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Grimms' Fairy Tales
The
Gold Children
There was once a poor man and a poor woman
who had nothing but a little cottage, and who earned their
bread by fishing, and always lived from hand to mouth. But
it came to pass one day when the man was sitting by the
water-side, and casting his net, that he drew out a fish
entirely of gold. As he was looking at the fish, full of
astonishment, it began to speak and said, "Hark you,
fisherman, if you will throw me back again into the water,
I will change your little hut into a splendid castle."
Then the fisherman answered, "Of what use is a castle
to me, if I have nothing to eat?" The gold fish continued,
"That shall be taken care of, there will be a cupboard
in the castle in which, when you open it, shall be dishes
of the most delicate meats, and as many of them as you can
desire." "If that be true," said the man,
"then I can well do you a favour." "Yes,"
said the fish, "there is, however, the condition that
you shall disclose to no one in the world, whosoever he
may be, whence your good luck has come, if you speak but
one single word, all will be over." Then the man threw
the wonderful fish back again into the water, and went home.
But where his hovel had formerly stood, now stood a great
castle. He opened wide his eyes, entered, and saw his wife
dressed in beautiful clothes, sitting in a splendid room,
and she was quite delighted, and said, "Husband, how
has all this come to pass? It suits me very well."
"Yes," said the man, "it suits me too, but
I am frightfully hungry, just give me something to eat."
Said the wife, "But I have got nothing and don't know
where to find anything in this new house." "There
is no need of your knowing," said the man, "for
I see yonder a great cupboard, just unlock it." When
she opened it, there stood cakes, meat, fruit, wine, quite
a bright prospect.
Then the woman cried joyfully, "What more can you
want, my dear?" and they sat down, and ate and drank
together. When they had had enough, the woman said, "But
husband, whence come all these riches?" "Alas,"
answered he, "do not question me about it, for I dare
not tell you anything; if I disclose it to any one, then
all our good fortune will fly." "Very good,"
said she, "if I am not to know anything, then I do
not want to know anything." However, she was not in
earnest; she never rested day or night, and she goaded her
husband until in his impatience he revealed that all was
owing to a wonderful golden fish which he had caught, and
to which in return he had given its liberty. And as soon
as the secret was out, the splendid castle with the cupboard
immediately disappeared, they were once more in the old
fisherman's hut, and the man was obliged to follow his former
trade and fish. But fortune would so have it, that he once
more drew out the golden fish. "Listen," said
the fish, "if you will throw me back into the water
again, I will once more give you the castle with the cupboard
full of roast and boiled meats; only be firm, for your life's
sake don't reveal from whom you have it, or you will lose
it all again!" "I will take good care," answered
the fisherman, and threw the fish back into the water. Now
at home everything was once more in its former magnificence,
and the wife was overjoyed at their good fortune, but curiosity
left her no peace, so that after a couple of days she began
to ask again how it had come to pass, and how he had managed
to secure it. The man kept silence for a short time, but
at last she made him so angry that he broke out, and betrayed
the secret. In an instant the castle disappeared, and they
were back again in their old hut. "Now you have got
what you want," said he; "and we can gnaw at a
bare bone again." "Ah," said the woman, "I
had rather not have riches if I am not to know from whom
they come, for then I have no peace."
The man went back to fish, and after a while he chanced
to draw out the gold fish for a third time. "Listen,"
said the fish, "I see very well that I am fated to
fall into your hands, take me home and cut me into six pieces;
give your wife two of them to eat, two to your horse and
bury two of them in the ground, then they will bring you
a blessing." The fisherman took the fish home with
him, and did as it had bidden him. It came to pass, however,
that from the two pieces that were buried in the ground
two golden lilies sprang up, that the horse had two golden
foals, and the fisherman's wife bore two children who were
made entirely of gold. The children grew up, became tall
and handsome, and the lilies and horses grew likewise. Then
they said, "Father, we want to mount our golden steeds
and travel out in the world." But he answered sorrowfully,
"How shall I bear it if you go away, and I know not
how it fares with you?" Then they said, "The two
golden lilies remain here. By them you can see how it is
with us; if they are fresh, then we are in health; if they
are withered, we are ill; if they perish, then we are dead."
