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Grimms' Fairy Tales
The
Devil with the Three Golden Hairs
There was once a poor woman who gave birth
to a little son; and as he came into the world with a caul
on, it was predicted that in his fourteenth year he would
have the King's daughter for his wife. It happened that
soon afterwards the King came into the village, and no one
knew that he was the King, and when he asked the people
what news there was, they answered, "A child has just
been born with a caul on; whatever any one so born undertakes
turns out well. It is prophesied, too, that in his fourteenth
year he will have the King's daughter for his wife."
The King, who had a bad heart, and was angry about the
prophecy, went to the parents, and, seeming quite friendly,
said, "You poor people, let me have your child, and
I will take care of it." At first they refused, but
when the stranger offered them a large amount of gold for
it, and they thought, "It is a luck-child, and everything
must turn out well for it," they at last consented,
and gave him the child.
The King put it in a box and rode away with it until he
came to a deep piece of water; then he threw the box into
it and thought, "I have freed my daughter from her
unlooked-for suitor."
The box, however, did not sink, but floated like a boat,
and not a drop of water made its way into it. And it floated
to within two miles of the King's chief city, where there
was a mill, and it came to a stand-still at the mill-dam.
A miller's boy, who by good luck was standing there, noticed
it and pulled it out with a hook, thinking that he had found
a great treasure, but when he opened it there lay a pretty
boy inside, quite fresh and lively. He took him to the miller
and his wife, and as they had no children they were glad,
and said, "God has given him to us." They took
great care of the foundling, and he grew up in all goodness.
It happened that once in a storm, the King went into the
mill, and he asked the mill-folk if the tall youth was their
son. "No," answered they, "he's a foundling.
Fourteen years ago he floated down to the mill-dam in a
box, and the mill-boy pulled him out of the water."
Then the King knew that it was none other than the luck-child
which he had thrown into the water, and he said, "My
good people, could not the youth take a letter to the Queen;
I will give him two gold pieces as a reward?" "Just
as the King commands," answered they, and they told
the boy to hold himself in readiness. Then the King wrote
a letter to the Queen, wherein he said, "As soon as
the boy arrives with this letter, let him be killed and
buried, and all must be done before I come home."
The boy set out with this letter; but he lost his way,
and in the evening came to a large forest. In the darkness
he saw a small light; he went towards it and reached a cottage.
When he went in, an old woman was sitting by the fire quite
alone. She started when she saw the boy, and said, "Whence
do you come, and whither are you going?" "I come
from the mill," he answered, "and wish to go to
the Queen, to whom I am taking a letter; but as I have lost
my way in the forest I should like to stay here over night."
"You poor boy," said the woman, "you have
come into a den of thieves, and when they come home they
will kill you." "Let them come," said the
boy, "I am not afraid; but I am so tired that I cannot
go any farther:" and he stretched himself upon a bench
and fell asleep.
Soon afterwards the robbers came, and angrily asked what
strange boy was lying there? "Ah," said the old
woman, "it is an innocent child who has lost himself
in the forest, and out of pity I have let him come in; he
has to take a letter to the Queen." The robbers opened
the letter and read it, and in it was written that the boy
as soon as he arrived should be put to death. Then the hard-hearted
robbers felt pity, and their leader tore up the letter and
wrote another, saying, that as soon as the boy came, he
should be married at once to the King's daughter. Then they
let him lie quietly on the bench until the next morning,
and when he awoke they gave him the letter, and showed him
the right way.
And the Queen, when she had received the letter and read
it, did as was written in it, and had a splendid wedding-feast
prepared, and the King's daughter was married to the luck-child,
and as the youth was handsome and agreeable she lived with
him in joy and contentment.
After some time the King returned to his palace and saw
that the prophecy was fulfilled, and the luck-child married
to his daughter. "How has that come to pass?"
said he; "I gave quite another order in my letter."
So the Queen gave him the letter, and said that he might
see for himself what was written in it. The King read the
letter and saw quite well that it had been exchanged for
the other. He asked the youth what had become of the letter
entrusted to him, and why he had brought another instead
of it. "I know nothing about it," answered he;
"it must have been changed in the night, when I slept
in the forest." The King said in a passion, "You
shall not have everything quite so much your own way; whosoever
marries my daughter must fetch me from hell three golden
hairs from the head of the devil; bring me what I want,
and you shall keep my daughter." In this way the King
hoped to be rid of him for ever. But the luck-child answered,
"I will fetch the golden hairs, I am not afraid of
the Devil;" thereupon he took leave of them and began
his journey.
The road led him to a large town, where the watchman by
the gates asked him what his trade was, and what he knew.
"I know everything," answered the luck-child.
"Then you can do us a favour," said the watchman,
"if you will tell us why our market-fountain, which
once flowed with wine has become dry, and no longer gives
even water?" "That you shall know," answered
he; "only wait until I come back."
Then he went farther and came to another town, and there
also the gatekeeper asked him what was his trade, and what
he knew. "I know everything," answered he. "Then
you can do us a favour and tell us why a tree in our town
which once bore golden apples now does not even put forth
leaves?" "You shall know that," answered
he; "only wait until I come back."
Then he went on and came to a wide river over which he
must go. The ferryman asked him what his trade was, and
what he knew. "I know everything," answered he.
"Then you can do me a favour," said the ferryman,
"and tell me why I must always be rowing backwards
and forwards, and am never set free?" "You shall
know that," answered he; "only wait until I come
back."
