Hansel & Grethel - & Other Tales By The Brothers Grimm Read online

  Then his eyes fell on the things lying by him, and he read the letter which told him all that had occurred.

  So he got up and went away to find the Golden Castle of Stromberg, but he had no idea where to find it.

  When he had wandered about for a long time he came to a dark wood whence he could not find his way out.

  After walking about in it for a fortnight, he lay down one night under a bush to sleep, for he was very tired. But he heard such lamentations and howling that he could not go to sleep.

  The Golden Castle of Stromberg.

  Then he saw a light glimmering in the distance and went towards it. When he reached it, he found that it came from a house which looked very tiny because a huge Giant was standing at the door.

  He thought: ‘If I go in and the Giant sees me, I shan’t escape with my life.’

  But at last he ventured to go forward.

  When the Giant saw him, he said: ‘It’s a good thing you have appeared. I have had nothing to eat for an age. I will just swallow you for my supper.’

  ‘You had better let me alone,’ said the Man. ‘I shan’t let myself be swallowed in a hurry, If you only want something to eat, I have plenty here to satisfy you.’

  ‘If you are speaking the truth,’ said the Giant, ‘you may be quite easy. I was only going to eat you because I had nothing else.’

  Then they went in and sat down at the table, and the Man produced the bread, the meat, and the wine, which were inexhaustible.

  ‘This just suits me,’ said the Giant, And he ate as much as ever he could.

  The Man said to him: ‘Can’t you tell me where to find the Golden Castle?’

  The Giant said: ‘I will look at my map. Every town, village, and house is marked upon it.’

  He fetched the map, but the castle was not to be found.

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said, ‘I have a bigger map upstairs in my chest; we will look for it there,’

  At last the Golden Castle was discovered, but it was many thousands of miles away.

  ‘How am I ever to get there?’ asked the Man.

  The Giant said: ‘I have a couple of hours to spare. I will carry you near it. But then I must come back to look after my wife and child.’

  Then the Giant transported him to within a hundred miles of the Castle, and said: ‘You will be able to find your way from here alone.’ Then he went back; and the Man went on, till at last he came to the Golden Castle.

  It stood on a mountain of glass, and the bewitched Maiden drove round and round it every day in her coach.

  He was delighted to see her again, and wanted to go to her at once. Rut when he tried to climb the mountain, he found it was so slippery, that he slid back at every step,

  When he found he could not reach her, he grew very sad, and said to himself; ‘I will stay down here and wait for her.’

  So he built himself a little hut, and lived in it for a whole year. He could see the Princess above, driving round the castle every day, but he could never get to her.

  Then one day he saw three Robbers fighting, and called out to them: ‘God be with you!’

  They stopped at the sound of his voice, but, seeing nothing, they began to fight again.

  Then he cried again; ‘God be with you!’

  They stopped and looked about, but, seeing no one, went on fighting.

  Then he cried for the third time: ‘God be with you!’

  Again they stopped and looked about, but, as there was no one visible, they fell to more savagely than ever.

  One day he saw three Robbers fighting.

  He said to himself: ‘I must go and see what it is all about.’

  He went up and asked them why they were fighting.

  One of them said he had found a stick which made any door fly open which it touched.

  The second said he had found a cloak which made him invisible when he wore it.

  The third said he had caught a horse which could go anywhere, even up the mountain of glass.

  They could not decide whether these things should be common property or whether they should divide them.

  Then said the Man: ‘I will exchange them with you if you like. I have no money, but I have something more valuable. First, however, I must test your things to see if you. are speaking the truth.’

  They let him get on. to the horse, put on the cloak, and take the stick in his hand. When he had. got them all, he was nowhere to be seen.

  Then he gave them each a sound drubbing, and said: ‘There, you have your deserts, you bears. You may be satisfied with that.’

  Then he rode up the glass mountain, and when he reached the castle he found the gate was shut. He touched it with his stick and it flew open.

