The Pied Piper of Hamelin
In the year 1284 a strange man came to Hamelin. He wore colourful clothes and a strange hat with a feather. At that time he citizens of Hamelin had a big problem. Their town was full of rats and mice. They ate all the food, made a lot of noise and troubled sleeping babies. The citizens tried to, but they were unable to do anything against this plague.
So the stranger went to the Mayor and said: “I can free your town of every single rat – for a fixed sum of money.” Of course the Mayor was happy and promised to pay him his fee. The stranger made a pipe and began to play. Soon all the rats and mice came running out of the houses and gathered around him. When he was sure that each and every one followed, he went out of the town straight into the River Weser where all of them plunged after him and drowned.
No the town was free of the little devils and all the people were really happy.
But as the Pied Piper asked for his money, they refused to pay him for such an easy job. So he left Hamelin in a bitter mood.
On the 26th of June in that year he returned, this time dressed as a hunter, with a wondrous red hat and a grim face. While the citizens were sitting in the church, he again sounded his pipe in the streets.
But this time children older than four came running out of their houses and started following the Pied Piper, dancing and shouting. He led them through the Easter Gate to a place far, far away. Only two children returned, one was blind and one was dumb. And one little boy returned to fetch his coat – and so escaped. The Mayor sent his men to look for the children and bring them back. But they couldn`t be found.
In the year 1284 a strange man came to Hamelin. He wore colourful clothes and a strange hat with a feather. At that time he citizens of Hamelin had a big problem. Their town was full of rats and mice. They ate all the food, made a lot of noise and troubled sleeping babies. The citizens tried to, but they were unable to do anything against this plague.
So the stranger went to the Mayor and said: “I can free your town of every single rat – for a fixed sum of money.” Of course the Mayor was happy and promised to pay him his fee. The stranger made a pipe and began to play. Soon all the rats and mice came running out of the houses and gathered around him. When he was sure that each and every one followed, he went out of the town straight into the River Weser where all of them plunged after him and drowned.
No the town was free of the little devils and all the people were really happy.
But as the Pied Piper asked for his money, they refused to pay him for such an easy job. So he left Hamelin in a bitter mood.
On the 26th of June in that year he returned, this time dressed as a hunter, with a wondrous red hat and a grim face. While the citizens were sitting in the church, he again sounded his pipe in the streets.
But this time children older than four came running out of their houses and started following the Pied Piper, dancing and shouting. He led them through the Easter Gate to a place far, far away. Only two children returned, one was blind and one was dumb. And one little boy returned to fetch his coat – and so escaped. The Mayor sent his men to look for the children and bring them back. But they couldn`t be found.
Bremen Town Musicians (Grimm Brothers)
A certain man had a donkey, which had carried the corn-sacks to the mill indefatigably for many a long year. But his strength was going, and he was growing more and more unfit for work. Then his master began to consider how he might best save his keep. But the donkey, seeing that no good wind was blowing, ran away and set out on the road to Bremen. There, he thought, I can surely be a town-musician.
When he had walked some distance, he found a hound lying on the road, gasping like one who had run till he was tired. What are you gasping so for, you big fellow, asked the donkey.
"Ah," replied the hound, as I am old, and daily grow weaker, and no longer can hunt, my master wanted to kill me, so I took to flight, but now how am I to earn my bread."
"I tell you what," said the donkey, "I am going to Bremen, and shall be town-musician there. Go with me and engage yourself also as a musician. I will play the lute, and you shall beat the kettle-drum."
The hound agreed, and on they went. Before long they came to a cat, sitting on the path, with a face like three rainy days. "Now then, old shaver, what has gone askew with you," asked the donkey.
"Who can be merry when his neck is in danger," answered the cat. "Because I am now getting old, and my teeth are worn to stumps, and I prefer to sit by the fire and spin, rather than hunt about after mice, my mistress wanted to drown me, so I ran away. But now good advice is scarce. Where am I to go."
"Go with us to Bremen. You understand night-music, you can be a town-musician."
The cat thought well of it, and went with them. After this the three fugitives came to a farm-yard, where the cock was sitting upon the gate, crowing with all his might.
"Your crow goes through and through one," said the donkey. "What is the matter?"
