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Grimms' Fairy Tales
Brother
Lustig
THERE was one on a time a great war, and when
it came to an end, many soldiers were discharged. Then Brother
Lustig also received his dismissal, and besides that, nothing
but a small loaf of contract-bread, and four kreuzers in
money, with which he departed. St. Peter had, however, placed
himself in his way in the shape of a poor beggar, and when
Brother Lustig came up, he begged alms of him. Brother Lustig
replied, "Dear beggar-man, what am I to give you? I
have been a soldier, and have received my dismissal, and
have nothing but this little loaf of contract-bread, and
four kreuzers of money; when that is gone, I shall have
to beg as well as you. Still I will give you something."
Thereupon he divided the loaf into four parts, and gave
the apostle one of them, and a kreuzer likewise. St. Peter
thanked him, went onwards, and threw himself again in the
soldier's way as a beggar, but in another shape; and when
he came up begged a gift of him as before. Brother Lustig
spoke as he had done before, and again gave him a quarter
of the loaf and one kreuzer. St. Peter thanked him, and
went onwards, but for the third time placed himself in another
shape as a beggar on the road, and spoke to Brother Lustig.
Brother Lustig gave him also the third quarter of bread
and the third kreuzer. St. Peter thanked him, and Brother
Lustig went onwards, and had but a quarter of the loaf,
and one kreuzer. With that he went into an inn, ate the
bread, and ordered one kreuzer's worth of beer. When he
had had it, he journeyed onwards, and then St. Peter, who
had assumed the appearance of a discharged soldier, met
and spoke to him thus: "Good day, comrade, canst thou
not give me a bit of bread, and a kreuzer to get a drink?"
"Where am I to procure it?" answered Brother Lustig;
"I have been discharged, and I got nothing but a loaf
of ammunition-bread and four kreuzers in money. I met three
beggars on the road, and I gave each of them a quarter of
my bread, and one kreuzer. The last quarter I ate in the
inn, and had a drink with the last kreuzer. Now my pockets
are empty, and if thou also hast nothing we can go a-begging
together." "No," answered St. Peter, "we
need not quite do that. I know a little about medicine,
and I will soon earn as much as I require by that."
"Indeed," said Brother Lustig, "I know nothing
of that, so I must go and beg alone." "Just come
with me," said St. Peter, "and if I earn anything,
thou shalt have half of it." "All right,"
said Brother Lustig, so they went away together.
Then they came to a peasant's house inside which they heard
loud lamentations and cries; so they went in, and there
the husband was lying sick unto death, and very near his
end, and his wife was crying and weeping quite loudly. "Stop
that howling and crying," said St. Peter, "I will
make the man well again," and he took a salve out of
his pocket, and healed the sick man in a moment, so that
he could get up, and was in perfect health. In great delight
the man and his wife said, "How can we reward you?
What shall we give you?" But St. Peter would take nothing,
and the more the peasant folks offered him, the more he
refused. Brother Lustig, however, nudged St. Peter, and
said, "Take something; sure enough we are in need of
it." At length the woman brought a lamb and said to
St. Peter that he really must take that, but he would not.
Then Brother Lustig gave him a poke in the side, and said,
"Do take it, you stupid fool; we are in great want
of it!" Then St. Peter said at last, "Well, I
will take the lamb, but I won't carry it; if thou wilt insist
on having it, thou must carry it." "That is nothing,"
said Brother Lustig. "I will easily carry it,"
and took it on his shoulder. Then they departed and came
to a wood, but Brother Lustig had begun to feel the lamb
heavy, and he was hungry, so he said to St. Peter, "Look,
that's a good place, we might cook the lamb there, and eat
it." "As you like," answered St. Peter, "but
I can't have anything to do with the cooking; if thou wilt
cook, there is a kettle for thee, and in the meantime I
will walk about a little until it is ready. Thou must, however,
not begin to eat until I have come back, I will come at
the right time." "Well, go, then," said Brother
Lustig, "I understand cookery, I will manage it."
