Household Tales by Jacob Grimm (classic books for 12 year olds .txt) 📕

and the vinegar-jug will be too heavy for me, I will hang them on the door, it may carry them.”

And now they went into the forest, and sought the rogues, but did not find them. At length as it grew dark they climbed into a tree and resolved to spend the night there. Scarcely, however, had they sat down at the top of it than the rascals came thither who carry away with them what does not want to go, and find things before they are lost. They sat down under the very tree in which Frederick and Catherine were sitting, lighted a fire, and were about to share their booty. Frederick got down on the other side and collected some stones together. Then he climbed up again with them, and wished to throw them at the thieves and kill them. The stones, however, did not hit them, and the knaves cried, “It will soon be morning, the wind is shaking down the fir-apples.”

Catherine still had the door on her back, and as it pressed so heavily on her, she thought it was the fault of the dried pears, and said, “Frederick, I must throw the pears down.”

“No, Catherine, not now,” he replied, “they might betray us.”

“Oh, but, Frederick, I must! They weigh me down far too much.”

“Do it, then, and be hanged!”

Then the dried pears rolled down between the branches, and the rascals below said, “The leaves are falling.”

A short time afterwards, as the door was still heavy, Catherine said, “Ah, Frederick, I must pour out the vinegar.”

“No, Catherine, you must not, it might betray us.”

“Ah, but, Frederick, I must, it weighs me down far too much.”

“Then do it and be hanged!” So she emptied out the vinegar, and it besprinkled the robbers.

They said amongst themselves, “The dew is already falling.”

At length Catherine thought, “Can it really be the door which weighs me down so?” and said, “Frederick, I must throw the door down.”

“No, not now, Catherine, it might discover us.”

“Oh, but, Frederick, I must. It weighs me down far too much.”

“Oh, no, Catherine, do hold it fast.”

“Ah, Frederick, I am letting it fall!”

“Let it go, then, in the devil’s name.”

Then it fell down with a violent clatter, and the rascals below cried, “The devil is coming down the tree!” and they ran away and left everything behind them. Early next morning, when the two came down they found all their gold again, and carried it home.

When they were once more at home, Frederick said, “And now, Catherine, you, too, must be industrious and work.”

“Yes, Frederick, I will soon do that, I will go into the field and cut corn.” When Catherine got into the field, she said to herself, “Shall I eat before I cut, or shall I sleep before I cut? Oh, I will eat first.” Then Catherine ate and eating made her sleepy, and she began to cut, and half in a dream cut all her clothes to pieces, her apron, her gown, and her shift. When Catherine awoke again after a long sleep she was standing there half-naked, and said to herself, “Is it I, or is it not I? Alas, it is not I.” In the meantime night came, and Catherine ran into the village, knocked at her husband’s window, and cried, “Frederick.”

“What is the matter?”

“I should very much like to know if Catherine is in?”

“Yes, yes,” replied Frederick, “she must be in and asleep.”

Said she, “ ’Tis well, then I am certainly at home already,” and ran away.

Outside Catherine found some vagabonds who were going to steal. Then she went to them and said, “I will help you to steal.” The rascals thought that she knew the situation of the place, and were willing. Catherine went in front of the houses, and cried, “Good folks, have you anything? We want to steal.”

The thieves thought to themselves, “That’s a fine way of doing things,” and wished themselves once more rid of Catherine. Then they said to her, “Outside the village the pastor has some turnips in the field. Go there and pull up some turnips for us.” Catherine went to the ground, and began to pull them up, but was so idle that she did not gather them together. Then a man came by, saw her, and stood still and thought that it was the devil who was thus rooting amongst the turnips.

He ran away into the village to the pastor, and said, “Mr. Pastor, the devil is in your turnip-ground, rooting up turnips.”

“Ah, heavens,” answered the pastor, “I have a lame foot, I cannot go out and drive him away.”

Said the man, “Then I will carry you on my back,” and he carried him out on his back. And when they came to the ground, Catherine arose and stood up her full height.

“Ah, the devil!” cried the pastor, and both hurried away, and in his great fright the pastor could run better with his lame foot than the man who had carried him on his back could do with his sound one.

The Two Brothers

There were once upon a time two brothers, one rich and the other poor. The rich one was a goldsmith and evil-hearted. The poor one supported himself by making brooms, and was good and honourable. The poor one had two children, who were twin brothers and as like each other as two drops of water. The two boys went backwards and forwards to the rich house, and often got some of the scraps to eat. It happened once when the poor man was going into the forest to fetch brushwood, that he saw a bird which was quite golden and more beautiful than any he had ever chanced to meet with. He picked up a small stone, threw it at him, and was lucky enough to hit him, but one golden feather only fell down, and the bird flew away. The man took the feather and carried it to his brother, who looked at it and said,