"I have been foretelling fine weather, because it is the day on which our lady washes the christ-child's little shirts, and wants to dry them," said the cock. "But guests are coming for sunday, so the housewife has no pity, and has told the cook that she intends to eat me in the soup to-morrow, and this evening I am to have my head cut off. Now I am crowing at the top of my lungs while still I can."
"Ah, but red-comb," said the donkey, "you had better come away with us. We are going to Bremen. You can find something better than death everywhere. You have a good voice, and if we make music together it must have some quality."
The cock agreed to this plan, and all four went on together. They could not reach the city of Bremen in one day, however, and in the evening they came to a forest where they meant to pass the night. The donkey and the hound laid themselves down under a large tree, the cat and the cock settled themselves in the branches. But the cock flew right to the top, where he was most safe.
Before he went to sleep he looked round on all four sides, and thought he saw in the distance a little spark burning. So he called out to his companions that there must be a house not far off, for he saw a light.
The donkey said, "If so, we had better get up and go on, for the shelter here is bad." The hound thought too that a few bones with some meat on would do him good.
So they made their way to the place where the light was, and soon saw it shine brighter and grow larger, until they came to a well-lighted robbers, house. The donkey, as the biggest, went to the window and looked in.
"What do you see, my grey-horse?" asked the cock.
"What do I see?" answered the donkey. "A table covered with good things to eat and drink, and robbers sitting at it enjoying themselves."
"That would be the sort of thing for us," said the cock.
Then the animals took counsel together how they should manage to drive away the robbers, and at last they thought of a plan. The donkey was to place himself with his fore-feet upon the window-ledge, the hound was to jump on the donkey's back, the cat was to climb upon the dog, and lastly the cock was to fly up and perch upon the head of the cat.
When this was done, at a given signal, they began to perform their music together. The donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat mewed, and the cock crowed. Then they burst through the window into the room, shattering the glass.
At this horrible din, the robbers sprang up, thinking no otherwise than that a ghost had come in, and fled in a great fright out into the forest.
The four companions now sat down at the table, well content with what was left, and ate as if they were going to fast for a month.
As soon as the four minstrels had done, they put out the light, and each sought for himself a sleeping-place according to his nature and what suited him. The donkey laid himself down upon some straw in the yard, the hound behind the door, the cat upon the hearth near the warm ashes, and the cock perched himself upon a beam of the roof. And being tired from their long walk, they soon went to sleep.
When it was past midnight, and the robbers saw from afar that the light was no longer burning in their house, and all appeared quiet, the captain said, we ought not to have let ourselves be frightened out of our wits, and ordered one of them to go and examine the house.
The messenger finding all still, went into the kitchen to light a candle, and, taking the glistening fiery eyes of the cat for live coals, he held a lucifer-match to them to light it. But the cat did not understand the joke, and flew in his face, spitting and scratching. He was dreadfully frightened, and ran to the back-door, but the dog, who lay there sprang up and bit his leg. And as he ran across the yard by the dunghill, the donkey gave him a smart kick with its hind foot. The cock, too, who had been awakened by the noise, and had become lively, cried down from the beam, "Cock-a-doodle-doo."
Then the robber ran back as fast as he could to his captain, and said, "Ah, there is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws. And by the door stands a man with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg. And in the yard there lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club. And above, upon the roof, sits the judge, who called out, bring the rogue here to me. So I got away as well as I could."
After this the robbers never again dared enter the house. But it suited the four musicians of Bremen so well that they did not care to leave it any more.tung hier klicken.
(Translated by Diyar, Dominik, Kevin)
A certain man had a donkey, which had carried the corn-sacks to the mill indefatigably for many a long year. But his strength was going, and he was growing more and more unfit for work. Then his master began to consider how he might best save his keep. But the donkey, seeing that no good wind was blowing, ran away and set out on the road to Bremen. There, he thought, I can surely be a town-musician.
When he had walked some distance, he found a hound lying on the road, gasping like one who had run till he was tired. What are you gasping so for, you big fellow, asked the donkey.
"Ah," replied the hound, as I am old, and daily grow weaker, and no longer can hunt, my master wanted to kill me, so I took to flight, but now how am I to earn my bread."
"I tell you what," said the donkey, "I am going to Bremen, and shall be town-musician there. Go with me and engage yourself also as a musician. I will play the lute, and you shall beat the kettle-drum."
The hound agreed, and on they went. Before long they came to a cat, sitting on the path, with a face like three rainy days. "Now then, old shaver, what has gone askew with you," asked the donkey.