Then St. Peter went away, and Brother Lustig killed the
lamb, lighted a fire, threw the meat into the kettle, and
boiled it. The lamb was, however, quite ready, and the apostle
Peter had not come back, so Brother Lustig took it out of
the kettle, cut it up, and found the heart. "That is
said to be the best part," said he, and tasted it,
but at last he ate it all up. At length St. Peter returned
and said, "Thou mayst eat the whole of the lamb thyself,
I will only have the heart, give me that." Then Brother
Lustig took a knife and fork, and pretended to look anxiously
about amongst the lamb's flesh, but not to be able to find
the heart, and at last he said abruptly, "There is
none here." "But where can it be?" said the
apostle. "I don't know," replied Brother Lustig,
"but look, what fools we both are, to seek for the
lamb's heart, and neither of us to remember that a lamb
has no heart!" "Oh," said St. Peter, "that
is something quite new! Every animal has a heart, why is
a lamb to have none?" "No, be assured, my brother,"
said Brother Lustig, "that a lamb has no heart; just
consider it seriously, and then you will see that it really
has none." "Well, it is all right," said
St. Peter, "if there is no heart, then I want none
of the lamb; thou mayst eat it alone." "What I
can't eat now, I will carry away in my knapsack," said
Brother Lustig, and he ate half the lamb, and put the rest
in his knapsack.
They went farther, and then St. Peter caused a great stream
of water to flow right across their path, and they were
obliged to pass through it. Said St. Peter, "Do thou
go first." "No," answered Brother Lustig,
"thou must go first," and he thought, "if
the water is too deep I will stay behind." Then St.
Peter strode through it, and the water just reached to his
knee. So Brother Lustig began to go through also, but the
water grew deeper and reached to his throat. Then he cried,
"Brother, help me!" St. Peter said, "Then
wilt thou confess that thou hast eaten the lamb's heart?"
"No," said he, "I have not eaten it."
Then the water grew deeper still and rose to his mouth.
"Help me, brother," cried the soldier. St. Peter
said, "Then wilt thou confess that thou hast eaten
the lamb's heart?" "No," he replied, "I
have not eaten it." St. Peter, however, would not let
him be drowned, but made the water sink and helped him through
it.
Then they journeyed onwards, and came to a kingdom where
they heard that the King's daughter lay sick unto death.
"Hollo, brother!" said the soldier to St. Peter,
"this is a chance for us; if we can heal her we shall
be provided for, for life!" But St. Peter was not half
quick enough for him, "Come, lift your legs, my dear
brother," said he, "that we may get there in time."
But St. Peter walked slower and slower, though Brother Lustig
did all he could to drive and push him on, and at last they
heard that the princess was dead. "Now we are done
for!" said Brother Lustig; "that comes of thy
sleepy way of walking!" "Just be quiet,"
answered St. Peter, "I can do more than cure sick people;
I can bring dead ones to life again." "Well, if
thou canst do that," said Brother Lustig, "it's
all right, but thou shouldst earn at least half the kingdom
for us by that." Then they went to the royal palace,
where every one was in great grief, but St. Peter told the
King that he would restore his daughter to life. He was
taken to her, and said, "Bring me a kettle and some
water," and when that was brought, he bade everyone
go out, and allowed no one to remain with him but Brother
Lustig. Then he cut off all the dead girl's limbs, and threw
them in the water, lighted a fire beneath the kettle, and
boiled them. And when the flesh had fallen away from the
bones, he took out the beautiful white bones, and laid them
on a table, and arranged them together in their natural
order. When he had done that, he stepped forward and said
three times, "In the name of the holy Trinity, dead
woman, arise." And at the third time, the princess
arose, living, healthy and beautiful. Then the King was
in the greatest joy, and said to St. Peter, "Ask for
thy reward; even if it were half my kingdom, I would give
it thee." But St. Peter said, "I want nothing
for it." "Oh, thou tomfool!" thought Brother
Lustig to himself, and nudged his comrade's side, and said,
"Don't be so stupid! If thou hast no need of anything,
I have." St. Peter, however, would have nothing, but
as the King saw that the other would very much like to have
something, he ordered his treasurer to fill Brother Lustig's
knapsack with gold. Then they went on their way, and when
they came to a forest, St. Peter said to Brother Lustig,
"Now, we will divide the gold." "Yes,"
he replied, "we will." So St. Peter divided the
gold, and divided it into three heaps. Brother Lustig thought
to himself, "What craze has he got in his head now?
