Summer Fairy Tale of Newt and Cuckoo

How the Cuckoo Came to Call

There once was a mother who raised a flea in her bathroom. The flea became so large that she was able to make an entire pair of shoes from its skin for her daughter. Soon thereafter the mother was invited to a wedding with her daughter. At the wedding feast the mother promised to give her daughter’s hand in marriage to the first person who could guess the kind of hide the shoes were made from. One after another tried to guess, but in vain. Suddenly a newt poked his head through a crack in the floorboard and cried “The shoes are made from the skin of a flea!” And so, nothing could be done, the mother had to give her daughter to the newt in marriage.

The newt led his wife to his castle by the sea. They lived there for a long time. One day, the wife became restless and desired to see her parents again. But the newt would not allow it, she must first find her way and walk in iron shoes, then he would allow it. Well and good, after seven years she had mastered walking in iron shoes and they were ripped to shreds. The wife took her three children by the hand to visit her parents. The newt led all four to the seashore. He said: “When you return, step very closely to the edge of the sea and call out: “Newt, if you live, let a maelstrom of milk rise up; if you are dead, let a maelstrom of blood rise up. When I hear your words, I will come to meet you.”

And so they said their good-byes. After the newt’s wife had spent some time with her parents, she became homesick for her newt. Her parents did not want her to go. But the newt’s wife praised her life with the newt; life in the castle by the sea was good for her and her children; it was now time to go home. The parents wanted to follow her and find out how she met the newt by the big water and how they could find the castle, but she would not tell them. So, if she would not say, they would have to worm it out of the small, dumb children.

They asked the oldest: he said nothing. They asked the middle child: she also said nothing. They asked the youngest, he said it. As soon as the father found out the secret, he went to the seashore and called out: “Newt, if you live, let a maelstrom of milk rise up; if you are dead, let a maelstrom of blood rise up!” The newt whirled up an eddy of milk and emerged on shore. But the father took aim and shot him dead. The next morning when the wife went to the seashore with her children and called out: “Newt, if you live, let a maelstrom of milk rise up; if you are dead, let a maelstrom of blood rise up!” The newt whirled up an eddy of blood. The mother was terrified and asked the children, which of them had divulged the father’s secret. The youngest acknowledged his misdeed. The mother spoke her judgment on each one. “You my eldest son, shall become an oak tree, so that everyone admires you. You, my middle daughter, shall become a fresh linden tree, so that the maidens adorn themselves with your branches. You, my youngest chatterbox shall become a stumbling block, which shall break the axle of even the largest cart. I myself will become a cuckoo and will call for my newt for ever and always.” And so it was. 

Grimm's Saga No. 248: The Saga of the Little Mouse

Mouse Mythology

According to Jacob Grimm in Deutsche Mythologie, the soul is a winged being often likened to cacoon, butterfly, cat, weasel, mouse, or snake. In the moody tale of the Little Mouse, a kitchen maid falls asleep and a little red mouse escapes from the dreaming girl’s mouth. The fate of the girl is unguessable, much less the significance of the meager mouse.  But when the creature is unable to return to its original place because of the malice of a thoughtless kitchen maid, the sleeper is doomed. The soul is unable to reunite with its body and the girl dies.

The Thumbling of Grimm’s tales is a similar being. It departs from the dying, sinking body and if it returns at all it believes it had been sleeping. In other stories the soul slips out the sleeper’s mouth in the form of small child. This reflects the notion that the soul of a dying person migrates to and then takes possession of a new body.

In some traditions souls marry, or lovers exchange hearts.  Or as punishment gods must become mortal in the next life and mortals must become animals after death. 

According to Plutarch, good souls hover for some time over the meadow of Hades where they approach truth. The souls of the dead hang from a weak blade of grass above a precipice. In other traditions the soul is pushed to the tip of one’s tongue or many souls balance on the tip of a nail.

Grimm’s Saga No. 248: The Saga of the Little Mouse 

The following story purportedly took place at the estate of a noble family at the beginning of the 17^th century near the village of Saalfeld in Thuringia. The maids and servants were all in the kitchen peeling fruit when one of the girls was overcome by fatigue. Removing herself from the workers, she lay down on the kitchen bench to rest, not far from the others. When she had lain there quietly for some time, a little red mouse crept out of her open mouth.  Most of the workers saw it and silently pointed to the animal scurrying away. The little mouse ran hurriedly to the window that was cracked open, slid out and was gone for some time. Now a saucy kitchen maid became curious. Even though the others warned and  tried to dissuade her, the girl approached the  lifeless, soul-less sleeper, shook her, moved her from one spot to the next, and then walked away. Soon the mouse returned, ran to the prior spot where the girl had lain and where the mouse had crept out the girl’s mouth. But now the little mouse could only run back and forth, and because it could not find the place it had originally emerged, it finally disappeared. And so the girl was dead and remained dead. The saucy kitchen girl regretted her deed, but it was all for naught. It was said that in the same household a servant was often pressed while he slept by the Trude, or night spirit. He could not get any rest. But this finally stopped when the maid died.