"Who can be merry when his neck is in danger," answered the cat. "Because I am now getting old, and my teeth are worn to stumps, and I prefer to sit by the fire and spin, rather than hunt about after mice, my mistress wanted to drown me, so I ran away. But now good advice is scarce. Where am I to go."
"Go with us to Bremen. You understand night-music, you can be a town-musician."
The cat thought well of it, and went with them. After this the three fugitives came to a farm-yard, where the cock was sitting upon the gate, crowing with all his might.
"Your crow goes through and through one," said the donkey. "What is the matter?"
"I have been foretelling fine weather, because it is the day on which our lady washes the christ-child's little shirts, and wants to dry them," said the cock. "But guests are coming for sunday, so the housewife has no pity, and has told the cook that she intends to eat me in the soup to-morrow, and this evening I am to have my head cut off. Now I am crowing at the top of my lungs while still I can."
"Ah, but red-comb," said the donkey, "you had better come away with us. We are going to Bremen. You can find something better than death everywhere. You have a good voice, and if we make music together it must have some quality."
The cock agreed to this plan, and all four went on together. They could not reach the city of Bremen in one day, however, and in the evening they came to a forest where they meant to pass the night. The donkey and the hound laid themselves down under a large tree, the cat and the cock settled themselves in the branches. But the cock flew right to the top, where he was most safe.
Before he went to sleep he looked round on all four sides, and thought he saw in the distance a little spark burning. So he called out to his companions that there must be a house not far off, for he saw a light.
The donkey said, "If so, we had better get up and go on, for the shelter here is bad." The hound thought too that a few bones with some meat on would do him good.
So they made their way to the place where the light was, and soon saw it shine brighter and grow larger, until they came to a well-lighted robbers, house. The donkey, as the biggest, went to the window and looked in.
"What do you see, my grey-horse?" asked the cock.
"What do I see?" answered the donkey. "A table covered with good things to eat and drink, and robbers sitting at it enjoying themselves."
"That would be the sort of thing for us," said the cock.
Then the animals took counsel together how they should manage to drive away the robbers, and at last they thought of a plan. The donkey was to place himself with his fore-feet upon the window-ledge, the hound was to jump on the donkey's back, the cat was to climb upon the dog, and lastly the cock was to fly up and perch upon the head of the cat.
When this was done, at a given signal, they began to perform their music together. The donkey brayed, the hound barked, the cat mewed, and the cock crowed. Then they burst through the window into the room, shattering the glass.
At this horrible din, the robbers sprang up, thinking no otherwise than that a ghost had come in, and fled in a great fright out into the forest.
The four companions now sat down at the table, well content with what was left, and ate as if they were going to fast for a month.
As soon as the four minstrels had done, they put out the light, and each sought for himself a sleeping-place according to his nature and what suited him. The donkey laid himself down upon some straw in the yard, the hound behind the door, the cat upon the hearth near the warm ashes, and the cock perched himself upon a beam of the roof. And being tired from their long walk, they soon went to sleep.
When it was past midnight, and the robbers saw from afar that the light was no longer burning in their house, and all appeared quiet, the captain said, we ought not to have let ourselves be frightened out of our wits, and ordered one of them to go and examine the house.
The messenger finding all still, went into the kitchen to light a candle, and, taking the glistening fiery eyes of the cat for live coals, he held a lucifer-match to them to light it. But the cat did not understand the joke, and flew in his face, spitting and scratching. He was dreadfully frightened, and ran to the back-door, but the dog, who lay there sprang up and bit his leg. And as he ran across the yard by the dunghill, the donkey gave him a smart kick with its hind foot. The cock, too, who had been awakened by the noise, and had become lively, cried down from the beam, "Cock-a-doodle-doo."
Then the robber ran back as fast as he could to his captain, and said, "Ah, there is a horrible witch sitting in the house, who spat on me and scratched my face with her long claws. And by the door stands a man with a knife, who stabbed me in the leg. And in the yard there lies a black monster, who beat me with a wooden club. And above, upon the roof, sits the judge, who called out, bring the rogue here to me. So I got away as well as I could."
After this the robbers never again dared enter the house. But it suited the four musicians of Bremen so well that they did not care to leave it any more.tung hier klicken.