He is making three shares, and there are only two of us!"
But St. Peter said, "I have divided it exactly; there
is one share for me, one for thee, and one for him who ate
the lamb's heart."
"Oh, I ate that!" replied Brother Lustig, and
hastily swept up the gold. "You may trust what I say."
"But how can that be true," said St. Peter, "when
a lamb has no heart?" "Eh, what, brother, what
can you be thinking of? Lambs have hearts like other animals,
why should only they have none?" "Well, so be
it," said St. Peter, "keep the gold to yourself,
but I will stay with you no longer; I will go my way alone."
"As you like, dear brother," answered Brother
Lustig. "Farewell."
Then St. Peter went a different road, but Brother Lustig
thought, "It is a good thing that he has taken himself
off, he is certainly a strange saint, after all." Then
he had money enough, but did not know how to manage it,
squandered it, gave it away, and and when some time had
gone by, once more had nothing. Then he arrived in a certain
country where he heard that a King's daughter was dead.
"Oh, ho!" thought he, "that may be a good
thing for me; I will bring her to life again, and see that
I am paid as I ought to be." So he went to the King,
and offered to raise the dead girl to life again. Now the
King had heard that a discharged soldier was traveling about
and bringing dead persons to life again, and thought that
Brother Lustig was the man; but as he had no confidence
in him, he consulted his councillors first, who said that
he might give it a trial as his daughter was dead. Then
Brother Lustig ordered water to be brought to him in a kettle,
bade every one go out, cut the limbs off, threw them in
the water and lighted a fire beneath, just as he had seen
St. Peter do. The water began to boil, the flesh fell off,
and then he took the bones out and laid them on the table,
but he did not know the order in which to lay them, and
placed them all wrong and in confusion. Then he stood before
them and said, "In the name of the most holy Trinity,
dead maiden, I bid thee arise," and he said this thrice,
but the bones did not stir. So he said it thrice more, but
also in vain: "Confounded girl that you are, get up!"
cried he, "Get up, or it shall be worse for you!"
When he had said that, St. Peter suddenly appeared in his
former shape as a discharged soldier; he entered by the
window and said, "Godless man, what art thou doing?
How can the dead maiden arise, when thou hast thrown about
her bones in such confusion?" "Dear brother, I
have done everything to the best of my ability," he
answered. "This once, I will help thee out of thy difficulty,
but one thing I tell thee, and that is that if ever thou
undertakest anything of the kind again, it will be the worse
for thee, and also that thou must neither demand nor accept
the smallest thing from the King for this!" Thereupon
St. Peter laid the bones in their right order, said to the
maiden three times, "In the name of the most holy Trinity,
dead maiden, arise," and the King's daughter arose,
healthy and beautiful as before. Then St. Peter went away
again by the window, and Brother Lustig was rejoiced to
find that all had passed off so well, but was very much
vexed to think that after all he was not to take anything
for it. "I should just like to know," thought
he, "what fancy that fellow has got in his head, for
what he gives with one hand he takes away with the other
there is no sense whatever in it!" Then the King offered
Brother Lustig whatsoever he wished to have, but he did
not dare to take anything; however, by hints and cunning,
he contrived to make the King order his knapsack to be filled
with gold for him, and with that he departed. When he got
out, St. Peter was standing by the door, and said, "Just
look what a man thou art; did I not forbid thee to take
anything, and there thou hast thy knapsack full of gold!"
