yourself so much? I'll make you rich if you promise to give me what's behind your mill. In three years I'll come and fetch what's mine.”

The miller thought to himself: “That's my apple tree.” So, he said, “yes,” and signed it away to the man. When the miller returned home, his wife said to him, “Tell me, miller, how did all this wealth suddenly get into our house? All at once I've discovered our chests and boxes are full of money.”

“It's from a stranger I met in the forest,” he said. “He promised me great wealth if I agreed in writing to give him what's behind our mill.”

“Oh, husband!” his wife exclaimed in dread. “This is terrible. That was the devil! He didn't mean the apple tree but our daughter, who was behind the mill sweeping out the yard.”