(Translated by Diyar, Dominik, Kevin)
The Frog Prince (Grimm Brothers)
Once upon a time, there lived a king whose daughters were all beautiful. But the youngest was so beautiful that even the sun was surprised, when it shone in her face.
Close by the king's castle there was a great dark forest, and under an old tree in the forest there was a well. When the day was very warm, she went out into the forest and sat down at the cool fountain. And when she was bored she took a golden ball, and threw it up on high and caught it, and this ball she loved so much.
But one time it happened that her golden ball did not fall into her little hand, but rolled straight into the deep water. The princess began to cry, and cried louder and louder, and could not be comforted.
Suddenly someone said to her, "Why are you crying so loud? Even a stone would show pity."
She looked round, and saw a frog stretching forth its ugly head from the water.
"Ah, oldwater-splasher, is it you," she said, "I am weeping for my golden ball, which has fallen into the well."
"Do not weep," answered the frog, "I can help you, but what will you give me if I bring your golden ball up again?"
"Whatever you will have, dear frog," said she, "My clothes, my pearls and jewels, and even my golden crown."
The frog said: "I don`t want your clothes, your pearls and jewels or your golden crown. But if you will love me and let me be your companion and play-fellow, and sit by you at your little table, and eat off your little golden plate, and drink out of your little cup, and sleep in your little bed - if you promise me this I will go and bring you your golden ball up again."
"Oh yes," said she, "I promise you all you wish, if you will but bring me my ball back again." But she thought, "What a silly frog. All he does is to sit in the water with the other frogs, and croak. He can never be a friend and companion to me."
So the frog when put his head into the water and after a short time it came up again with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass.
The king's daughter was very happy to see her golden ball, and picked it up, and then she ran away with it. "Wait, wait," said the frog. "Take me with you. I can't run fast as you can." The frog screamed his croak, croak, after her as loudly as he could. The princess did not listen to it, but ran home and soon she forgot the poor frog, who was forced to go back into his well again.
The next day when she had seated herself at table with the king and all the courtiers, and was eating from her little golden plate, something came creeping splish splash, splish splash, up the staircase, and when it had got to the top, it knocked at the door and cried, "Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me."
She ran to see who was outside, but when she opened the door, the frog sat there. Then she slammed the door in great haste, sat down to dinner again, and was quite frightened.
Of course the king saw that her heart was beating violently, and said: "My dear child, what are you so afraid of? Is there perhaps a giant outside who wants to carry you away?"
"No, it is no giant but a disgusting frog. Yesterday as I was in the forest sitting by the well, playing, my golden ball fell into the water. And because I cried so, the frog brought it up again for me. He wanted me to promise him that he could be my companion, and I did, but I never thought he would be able to come out of his water. And now he is outside there, and wants to come in to me."
A second time it knocked on the door, and cried: "Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me, don`t you know what you said to me yesterday by the well? Princess, youngest princess, open the door for me!"
Then said the king, "You must perform what you have promised. Go and let him in."
She went and opened the door, and the frog hopped in and followed her, step by step, to her chair. There he sat and cried: "Lift me up beside you."
She did not want to, but the king commanded her to do it. The frog wanted to be on the table and said: "Now, push your little golden plate nearer to me that we can eat together."
She did this, but it was easy to see that she did not do it willingly. The frog enjoyed the meal, but the princess felt miserable.
Finally he said: "I have eaten and am satisfied, now I am tired, carry me into your little room and make your little bed ready. Then we will both lie down and go to sleep."
The king's daughter began to cry. She was afraid of the cold frog which she did not like to touch, and which was now to sleep in her pretty, clean little bed.
But the king got angry and said: "The frog helped you when you were in trouble. Now keep your promise!”
So she took him with two fingers, carried him upstairs, and put him in a corner. But when she was in bed he crept to her and said: "I am tired, I want to sleep as well as you, lift me up."
At this she was really really angry. So she took him up and threw him with against the wall. "Now you will be quiet, you ugly frog," said she.
But when he fell down he was no frog but a king's son with kind and beautiful eyes. And by her father's will he was now her dear companion and husband.
Then they went to sleep, and next morning when the sun awoke them, a carriage came driving up with eight white horses, which had white feathers on their heads. They were harnessed with golden chains, and behind stood the young king's servant Faithful Henry.
Faithful Henry had been so unhappy when his master was changed into a frog that he had caused three iron bands to be laid round his heart, lest it burst with grief and sadness. The carriage was to conduct the young king into his kingdom. Faithful Henry helped them in, and placed himself behind again. And was full of joy and happiness.