  He went in and straight up the stairs into the gallery where the Maiden sat with a golden cup of wine before her.

  Rut she could not see him because he had the cloak on.

  He took the ring she had given him, and dropped it into the cup, where it fell with a clink.

  She cried: ‘That is my ring. The Man who is to deliver me must be here.’

  They searched for him all over the castle, but could not find him, for he had gone outside, taken off the cloak, and mounted his horse.

  .When the people came to the gate and saw him, they raised cries of joy.

  He dismounted and took the Princess in his arms. She kissed him, and said: ‘Now you have delivered me, and to-morrow we will celebrate our marriage.’

  The Adventures of Chanticleer and Partlet

  1. HOW THEY WENT TO THE HILLS TO EAT NUTS

  Chanticleer said to Partlet one day, ‘The nuts must he ripe; now we will go up the hill together and have a good feast before the squirrel carries them all off,’

  ‘All right,’ said Partlet, ‘come along; we’ll have a fine time.’ So they went away up the hill, and, as it was a bright day, they stayed till evening.

  Now whether they really had grown fat, or whether it was merely pride, I do not know, but, whatever the reason, they would not walk home, and Chanticleer had to make a little carriage of nut-shells. When it was ready, Partlet took her seat in it, and said to Chanticleer, ‘Now you get between the shafts.’

  ‘That’s all very fine,’ said Chanticleer, ‘but I would sooner go home on foot than put myself in harness. I will sit on the box and drive, but draw it myself I never will.’

  As they were squabbling over this, a Duck quacked out, ‘You thievish folk! Who told you to come to my nut-hill? Just you wait, you will suffer for it.’

  Then she rushed at Chanticleer with open bill, but he was not to be taken by surprise, and fell upon her with his spurs till she cried out for mercy. At last she allowed herself to be harnessed to the carriage. Chanticleer seated himself on the box as coachman, and cried out unceasingly, ‘Now, Duck, run as fast as you can.’

  When they had driven a little way they met two foot passengers, a Pin and a Needle, They called out, ‘Stop! stop!’ They said it would soon be pitch dark, and they couldn’t walk a step further, the road was so dirty; might they not have a lift? They had been to the Tailor’s Inn by the gate, and had lingered over their beer.

  As they were both very thin, and did not take up much room. Chanticleer allowed them to get in, but he made them promise not to tread either on his toes, or on Partlet’s. Late in the evening they came to an inn, and as they did not want to drive any further in the dark, and the Duck was getting rather uncertain on her feet, tumbling from side to side, they drove in.

  The Landlord at first made many objections to having them, and said the house was already full; perhaps he thought they were not very grand folk. But at last, by dint of persuasive words, and promising him the egg which Mrs. Partlet had laid on the way, and also that he should keep the Duck, who laid an egg every day, he consented to let them stay the night.

  Then they had a meal served to them, and feasted, and passed the time in rioting.

  In the early dawn, before it grew light, and every one was asleep, Pa
rtlet woke up Chanticleer, fetched the egg, pecked a hole in it, and between them they ate it all up, and threw the shells on to the hearth. Then they went to the Needle, which was still asleep, seized it by the head and stuck it in the cushion of the Landlord’s arm-chair; the Pin they stuck in his towel, and then, without more ado, away they flew over the heath. The Duck, which preferred to sleep in the open air, and had stayed in the yard, heard them whizzing by, and bestirred herself. She found a stream, and swam away down it; it was a much quicker way to get on than being harnessed to a carriage.

  A couple of hours later, the Landlord, who was the first to leave his pillow, got up and washed. When he took up the towel to dry himself, he scratched his face and made a long red line from car to ear. Then he went to the kitchen to light his pipe, but when, he stooped over the hearth the egg-shells flew into his eye.

