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Grimms' Fairy Tales
The
Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn
There were once three brothers who had fallen
deeper and deeper into poverty, and at last their need was
so great that they had to endure hunger, and had nothing
to eat or drink. Then said they, "We cannot go on thus,
we had better go into the world and seek our fortune."
They therefore set out, and had already walked over many
a long road and many a blade of grass, but had not yet met
with good luck. One day they arrived in a great forest,
and in the midst of it was a hill, and when they came nearer
they saw that the hill was all silver. Then spoke the eldest,
"Now I have found the good luck I wished for, and I
desire nothing more." He took as much of the silver
as he could possibly carry, and then turned back and went
home again. But the two others said, "We want something
more from good luck than mere silver," and did not
touch it, but went onwards. After they had walked for two
days longer without stopping, they came to a hill which
was all gold. The second brother stopped, took thought with
himself, and was undecided. "What shall I do?"
said he; "shall I take for myself so much of this gold,
that I have sufficient for all the rest of my life, or shall
I go farther?" At length he made a decision, and putting
as much into his pockets as would go in, said farewell to
his brother, and went home. But the third said, "Silver
and gold do not move me, I will not renounce my chance of
fortune, perhaps something better still will be given me."
He journeyed onwards, and when he had walked for three days,
he got into a forest which was still larger than the one
before, and never would come to an end, and as he found
nothing to eat or to drink, he was all but exhausted. Then
he climbed up a high tree to find out if up there he could
see the end of the forest, but so far as his eye could pierce
he saw nothing but the tops of trees. Then he began to descend
the tree again, but hunger tormented him, and he thought
to himself, "If I could but eat my fill once more!"
When he got down he saw with astonishment a table beneath
the tree richly spread with food, the steam of which rose
up to meet him. "This time," said he, "my
wish has been fulfilled at the right moment." And without
inquiring who had brought the food, or who had cooked it,
he approached the table, and ate with enjoyment until he
had appeased his hunger. When he was done, he thought, "It
would after all be a pity if the pretty little table-cloth
were to be spoilt in the forest here," and folded it
up tidily and put it in his pocket. Then he went onwards,
and in the evening, when hunger once more made itself felt,
he wanted to make a trial of his little cloth, and spread
it out and said, "I wish thee to be covered with good
cheer again," and scarcely had the wish crossed his
lips than as many dishes with the most exquisite food on
them stood on the table as there was room for. "Now
I perceive," said he, "in what kitchen my cooking
is done. Thou shalt be dearer to me than the mountains of
silver and gold." For he saw plainly that it was a
wishing-cloth. The cloth, however, was still not enough
to enable him to sit down quietly at home; he preferred
to wander about the world and pursue his fortune farther.
One night he met, in a lonely wood, a dusty, black charcoal-burner,
who was burning charcoal there, and had some potatoes by
the fire, on which he was going to make a meal. "Good
evening, blackbird!" said the youth. "How dost
thou get on in thy solitude?"
"One day is like another," replied the charcoal-burner,
"and every night potatoes! Hast thou a mind to have
some, and wilt thou be my guest?" "Many thanks,"
replied the traveler, "I won't rob thee of thy supper;
thou didst not reckon on a visitor, but if thou wilt put
up with what I have, thou shalt have an invitation."
"Who is to prepare it for thee?" said the charcoal-burner.
"I see that thou hast nothing with thee, and there
is no one within a two hours' walk who could give thee anything."
"And yet there shall be a meal," answered the
youth, "and better than any thou hast ever tasted."
Thereupon he brought his cloth out of his knapsack, spread
it on the ground, and said, "Little cloth, cover thyself,"
and instantly boiled meat and baked meat stood there, and
as hot as if it had just come out of the kitchen. The charcoal-burner
stared, but did not require much pressing; he fell to, and
thrust larger and larger mouthfuls into his black mouth.
When they had eaten everything, the charcoal-burner smiled
contentedly, and said, "Hark thee, thy table-cloth
has my approval; it would be a fine thing for me in this
forest, where no one ever cooks me anything good. I will
propose an exchange to thee; there in the corner hangs a
soldier's knapsack, which is certainly old and shabby, but
in it lie concealed wonderful powers; but, as I no longer
use it, I will give it to thee for the table-cloth."
"I must first know what these wonderful powers are,"
answered the youth.
"That will I tell thee," replied the charcoal-burner;
"every time thou tappest it with thy hand, a corporal
comes with six men armed from head to foot, and they do
whatsoever thou commandest them." "So far as I
am concerned," said the youth, "if nothing else
can be done, we will exchange," and he gave the charcoal-burner
the cloth, took the knapsack from the hook, put it on, and
bade farewell. When he had walked a while, he wished to
make a trial of the magical powers of his knapsack and tapped
it. Immediately the seven warriors stepped up to him, and
the corporal said, "What does my lord and ruler wish
for?"
"March with all speed to the charcoal-burner, and
demand my wishing-cloth back." They faced to the left,
and it was not long before they brought what he required,
and had taken it from the charcoal-burner without asking
many questions. The young man bade them retire, went onwards,
and hoped fortune would shine yet more brightly on him.