"How can I help that," answered Brother Lustig,
"if people will put it in for me?" "Well,
I tell thee this, that if ever thou settest about anything
of this kind again thou shalt suffer for it!" "Eh,
brother, have no fear, now I have money, why should I trouble
myself with washing bones?" "Faith," said
St. Peter, "the gold will last a long time! In order
that after this thou mayst never tread in forbidden paths,
I will bestow on thy knapsack this property, namely, that
whatsoever thou wishest to have inside it, shall be there.
Farewell, thou wilt now never see me more." "Good-bye,"
said Brother Lustig, and thought to himself, "I am
very glad that thou hast taken thyself off, thou strange
fellow; I shall certainly not follow thee." But of
the magical power which had been bestowed on his knapsack,
he thought no more.
Brother Lustig travelled about with his money, and squandered
and wasted what he had as before. When at last he had no
more than four kreuzers, he passed by an inn and thought,
"The money must go," and ordered three kreuzers'
worth of wine and one kreuzer's worth of bread for himself.
As he was sitting there drinking, the smell of roast goose
made its way to his nose. Brother Lustig looked about and
peeped, and saw that the host had two geese standing in
the oven. Then he remembered that his comrade had said that
whatsoever he wished to have in his knapsack should be there,
so he said, "Oh, ho! I must try that with the geese."
So he went out, and when he was outside the door, he said,
"I wish those two roasted geese out of the oven and
in my knapsack," and when he had said that, he unbuckled
it and looked in, and there they were inside it. "Ah,
that's right!" said he, "now I am a made man!"
and went away to a meadow and took out the roast meat. When
he was in the midst of his meal, two journeymen came up
and looked at the second goose, which was not yet touched,
with hungry eyes. Brother Lustig thought to himself, "One
is enough for me," and called the two men up and said,
"Take the goose, and eat it to my health." They
thanked him, and went with it to the inn, ordered themselves
a half bottle of wine and a loaf, took out the goose which
had been given them, and began to eat. The hostess saw them
and said to her husband, "Those two are eating a goose;
just look and see if it is not one of ours, out of the oven."
The landlord ran thither, and behold the oven was empty!
"What!" cried he, "you thievish crew, you
want to eat goose as cheap as that? Pay for it this moment;
or I will wash you well with green hazel-sap." The
two said, "We are no thieves, a discharged soldier
gave us the goose, outside there in the meadow." "You
shall not throw dust in my eyes that way! the soldier was
here but he went out by the door, like an honest fellow.
I looked after him myself; you are the thieves and shall
pay!" But as they could not pay, he took a stick, and
cudgeled them out of the house.
Brother Lustig went his way and came to a place where there
was a magnificent castle, and not far from it a wretched
inn. He went to the inn and asked for a night's lodging,
but the landlord turned him away, and said, "There
is no more room here, the house is full of noble guests."
"It surprises me that they should come to you and not
go to that splendid castle," said Brother Lustig. "Ah,
indeed," replied the host, "but it is no slight
matter to sleep there for a night; no one who has tried
it so far, has ever come out of it alive."
"If others have tried it," said Brother Lustig,
"I will try it too."
"Leave it alone," said the host, "it will
cost you your neck." "It won't kill me at once,"
said Brother Lustig, "just give me the key, and some
good food and wine." So the host gave him the key,
and food and wine, and with this Brother Lustig went into
the castle, enjoyed his supper, and at length, as he was
sleepy, he lay down on the ground, for there was no bed.
