Two Grimm Tales
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The Three Languages
(Die drei Sprachen)
An aged count once lived in Switzerland, who had an only son, but he was stupid, and
could learn nothing. Then said the father, "Hark you, my son, I can get nothing into your
head, let me try as I will. You must go from hence, I will give you into the care of a
celebrated master, who shall see what he can do with you."The youth was sent into a strange town, and remained a whole year with the master. At the end of this time, he came home again, and his father asked, "Now, my son, what have you learnt?"
"Father, I have learnt what the dogs say when they bark."
"Lord have mercy on us!" cried the father; "is that all you have learnt? I will send you into another town, to another master."
The youth was taken there, and stayed a year with this master likewise. When he came back the father again asked, "My son, what have you learnt?" He answered, "Father, I have learnt what the birds say."
Then the father fell into a rage and said, "Oh, you lost man, you have spent the precious time and learnt nothing; are you not ashamed to appear before mine eyes? I will send you to a third master, but if you learn nothing this time also, I will no longer be your father."
The youth remained a whole year with the third master also, and when he came home again, and his father inquired, "My son, what have you learnt?" he answered, "Dear father, I have this year learnt what the frogs croak."
Then the father fell into the most furious anger, sprang up, called his people there, and said, "This man is no longer my son, I drive him forth, and command you to take him out into the forest, and kill him."
They took him forth, but when they should have killed him, they could not do it for pity, and let him go, and they cut the eyes and the tongue out of a deer that they might carry them to the old man as a token.
The youth wandered on, and after some time came to a fortress where he begged for a night's lodging.
"Yes," said the lord of the castle, "if you will pass the night down there in the old tower, go there; but I warn you, it is at the peril of your life, for it is full of wild dogs, which bark and howl without stopping, and at certain hours a man has to be given to them, whom they at once devour."
The whole district was in sorrow and dismay because of them, and yet no one could do anything to stop this. The youth, however, was without fear, and said, "Just let me go down to the barking dogs, and give me something that I can throw to them; they will do nothing to harm me."
As he himself would have it so, they gave him some food for the wild animals, and led him down to the tower. When he went inside, the dogs did not bark at him, but wagged their tails quite amicably around him, ate what he set before them, and did not hurt one hair of his head. Next morning, to the astonishment of everyone, he came out again safe and unharmed, and said to the lord of the castle, "The dogs have revealed to me, in their own language, why they dwell there, and bring evil on the land. They are bewitched, and are obliged to watch over a great treasure which is below in the tower, and they can have no rest till it is taken away, and I have likewise learnt, from their discourse, how that is to be done."
Then all who heard this rejoiced, and the lord of the castle said he would adopt him as a son if he accomplished it successfully. He went down again, and as he knew what he had to do, he did it thoroughly, and brought a chest full of gold out with him. The howling of the wild dogs was henceforth heard no more; they had disappeared, and the country was freed from the trouble.
After some time he took it into his head that he would travel to Rome. On the way he passed by a marsh, in which a number of frogs were sitting croaking. He listened to them, and when he became aware of what they were saying, he grew very thoughtful and sad. At last he arrived in Rome, where the Pope had just died, and there was great difficulty as to whom they should appoint as his successor. They at length agreed that the person should be chosen as pope who should be distinguished by some divine and miraculous token. And just as that was decided on, the young count entered into the church, and suddenly two snow-white doves flew on his shoulders and remained sitting there. The ecclesiastics recognized therein the token from above, and asked him on the spot if he would be pope. He was undecided, and knew not if he were worthy of this, but the doves counselled him to do it, and at length he said yes. Then was he anointed and consecrated, and thus was fulfilled what he had heard from the frogs on his way, which had so affected him, that he was to be his Holiness the Pope. Then he had to sing a mass, and did not know one word of it, but the two doves sat continually on his shoulders, and said it all in his ear.
• Those were clever doves!
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Clever Hans
(Der gescheite Hans)
The mother of Hans said, "Where away, Hans?"Hans answered, "To Grethel."
"Behave well, Hans."
"Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Hans."
Hans comes to Grethel, "Good day, Grethel."
"Good day, Hans. What do you bring that is good?"
"I bring nothing, I want to have something given me."
Grethel presents Hans with a needle. Hans says, "Good-bye, Grethel."
"Good-bye, Hans."
Hans takes the needle, sticks it into a hay-cart, and follows the cart home. "Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?"