When he had crossed the water he found the entrance to
Hell. It was black and sooty within, and the Devil was not
at home, but his grandmother was sitting in a large arm-chair.
"What do you want?" said she to him, but she did
not look so very wicked. "I should like to have three
golden hairs from the devil's head," answered he, "else
I cannot keep my wife." "That is a good deal to
ask for," said she; "if the devil comes home and
finds you, it will cost you your life; but as I pity you,
I will see if I cannot help you."
She changed him into an ant and said, "Creep into
the folds of my dress, you will be safe there." "Yes,"
answered he, "so far, so good; but there are three
things besides that I want to know: why a fountain which
once flowed with wine has become dry, and no longer gives
even water; why a tree which once bore golden apples does
not even put forth leaves; and why a ferry-man must always
be going backwards and forwards, and is never set free?"
"Those are difficult questions," answered she,
"but only be silent and quiet and pay attention to
what the devil says when I pull out the three golden hairs."
As the evening came on, the devil returned home. No sooner
had he entered than he noticed that the air was not pure.
"I smell man's flesh," said he; "all is not
right here." Then he pried into every corner, and searched,
but could not find anything. His grandmother scolded him.
"It has just been swept," said she, "and
everything put in order, and now you are upsetting it again;
you have always got man's flesh in your nose. Sit down and
eat your supper."
When he had eaten and drunk he was tired, and laid his
head in his grandmother's lap, and before long he was fast
asleep, snoring and breathing heavily. Then the old woman
took hold of a golden hair, pulled it out, and laid it down
near her. "Oh!" cried the devil, "what are
you doing?" "I have had a bad dream," answered
the grandmother, "so I seized hold of your hair."
"What did you dream then?" said the devil. "I
dreamed that a fountain in a market-place from which wine
once flowed was dried up, and not even water would flow
out of it; what is the cause of it?" "Oh, ho!
if they did but know it," answered the devil; "there
is a toad sitting under a stone in the well; if they killed
it, the wine would flow again."
He went to sleep again and snored until the windows shook.
Then she pulled the second hair out. "Ha! what are
you doing?" cried the devil angrily. "Do not take
it ill," said she, "I did it in a dream."
"What have you dreamt this time?" asked he. "I
dreamt that in a certain kingdom there stood an apple-tree
which had once borne golden apples, but now would not even
bear leaves. What, think you, was the reason?" "Oh!
if they did but know," answered the devil. "A
mouse is gnawing at the root; if they killed this they would
have golden apples again, but if it gnaws much longer the
tree will wither altogether. But leave me alone with your
dreams: if you disturb me in my sleep again you will get
a box on the ear."
The grandmother spoke gently to him until he fell asleep
again and snored. Then she took hold of the third golden
hair and pulled it out. The devil jumped up, roared out,
and would have treated her ill if she had not quieted him
once more and said, "Who can help bad dreams?"
"What was the dream, then?" asked he, and was
quite curious. "I dreamt of a ferry-man who complained
that he must always ferry from one side to the other, and
was never released. What is the cause of it?" "Ah!
the fool," answered the devil; "when any one comes
and wants to go across he must put the oar in his hand,
and the other man will have to ferry and he will be free."
As the grandmother had plucked out the three golden hairs,
and the three questions were answered, she let the old serpent
alone, and he slept until daybreak.
When the devil had gone out again the old woman took the
ant out of the folds of her dress, and gave the luck-child
his human shape again. "There are the three golden
hairs for you," said she. "What the Devil said
to your three questions, I suppose you heard?" "Yes,"
answered he, "I heard, and will take care to remember."
"You have what you want," said she, "and
now you can go your way." He thanked the old woman
for helping him in his need, and left hell well content
that everything had turned out so fortunately.
When he came to the ferry-man he was expected to give the
promised answer. "Ferry me across first," said
the luck-child, "and then I will tell you how you can
be set free," and when he reached the opposite shore
he gave him the devil's advice: "Next time any one
comes, who wants to be ferried over, just put the oar in
his hand."
He went on and came to the town wherein stood the unfruitful
tree, and there too the watchman wanted an answer. So he
told him what he had heard from the devil: "Kill the
mouse which is gnawing at its root, and it will again bear
golden apples." Then the watchman thanked him, and
gave him as a reward two asses laden with gold, which followed
him.
At last he came to the town whose well was dry. He told
the watchman what the devil had said: "A toad is in
the well beneath a stone; you must find it and kill it,
and the well will again give wine in plenty." The watchman
thanked him, and also gave him two asses laden with gold.
At last the luck-child got home to his wife, who was heartily
glad to see him again, and to hear how well he had prospered
in everything. To the King he took what he had asked for,
the devil's three golden hairs, and when the King saw the
four asses laden with gold he was quite content, and said,
"Now all the conditions are fulfilled, and you can
keep my daughter. But tell me, dear son-in-law, where did
all that gold come from? this is tremendous wealth!"
"I was rowed across a river," answered he, "and
got it there; it lies on the shore instead of sand."
"Can I too fetch some of it?" said the King; and
he was quite eager about it. "As much as you like,"
answered he. "There is a ferry-man on the river; let
him ferry you over, and you can fill your sacks on the other
side." The greedy King set out in all haste, and when
he came to the river he beckoned to the ferry-man to put
him across. The ferry-man came and bade him get in, and
when they got to the other shore he put the oar in his hand
and sprang out. But from this time forth the King had to
ferry, as a punishment for his sins. Perhaps he is ferrying
still? If he is, it is because no one has taken the oar
from him.
From Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, trans. Margaret
Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884), 1:119-125. |