He soon fell asleep, but during the night was disturbed
by a great noise, and when he awoke, he saw nine ugly devils
in the room, who had made a circle, and were dancing around
him. Brother Lustig said, "Well, dance as long as you
like, but none of you must come too close." But the
devils pressed continually nearer to him, and almost stepped
on his face with their hideous feet. "Stop, you devils'
ghosts," said he, but they behaved still worse. Then
Brother Lustig grew angry, and cried, "Hola! but I
will soon make it quiet," and got the leg of a chair
and struck out into the midst of them with it. But nine
devils against one soldier were still too many, and when
he struck those in front of him, the others seized him behind
by the hair, and tore it unmercifully. "Devils' crew,"
cried he, "it is getting too bad, but wait. Into my
knapsack, all nine of you!" In an instant they were
in it, and then he buckled it up and threw it into a corner.
After this all was suddenly quiet, and Brother Lustig lay
down again, and slept till it was bright day. Then came
the inn-keeper, and the nobleman to whom the castle belonged,
to see how he had fared; but when they perceived that he
was merry and well they were astonished, and asked, "Have
the spirits done you no harm, then?" "The reason
why they have not," answered Brother Lustig, "is
because I have got the whole nine of them in my knapsack!
You may once more inhabit your castle quite tranquilly,
none of them will ever haunt it again." The nobleman
thanked him, made him rich presents, and begged him to remain
in his service, and he would provide for him as long as
he lived. "No," replied Brother Lustig, "I
am used to wandering about, I will travel farther."
Then he went away, and entered into a smithy, laid the knapsack,
which contained the nine devils on the anvil, and asked
the smith and his apprentices to strike it. So they smote
with their great hammers with all their strength, and the
devils uttered howls which were quite pitiable. When he
opened the knapsack after this, eight of them were dead,
but one which had been lying in a fold of it, was still
alive, slipped out, and went back again to hell. Thereupon
Brother Lustig travelled a long time about the world, and
those who know them can tell many a story about him, but
at last he grew old, and thought of his end, so he went
to a hermit who was known to be a pious man, and said to
him, "I am tired of wandering about, and want now to
behave in such a manner that I shall enter into the kingdom
of Heaven." The hermit replied, "There are two
roads, one is broad and pleasant, and leads to hell, the
other is narrow and rough, and leads to heaven." "I
should be a fool," thought Brother Lustig, "if
I were to take the narrow, rough road." So he set out
and took the broad and pleasant road, and at length came
to a great black door, which was the door of Hell. Brother
Lustig knocked, and the door-keeper peeped out to see who
was there. But when he saw Brother Lustig, he was terrified,
for he was the very same ninth devil who had been shut up
in the knapsack, and had escaped from it with a black eye.
So he pushed the bolt in again as quickly as he could, ran
to the devil's lieutenant, and said, "There is a fellow
outside with a knapsack, who wants to come in, but as you
value your lives don't allow him to enter, or he will wish
the whole of hell into his knapsack. He once gave me a frightful
hammering when I was inside it." So they called out
to Brother Lustig that he was to go away again, for he should
not get in there! "If they won't have me here,"
thought he, "I will see if I can find a place for myself
in heaven, for I must be somewhere." So he turned about
and went onwards until he came to the door of Heaven, where
he knocked. St. Peter was sitting hard by as door-keeper.
Brother Lustig recognised him at once, and thought, "Here
I find an old friend, I shall get on better." But St.
Peter said, "I really believe that thou wantest to
come into Heaven." "Let me in, brother; I must
get in somewhere; if they would have taken me into Hell,
I should not have come here." "No," said
St. Peter, "thou shalt not enter." "Then
if thou wilt not let me in, take thy knapsack back, for
I will have nothing at all from thee." "Give it
here, then," said St. Peter. Then Brother Lustig gave
him the knapsack into Heaven through the bars, and St. Peter
took it, and hung it beside his seat. Then said Brother
Lustig, "And now I wish myself inside my knapsack,"
and in a second he was in it, and in Heaven, and St. Peter
was forced to let him stay there.
From Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, trans. Margaret
Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884), 1:312-322. |