  ‘Everything goes to my head this morning,’ he said angrily, as he dropped on to the cushion of his Grandfather’s arm-chair. But he quickly bounded up again, and shouted, ‘Gracious me!’ for the Needle had run into him, and this time not in the head. He grew furious, and his suspicions immediately fell on the guests who had come in so late the night before. When he went to look for them, they were nowhere to be seen. Then he swore never to take such ragamuffins into his house again; for they ate a great deal, paid nothing, and played tricks, by way of thanks, into the bargain.

  II. THE VISIT TO ME. KORBES

  Another day, when Partiet and Chanticleer were about to take a journey, Chanticleer built a fine carriage with four red wheels, and harnessed four little mice to it. Mrs. Partlet seated herself in. it with Chanticleer, and they drove off together.

  Before long they met a Cat. ‘Whither away?’ said she.

  Chanticleer answered—

  ‘All on our way

  A visit to pay

  To Mr. Korbes at his house to-day.

  ‘Take me with you,’ said the Cat.

  Chanticleer answered, ‘With pleasure; sit down behind, so that you don’t fall out forwards.’

  ‘My wheels so red, pray have a care

  From any splash of mud to spare.

  Little wheels hurry!

  little mice scurry!

  All on our way

  A visit to pay

  To Mr. Korbes at his house to-day.’

  Then came a Millstone, an Egg, a Dock, a Pin, and, last of all, a Needle, They all took their places in the carriage and went with the rest.

  But when they arrived at Mr, Korbes’ house, he wasn’t in. The mice drew the carriage into the coach-house, Partiet and Chanticleer flew on to a perch, the Cat sat down by the fire, the Duck lay down by the well-pole. The Egg rolled itself up in the towel, the Pin stuck itself into the cushion, the Needle sprang into the pillow on the bed, and the Millstone laid itself over the door.

  When Mr. Korbes came home, and went to the hearth to make a fire, the Cat threw ashes into his face. He ran into the kitchen to wash, and the Duck squirted water into his face; seizing the towel to dry himself, the Egg rolled out, broke, and stuck up one of his eyes. He wanted to rest, and sat down in his arm-chair, when the Pin pricked him. He grew very angry, threw himself on the bed and laid his head on the pillow, when the Needle ran into him and made him cry out. In a fury he wanted to rush into the open air, but when he got to the door, the Millstone fell on his head and killed him. What a bad man Mr. Korbes must have been!

  III. THE DEATH OF PARTLET

  Partlet and Chanticleer went to the nut-hill on another occasion, and they arranged that whichever of them found a nut should share it with the other.

  Partlet found a huge nut, but said nothing about it, and meant to eat it all herself; but the kernel was so big that she could not swallow it. It stuck in her throat, and she was afraid she would be choked. She shrieked, ‘Chanticleer, Chanticleer, run and fetch some water as fast as you can, or I shall choke!’

  So Chanticleer ran as fast as he could to the Well, and said, ‘Well, Well, you must give me some water! Partlet is out on the nut-hill; she has swallowed a big nut, and is choking.’

  The Well answered, ‘First you must run to my Bride, and tell her to give you some red silk.’

  Chanticleer ran to the Bride, and said, ‘Bride, Bride, give me some red silk: I will give the silk to the Well, and the Well will give me some water to take to Partlet, for she has swallowed a big nut, and is choking.’

  The Bride answered, ‘Run first and fetch me a wreath which I left hanging on a willow.’

  So Chanticleer ran to the willow, pulled the wreath off the branch, and brought it to the Bride. The Bride gave him the red silk, which he took to the Well, and the Well gave him the water for it. Then Chanticleer took the water to Partlet; but as it happened she had choked in the meantime, and lay there dead and stiff. Chanticleer’s grief was so great that he cried aloud, and all the animals came and condoled with him.

  Six mice built a little car to draw Partlet to the grave; and when the car was ready they harnessed themselves to it, and drew Partlet away.

  On the way, Reynard the fox joined them. ‘Where are you going, Chanticleer?’

  ‘I’m going to bury my wife, Partlet.’

  ‘May I go with you?’