Fairy Tale of the Foundling Bird

(Click the arrow above to see a video of this fairy tale!)

Grimm’s Fairy Tale No. 51: The Foundling Bird

Once there lived a forester, who went into the woods to hunt, and when he entered the forest he heard crying like that of a small child. He followed the sound of the bawling and finally reached a tall tree and at the top sat a small child. The mother and child had fallen asleep under the tree and a raptor had spied the child in its mother’s lap. It flew down and snatched the babe in its beak and placed it high in the tree.

The forester climbed up, brought the child down and thought to himself “You shall take the child home and raise it with your own dear little Lena.” So he brought the child home and the two children grew up together. But the child who had been found in the tree and had been carried away by a bird was called the Foundlling Bird.  Foundling Bird and Lenchen loved each other so, that when the one did not see the other, it was sad.

Now the forester had an old cook who took two pails and began to fetch water and she didn’t go out once but went to the well many times. Lenchen saw this and said “Listen, old Sanne, why are you carrying so much water?”  “If you won’t tell a soul, I will reveal it to you.” Lenchen assured her that no, she wouldn’t tell a soul, so the cook said “Early tomorrow morning when the forester is out to hunt, I will boil water and when it boils in the pot I will throw in the Foundling Bird and cook it.”

The next morning bright and early the forester got up and went out to the hunt and when he was away the children were still lying in bed.  Lenchen spoke to the little Foundling Bird “Don’t leave me, I won’t leave you,” and the Foundling Bird replied “Never and nevermore!” And Lenchen responded “I only want to say that old Sanne carried so much water into the house last night that I asked her why she did it.  And she replied she would tell me if I didn’t reveal it to a single soul. She said tomorrow morning when father goes out to hunt she would boil the pot full of water, throw you inside and boil it. Let’s get up quickly, get dressed and make our escape.”

The two children rose, dressed themselves quickly and went out in the world. When the water boiled in the kettle, the cook went into the bedchamber, wanted to fetch the Foundling Bird and throw him into the pot. But when she entered and approached the bed, both children were gone.  She became hideously fearful and spoke out loud to herself “What shall I say to the forester when he returns home and sees the children gone? Quick! Fast behind them so we can catch them!”

The cook sent out three servants to pursue the children and catch them. But the children sat in front of the forest and when they saw in the distance the three servants coming in pursuit, Lenchen spoke to the Foundling Bird: “Don’t leave me, I won’t leave you.” And the Foundling Bird replied “Now and nevermore!”. So Lenchen replied “You shall become a rose bush and I the roses blooming on it!” When the three servants came to the forest, there was nothing more than a rose bush and one rose at the top, but the children were nowhere to be seen. They said to each other “There is nothing here,” and went home and told the cook that they saw nothing in the forest except a rose bush with a little rose blooming at the top. The old cook scolded them “You simpletons! You should have cut the rose branches in two and broken off the little rose and brought it home. Quickly now, go out and do it!” Now they had to go out a second time and search. But the children saw them coming from afar and Lenchen spoke: “Foundling Bird, don’t leave me and I won’t leave you!” The Foundling Bird replied “Now and nevermore!”  Lenchen spoke “You shall become a church and I the crown inside.” When the three servants came this time, they could find nothing but a church and a crown inside They said to one another “What shall we do? Let’s go home”  When they reached home the cook asked if they hadn’t found anything.  They replied, “No, they hadn’t found anything but a church with a crown inside.” “You fools!” the cook scolded, “Why didn’t you smash the church and bring home the crown?”

Now the old cook set out on her own two feet and went to pursue the children with the three servants. The children saw the three servants coming from afar and the cook hobbling behind. Lenchen spoke: “Foundling Bird, don’t leave me, I won’t leave you.  The Foundling Bird replied “Now and nevermore!” Lenchen replied “You become a pond and I the duck swimming on it!” But the cook came running and when she saw the pond, she threw herself over it and wanted to drink it up. But the duck came swimming quickly, grabbed her by the head with its bill and pulled her into the water. And so the old witch had to drown. The two children returned home together with heartfelt joy. And if they haven’t died, they still live today.

Grimm's Fairy Tale No. 51: The Foundling Bird

Grimm’s Fairy Tale No. 51: The Foundling Bird

Once there lived a forester, who went into the woods to hunt, and when he entered the forest he heard crying like that of a small child. He followed the sound of the bawling and finally reached a tall tree and at the top sat a small child. The mother and child had fallen asleep under the tree and a raptor had spied the child in its mother’s lap. It flew down and snatched the babe in its beak and placed it high in the tree.

The forester climbed up, brought the child down and thought to himself “You shall take the child home and raise it with your own dear little Lena.” So he brought the child home and the two children grew up together. But the child who had been found in the tree and had been carried away by a bird was called the Foundlling Bird.  Foundling Bird and Lenchen loved each other so, that when the one did not see the other, it was sad.