By sunset he came to another charcoal-burner, who was making
his supper ready by the fire. "If thou wilt eat some
potatoes with salt, but with no dripping, come and sit down
with me," said the sooty fellow.
"No, he replied, this time thou shalt be my guest,"
and he spread out his cloth, which was instantly covered
with the most beautiful dishes. They ate and drank together,
and enjoyed themselves heartily. After the meal was over,
the charcoal-burner said, "Up there on that shelf lies
a little old worn-out hat which has strange properties:
when any one puts it on, and turns it round on his head,
the cannons go off as if twelve were fired all together,
and they shoot down everything so that no one can withstand
them. The hat is of no use to me, and I will willingly give
it for thy table-cloth."
"That suits me very well," he answered, took
the hat, put it on, and left his table-cloth behind him.
Hardly, however, had he walked away than he tapped on his
knapsack, and his soldiers had to fetch the cloth back again.
"One thing comes on the top of another," thought
he, "and I feel as if my luck had not yet come to an
end." Neither had his thoughts deceived him. After
he had walked on for the whole of one day, he came to a
third charcoal-burner, who like the previous ones, invited
him to potatoes without dripping. But he let him also dine
with him from his wishing-cloth, and the charcoal-burner
liked it so well, that at last he offered him a horn for
it, which had very different properties from those of the
hat. When any one blew it all the walls and fortifications
fell down, and all towns and villages became ruins. He certainly
gave the charcoal-burner the cloth for it, but he afterwards
sent his soldiers to demand it back again, so that at length
he had the knapsack, hat and horn, all three. "Now,"
said he, "I am a made man, and it is time for me to
go home and see how my brothers are getting on."
When he reached home, his brothers had built themselves
a handsome house with their silver and gold, and were living
in clover. He went to see them, but as he came in a ragged
coat, with his shabby hat on his head, and his old knapsack
on his back, they would not acknowledge him as their brother.
They mocked and said, "Thou givest out that thou art
our brother who despised silver and gold, and craved for
something still better for himself. He will come in his
carriage in full splendour like a mighty king, not like
a beggar," and they drove him out of doors. Then he
fell into a rage, and tapped his knapsack until a hundred
and fifty men stood before him armed from head to foot.
He commanded them to surround his brothers' house, and two
of them were to take hazel-sticks with them, and beat the
two insolent men until they knew who he was. A violent disturbance
arose, people ran together, and wanted to lend the two some
help in their need, but against the soldiers they could
do nothing. News of this at length came to the King, who
was very angry, and ordered a captain to march out with
his troop, and drive this disturber of the peace out of
the town; but the man with the knapsack soon got a greater
body of men together, who repulsed the captain and his men,
so that they were forced to retire with bloody noses. The
King said, "This vagabond is not brought to order yet,"
and next day sent a still larger troop against him, but
they could do even less. The youth set still more men against
them, and in order to be done the sooner, he turned his
hat twice round on his head, and heavy guns began to play,
and the king's men were beaten and put to flight. "And
now," said he, "I will not make peace until the
King gives me his daughter to wife, and I govern the whole
kingdom in his name." He caused this to be announced
to the King, and the latter said to his daughter, "Necessity
is a hard nut to crack, what remains to me but to do what
he desires? If I want peace and to keep the crown on my
head, I must give thee away."
So the wedding was celebrated, but the King's daughter
was vexed that her husband should be a common man, who wore
a shabby hat, and put on an old knapsack. She wished much
to get rid of him, and night and day studied how she could
accomplished this. Then she thought to herself, "Is
it possible that his wonderful powers lie in the knapsack?"
and she dissembled and caressed him, and when his heart
was softened, she said, "If thou wouldst but lay aside
that ugly knapsack, it makes disfigures thee so, that I
can't help being ashamed of thee." "Dear child,"
said he, "this knapsack is my greatest treasure; as
long as I have it, there is no power on earth that I am
afraid of." And he revealed to her the wonderful virtue
with which it was endowed. Then she threw herself in his
arms as if she were going to kiss him, but dexterously took
the knapsack off his shoulders, and ran away with it. As
soon as she was alone she tapped it, and commanded the warriors
to seize their former master, and take him out of the royal
palace. They obeyed, and the false wife sent still more
men after him, who were to drive him quite out of the country.
Then he would have been ruined if he had not had the little
hat. But his hands were scarcely at liberty before he turned
it twice. Immediately the cannon began to thunder, and struck
down everything, and the King's daughter herself was forced
to come and beg for mercy. As she entreated in such moving
terms, and promised amendment, he allowed himself to be
persuaded and granted her peace. She behaved in a friendly
manner to him, and acted as if she loved him very much,
and after some time managed so to befool him, that he confided
to her that even if someone got the knapsack into his power,
he could do nothing against him so long as the old hat was
still his. When she knew the secret, she waited until he
was asleep, and then she took the hat away from him, and
had it thrown out into the street. But the horn still remained
to him, and in great anger he blew it with all his strength.
Instantly all walls, fortifications, towns, and villages,
toppled down, and crushed the King and his daughter to death.
And had he not put down the horn and had blown just a little
longer, everything would have been in ruins, and not one
stone would have been left standing on another. Then no
one opposed him any longer, and he made himself King of
the whole country.
From Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, trans. Margaret
Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884), 1:215-221. |