  ‘Jump up behind, we’re not yet full,

  A weight in front, my nags can’t pull.’

  So the Fox took a seat at the back, and he was followed by the wolf, the bear, the stag, the Hon, and all the other animals of the forest. The procession went on, till they came to a stream.

  ‘How shall we ever get over?’ said Chanticleer.

  A Straw was lying by the stream, and it said, ‘I will stretch myself across, and then you can pass over upon me.’

  But when the six mice got on to the Straw it collapsed, and the mice fell into the water with it, and they were all drowned. So their difficulty was as great as ever. Then a Coal came along, and said, ‘I am big enough, I will lie down, and you can pass over me.’

  So the Coal laid itself across the stream, but unfortunately it just touched the water, hissed, went out, and was dead. A stone, seeing this, had pity on them, and, wanting to help Chanticleer, laid itself over the water. Now Chanticleer drew the car, and he just managed to get across himself with the hen. Then he wanted to pull the others over who were hanging on behind, but it was too much for him, and the car fell back and they all fell into the water and were drowned.

  So Chanticleer was left alone with the dead hen, and he dug a grave and laid her in it. Then he made a mound over it, and seated himself upon it and grieved till he died; and then they were all dead.

  Rapunzel

  There was once a man and his wife who had long wished in vain for a child, when at last they had reason to hope that Heaven would grant their wish. There was a little window at the back of their house, which overlooked a beautiful garden, full of lovely flowers and shrubs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and nobody dared to enter it, because it belonged to a powerful Witch, who was feared by everybody.

  One day the woman, standing at this window and looking into the garden, saw a bed planted with beautiful rampion. It looked so fresh and green that it made her long to eat some of it. This longing increased every day, and as she knew it could never be satisfied, she began to look pale and miserable, and to pine away. Then her husband was alarmed, and said: ‘What ails you, my dear wife?’

  ‘Alas!’ she answered, ‘if I cannot get any of the rampion from the garden behind our house to eat, I shall die.’

  Her husband, who loved her, thought, ‘Before you let your wife die, you must fetch her some of that rampion, cost what it may.’ So in the twilight he climbed over the wall into the Witch’s garden, hastily picked a handful of rampion, and took it back to his wife. She immediately dressed it, and ate it up very eagerly. It was so very, very nice, that the next day her longing for it increased threefold. She could have no peace unless her husband fetched her some more. So in the twilight he set out again; but when he got over the wall he was
terrified to see the Witch before him.

  ‘How dare you come into my garden like a thief, and steal my rampion?’ she said, with angry looks. ‘It shall be the worse for you!’

  ‘Alas!’ he answered, ‘be merciful to me; I am only here from necessity. My wife sees your rampion from the window, and she has such a longing for it, that she would die if she could not get some of it.’

  The anger of the Witch abated, and she said to him, ‘If it is as you say, I will allow you to take away with you as much rampion as you like, but on one condition. You must give me the child which your wife is about to bring into the world, I will care for it like a mother, and ail will be well with it,’ In his fear the man consented to everything, and when the baby was born, the Witch appeared, gave it the name of Rapunzel (rampion), and took it away with her.

  Rapunzel was the most beautiful child under the sun, When she was twelve years old, the Witch shut her up in a tower which stood in a wood. It had neither staircase nor doors, and only a little window quite high up in the wall. When the Witch wanted to enter the tower, she stood at the foot of it, and cried—

  ‘Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.’

  Rapunzel had splendid long hair, as fine as spun gold. As soon as she heard the voice of the Witch, she unfastened her plaits and twisted them round a hook by the window. They fell twenty ells downwards, and the Witch climbed up by them.

  It happened a couple of years later that the King’s son rode through the forest, and came close to the tower. From thence he heard a song so lovely, that he stopped to listen. It was Rapunzel, who in her loneliness made her sweet voice resound to pass away the time. The King’s son wanted to join her, and he sought for the door of the tower, but there was none to find.