So they rode forth and came to an inn, in which were many
people, and when they perceived the gold-children they began
to laugh, and jeer. When one of them heard the mocking he
felt ashamed and would not go out into the world, but turned
back and went home again to his father. But the other rode
forward and reached a great forest. As he was about to enter
it, the people said, It is not safe for you to ride through,
the wood is full of robbers who would treat you badly. You
will fare ill, and when they see that you are all of gold,
and your horse likewise, they will assuredly kill you.'
But he would not allow himself to be frightened, and said,
"I must and will ride through it." Then he took
bear-skins and covered himself and his horse with them,
so that the gold was no more to be seen, and rode fearlessly
into the forest. When he had ridden onward a little he heard
a rustling in the bushes, and heard voices speaking together.
From one side came cries of, "There is one," but
from the other, "Let him go, 'tis an idle fellow, as
poor and bare as a church-mouse, what should we gain from
him?"
So the gold-child rode joyfully through the forest, and
no evil befell him. One day he entered a village wherein
he saw a maiden, who was so beautiful that he did not believe
that any more beautiful than she existed in the world. And
as such a mighty love took possession of him, he went up
to her and said, "I love thee with my whole heart,
wilt thou be my wife?" He, too, pleased the maiden
so much that she agreed and said, "Yes, I will be thy
wife, and be true to thee my whole life long." Then
they were married, and just as they were in the greatest
happiness, home came the father of the bride, and when he
saw that his daughter's wedding was being celebrated, he
was astonished, and said, "Where is the bridegroom?"
They showed him the gold-child, who, however, still wore
his bear-skins. Then the father said wrathfully, "A
vagabond shall never have my daughter!" and was about
to kill him. Then the bride begged as hard as she could,
and said, "He is my husband, and I love him with all
my heart!" until at last he allowed himself to be appeased.
Nevertheless the idea never left his thoughts, so that next
morning he rose early, wishing to see whether his daughter's
husband was a common ragged beggar. But when he peeped in,
he saw a magnificent golden man in the bed, and the cast-off
bear-skins lying on the ground. Then he went back and thought,
"What a good thing it was that I restrained my anger!
I should have committed a great crime." But the gold-child
dreamed that he rode out to hunt a splendid stag, and when
he awoke in the morning, he said to his wife, "I must
go out hunting." She was uneasy, and begged him to
stay there, and said, "You might easily meet with a
great misfortune," but he answered, "I must and
will go."
Thereupon he got up, and rode forth into the forest, and
it was not long before a fine stag crossed his path exactly
according to his dream. He aimed and was about to shoot
it, when the stag ran away. He gave chase over hedges and
ditches for the whole day without feeling tired, but in
the evening the stag vanished from his sight, and when the
gold-child looked round him, he was standing before a little
house, wherein was a witch. He knocked, and a little old
woman came out and asked, "What are you doing so late
in the midst of the great forest?" "Have you not
seen a stag?" "Yes," answered she, "I
know the stag well," and thereupon a little dog which
had come out of the house with her, barked at the man violently.
"Wilt thou be silent, thou odious toad," said
he, "or I will shoot thee dead." Then the witch
cried out in a passion, "What! will you slay my little
dog?" and immediately transformed him, so that he lay
like a stone, and his bride awaited him in vain and thought,
"That which I so greatly dreaded, which lay so heavily
on my heart, has come upon him!" But at home the other
brother was standing by the gold-lilies, when one of them
suddenly drooped. "Good heavens!" said he, "my
brother has met with some great misfortune! I must away
to see if I can possibly rescue him." Then the father
said, "Stay here, if I lose you also, what shall I
do?" But he answered, "I must and will go forth!"
Then he mounted his golden horse, and rode forth and entered
the great forest, where his brother lay turned to stone.
The old witch came out of her house and called him, wishing
to entrap him also, but he did not go near her, and said,
"I will shoot you, if you will not bring my brother
to life again." She touched the stone, though very
unwillingly, with her forefinger, and he was immediately
restored to his human shape. But the two gold-children rejoiced
when they saw each other again, kissed and caressed each
other, and rode away together out of the forest, the one
home to his bride, and the other to his father. The father
then said, "I knew well that you had rescued your brother,
for the golden lily suddenly rose up and blossomed out again."
Then they lived happily, and all prospered with them until
their death.
From Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, trans. Margaret
Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884), 1:331-335. |