After a short time the king's son heard a cracking behind him as if something had broken. So he turned round and cried, "Henry, the carriage is breaking." "No, master, it is not the carriage. It is a band from my heart, which was put there in my great pain when you were a frog and imprisoned in the well."
Again and once again while they were on their way something cracked, and each time the king's son thought the carriage was breaking. But it was only the bands which were springing from the heart of Faithful Henry because his master was set free and was happy.
(Translated by Juliane, Lea and Sarah)
The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids (Grimm Brothers)
Once upon a time there was an old goat. She had seven little kids, and loved them very much. One day she wanted to go into the forest to get some food. She said: "Dear children, I have to go into the forest, be careful of the wolf. If he comes in, he will devour you all. You will know him by his rough voice and his black feet."
The kids said: "Dear mother, we will take good care of ourselves." So the old goat went on her way with an easy mind.
Soon somebody was knocking on the door and called: "Open the door, dear children, your mother is here. I`ve got a present for each of you." But the little kids recognized the rough voice and knew that it was the wolf.
"We will not open the door," they cried, "you are not our mother. Our mother has got a soft voice, but your voice is rough, you are the wolf."
Then the wolf went away to buy some chalk. After eating the chalk his voice was soft. He went back to the goat`s house, knocked on the door again, and called, "Open the door, dear children, your mother is here. I`ve got a present for each of you."
But the wolf had laid his black paws against the window, and the children saw them and cried: "We will not open the door, our mother has no black feet like you. You are the wolf."
Then the wolf went to a baker and said: "I have hurt my feet. Put some dough over them for me. And when the baker had done this, he ran to the miller and said: “Put some white flour over my feet." The miller thought to himself, the wolf wants to deceive someone, and refused, but the wolf said: "If you will not do this, I will devour you." Then he was afraid, and made his paws white for him.
He went to the young kids for the third time, knocked on the door and said: "Open the door for me, little children, your dear mother is back again. I`ve got a present for each of you."
The little kids shouted: "First show us your paws that we may see that you are our dear little mother."
When the kids saw that they were white, they believed that all he said was true, and opened the door. They saw the wolf, and were so terrified! The kids wanted to hide themselves. One sprang under the table, the second into the bed, the third into the stove, the fourth into the kitchen, the fifth into the cupboard, the sixth under the washing-bowl, and the seventh into the clock-case. But the wolf found them all, and one after the other he devoured quickly. Only the youngest who was in the clock-case, he could not find. Later he laid himself down under a tree, and began to sleep.
Soon afterwards the old goat came home again from the forest. And what did she see? The house-door stood wide open. The table and all the chairs were thrown down, the washing-bowl lay broken to pieces, and the quilts and pillows were pulled off the bed. She searched for her children, she couldn`t find them. She called one after another by name, but in vain.
At last, when she came to the youngest, a soft voice cried: "Dear Mother, I am in the clock-case." She took her youngest kid out, and it told her that the wolf had come and had eaten all the others. Then you may imagine how sad she was and how she cried over her poor children.
In her grief she went out, and the youngest kid ran with her. When they came to the meadow, they saw the wolf laying by a tree and snoring very loud. She looked at him on every side and saw that something was moving and struggling in his full belly.
Then the old goat told her youngest kid to run home and fetch scissors, needle and thread. She cut the sleeping wolf`s stomach, and all her six little kids sprang out one after another. They were all still alive!
It was such a joy! They embraced their dear mother, and jumped up high. The mother, however, said: "Now look for some big stones, and we will fill the wolf's stomach with them while he is still asleep." And so they put as many stones into his stomach as they could get in, and the mother sewed him up again in the greatest haste, so that he was not aware of anything.
When the wolf woke up, he got on his legs, and as the stones in his stomach made him very thirsty, he wanted to go to a well to drink. But when he began to walk and move about, the stones in his stomach knocked against each other and rattled. He shouted:
"What rumbles and tumbles
Against my poor bones?
I thought 'twas six kids,
But it feels like big stones."
And when he got to the well to drink, the heavy stones made him fall in, and he had to drown miserably.
When the seven kids saw that, they came running to the spot and cried: "The wolf is dead, the wolf is dead," and danced for joy round about the well with their mother.
(Translated by Johann, Martin, Mike)
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