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Grimms' Fairy Tales
The
Three Children of Fortune
A father once called his three sons before
him, and he gave to the first a cock, to the second a scythe,
and to the third a cat. "I am already aged," said
he, "my death is nigh, and I have wished to take thought
for you before my end; money I have not, and what I now
give you seems of little worth, but all depends on your
making a sensible use of it. Only seek out a country where
such things are still unknown, and your fortune is made."
After the father's death the eldest went away with his
cock, but wherever he came the cock was already known; in
the towns he saw him from a long distance, sitting upon
the steeples and turning round with the wind, and in the
villages he heard more than one crowing; no one would show
any wonder at the creature, so that it did not look as if
he would make his fortune by it.
At last, however, it happened that he came to an island
where the people knew nothing about cocks, and did not even
understand how to divide their time. They certainly knew
when it was morning or evening, but at night, if they did
not sleep through it, not one of them knew how to find out
the time.
"Look!" said he, "what a proud creature!
it has a ruby-red crown upon its head, and wears spurs like
a knight; it calls you three times during the night, at
fixed hours, and when it calls for the last time, the sun
soon rises. But if it crows by broad daylight, then take
notice, for there will certainly be a change of weather."
The people were well pleased; for a whole night they did
not sleep, and listened with great delight as the cock at
two, four, and six o'clock, loudly and clearly proclaimed
the time. They asked if the creature were for sale, and
how much he wanted for it? "About as much gold as an
ass can carry," answered he. "A ridiculously small
price for such a precious creature!" they cried unanimously,
and willingly gave him what he had asked.
When he came home with his wealth his brothers were astonished,
and the second said, "Well, I will go forth and see
whether I cannot get rid of my scythe as profitably."
But it did not look as if he would, for labourers met him
everywhere, and they had scythes upon their shoulders as
well as he.
At last, however, he chanced upon an island where the people
knew nothing of scythes. When the corn was ripe there, they
took cannon out to the fields and shot it down. Now this
was rather an uncertain affair; many shot right over it,
others hit the ears instead of the stems, and shot them
away, whereby much was lost, and besides all this, it made
a terrible noise. So the man set to work and mowed it down
so quietly and quickly that the people opened their mouths
with astonishment. They agreed to give him what he wanted
for the scythe, and he received a horse laden with as much
gold as it could carry.
And now the third brother wanted to take his cat to the
right man. He fared just like the others; so long as he
stayed on the mainland there was nothing to be done. Every
place had cats, and there were so many of them that new-born
kittens were generally drowned in the ponds.
At last he sailed over to an island, and it luckily happened
that no cats had ever yet been seen there, and that the
mice had got the upper hand so much that they danced upon
the tables and benches whether the master were at home or
not. The people complained bitterly of the plague; the King
himself in his palace did not know how to secure himself
against them; mice squeaked in every corner, and gnawed
whatever they could lay hold of with their teeth. But now
the cat began her chase, and soon cleared a couple of rooms,
and the people begged the King to buy the wonderful beast
for the country. The King willingly gave what was asked,
which was a mule laden with gold, and the third brother
came home with the greatest treasure of all.
The cat made herself merry with the mice in the royal palace,
and killed so many that they could not be counted. At last
she grew warm with the work and thirsty, so she stood still,
lifted up her head and cried, "Mew. Mew!" When
they heard this strange cry, the King and all his people
were frightened, and in their terror ran all at once out
of the palace. Then the King took counsel what was best
to be done; at last it was determined to send a herald to
the cat, and demand that she should leave the palace, or
if not, she was to expect that force would be used against
her. The councillors said, "Rather will we let ourselves
be plagued with the mice, for to that misfortune we are
accustomed, than give up our lives to such a monster as
this." A noble youth, therefore, was sent to ask the
cat "whether she would peaceably quit the castle?"
But the cat, whose thirst had become still greater, merely
answered, "Mew! Mew!" The youth understood her
to say, "Most certainly not! most certainly not!"
and took this answer to the King. "Then," said
the councillors, "she shall yield to force." Cannon
were brought out, and the palace was soon in flames. When
the fire reached the room where the cat was sitting, she
sprang safely out of the window; but the besiegers did not
leave off until the whole palace was shot down to the ground.
From Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, trans. Margaret
Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884), 1:291-293 |