"With Grethel."
"What did you take her?"
"Took nothing; had something given me."
"What did Grethel give you?"
"Gave me a needle."
"Where is the needle, Hans?"
"Stuck it in the hay-cart."
"That was ill done, Hans. You should have stuck the needle in your sleeve."
"Never mind, I'll do better next time."
"Where away, Hans?"
"To Grethel, mother."
"Behave well, Hans."
"Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Hans."
Hans comes to Grethel.
"Good day, Grethel."
"Good day, Hans. What do you bring that is good?"
"I bring nothing; I want to have something given to me." Grethel presents Hans with a knife.
"Good-bye, Grethel."
"Good-bye Hans." Hans takes the knife, sticks it in his sleeve, and goes home.
"Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?"
"With Grethel."
"What did you take her?"
"Took her nothing, she gave me something."
"What did Grethel give you?"
"Gave me a knife."
"Where is the knife, Hans?"
"Stuck in my sleeve."
"That's ill done, Hans, you should have put the knife in your pocket."
"Never mind, will do better next time."
"Where away, Hans?"
"To Grethel, mother. " "Behave well, Hans."
"Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Hans."
Hans comes to Grethel.
"Good day, Grethel."
"Good day, Hans. What good thing do you bring?"
"I bring nothing, I want something given me."
Grethel presents Hans with a young goat.
"Good-bye, Grethel."
"Good-bye, Hans." Hans takes the goat, ties its legs, and puts it in his pocket. When he gets home it is suffocated.
"Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?"
"With Grethel."
"What did you take her?"
"Took nothing, she gave me something."
"What did Grethel give you?"
"She gave me a goat."
"Where is the goat, Hans?"
"Put it in my pocket."
"That was ill done, Hans, you should have put a rope round the goat's neck."
"Never mind, will do better next time."
"Where away, Hans,?"
"To Grethel, mother."
"Behave well, Hans."
"Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Hans."
Hans comes to Grethel. "Good day, Grethel."
"Good day, Hans. What good thing do you bring?"
"I bring nothing, I want something given me."
Grethel presents Hans with a piece of bacon.
"Good-bye, Grethel."
"Good-bye, Hans."
Hans takes the bacon, ties it to a rope, and drags it away behind him. The dogs come and devour the bacon. When he gets home, he has the rope in his hand, and there is no longer anything hanging to it.
"Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Hans."
"Where have you been?"
"With Grethel."
What did you take her?"
"I took her nothing, she gave me something."
"What did Grethel give you?"
"Gave me a bit of bacon."
"Where is the bacon, Hans?"
"I tied it to a rope, brought it home, dogs took it."
"That was ill done, Hans, you should have carried the bacon on your head."
"Never mind, will do better next time."
"Where away, Hans?"
"To Grethel, mother."
"Behave well, Hans."
"I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Hans."
Hans comes to Grethel.
"Good day, Grethel."
"Good day, Hans."
"What good thing do you bring?"
"I bring nothing, but would have something given."
Grethel presents Hans with a calf.
"Good-bye, Grethel."
"Good-bye, Hans."
Hans takes the calf, puts it on his head, and the calf kicks his face. Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?"
"With Grethel."
"What did you take her?"
"I took nothing, but had something given me."
"What did Grethel give you?"
"A calf."
"Where have you the calf, Hans?"
"I set it on my head and it kicked my face."
"That was ill done, Hans, you should have led the calf, and put it in the stall."
"Never mind, will do better next time."
"Where away, Hans?"
"To Grethel, mother."
"Behave well, Hans."
"I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Hans."
Hans comes to Grethel.
"Good day, Grethel."
"Good day, Hans. What good thing do you bring?"
"I bring nothing, but would have something given."
Grethel says to Hans, "I will go with you."
Hans takes Grethel, ties her to a rope, leads her to the rack and binds her fast. Then Hans goes to his mother.
"Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?"
"With Grethel."
"What did you take her?"
"I took her nothing."
"What did Grethel give you?"
"She gave me nothing, she came with me."
"Where have you left Grethel?"
"I led her by the rope, tied her to the rack, and scattered some grass for her."
"That was ill done, Hans, you should have cast friendly eyes on her."
"Never mind, will do better."
Hans went into the stable, cut out all the calves', and sheep's eyes, and threw them in Grethel's face. Then Grethel became angry, tore herself loose and ran away, and became the bride of Hans.
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