Now the forester had an old cook who took two pails and began to fetch water and she didn’t go out once but went to the well many times. Lenchen saw this and said “Listen, old Sanne, why are you carrying so much water?”  “If you won’t tell a soul, I will reveal it to you.” Lenchen assured her that no, she wouldn’t tell a soul, so the cook said “Early tomorrow morning when the forester is out to hunt, I will boil water and when it boils in the pot I will throw in the Foundling Bird and cook it.”

The next morning bright and early the forester got up and went out to the hunt and when he was away the children were still lying in bed.  Lenchen spoke to the little Foundling Bird “Don’t leave me, I won’t leave you,” and the Foundling Bird replied “Never and nevermore!” And Lenchen responded “I only want to say that old Sanne carried so much water into the house last night that I asked her why she did it.  And she replied she would tell me if I didn’t reveal it to a single soul. She said tomorrow morning when father goes out to hunt she would boil the pot full of water, throw you inside and boil it. Let’s get up quickly, get dressed and make our escape.”

The two children rose, dressed themselves quickly and went out in the world. When the water boiled in the kettle, the cook went into the bedchamber, wanted to fetch the Foundling Bird and throw him into the pot. But when she entered and approached the bed, both children were gone.  She became hideously fearful and spoke out loud to herself “What shall I say to the forester when he returns home and sees the children gone? Quick! Fast behind them so we can catch them!”

The cook sent out three servants to pursue the children and catch them. But the children sat in front of the forest and when they saw in the distance the three servants coming in pursuit, Lenchen spoke to the Foundling Bird: “Don’t leave me, I won’t leave you.” And the Foundling Bird replied “Now and nevermore!”. So Lenchen replied “You shall become a rose bush and I the roses blooming on it!” When the three servants came to the forest, there was nothing more than a rose bush and one rose at the top, but the children were nowhere to be seen. They said to each other “There is nothing here,” and went home and told the cook that they saw nothing in the forest except a rose bush with a little rose blooming at the top. The old cook scolded them “You simpletons! You should have cut the rose branches in two and broken off the little rose and brought it home. Quickly now, go out and do it!” Now they had to go out a second time and search. But the children saw them coming from afar and Lenchen spoke: “Foundling Bird, don’t leave me and I won’t leave you!” The Foundling Bird replied “Now and nevermore!”  Lenchen spoke “You shall become a church and I the crown inside.” When the three servants came this time, they could find nothing but a church and a crown inside They said to one another “What shall we do? Let’s go home”  When they reached home the cook asked if they hadn’t found anything.  They replied, “No, they hadn’t found anything but a church with a crown inside.” “You fools!” the cook scolded, “Why didn’t you smash the church and bring home the crown?”

Now the old cook set out on her own two feet and went to pursue the children with the three servants. The children saw the three servants coming from afar and the cook hobbling behind. Lenchen spoke: “Foundling Bird, don’t leave me, I won’t leave you.  The Foundling Bird replied “Now and nevermore!” Lenchen replied “You become a pond and I the duck swimming on it!” But the cook came running and when she saw the pond, she threw herself over it and wanted to drink it up. But the duck came swimming quickly, grabbed her by the head with its bill and pulled her into the water. And so the old witch had to drown. The two children returned home together with heartfelt joy. And if they haven’t died, they still live today.

It was her fairy godmother

To read the fairy tale Cinderella, click the link below:

http://www.fairytalechannel.com/2015/05/cinderella-tale-of-peas-and-lentils.html

Cinderella: A tale of peas and lentils, turtledoves and of course silver slippers

The Fairy Tale of Cinderella

A rich man’s wife became ill and when she felt that the end was near, she called her only daughter to her bedside and said “Dear child remain pious and good and the dear Lord will always stand by you. I will look down from heaven and be with you.” She then closed her eyes and departed.  Every day the girl went out to her mother’s grave and wept. She remained pious and good and when winter came, white snow blanketed the grave. When spring sunshine melted the white blanket of snow, her father took another wife.

The woman brought her own two daughters into the house, beautiful and fair of face but ugly and black of heart. The stepchild now had to endure a terrible time.  “Shall the stupid goose sit with us in our chamber?” they asked. “Whoever wants to eat bread must earn it: out with the kitchen maid!” They took away her beautiful clothes and dressed her in a gray frock and gave her wooden shoes.  “Look at the proud princess now, how fine she is dressed!” they cried and laughed and led her to the kitchen. There she had do heavy work from dawn until dusk; rise early before daybreak, carry the water, make the fire, cook and wash. On top of it all the sisters caused her the greatest heartache, ridiculed the girl and poured her peas and lentils in the ashes so that she had to sit and pull them out again. At night when she had worked herself to exhaustion she didn’t go to bed but rather had to lie next to the stove in the ashes. And because she became so dusty and dirty they called her Cinderella.

Now it happened that the father wanted to go away to a fair so he asked his two stepdaughters what he should bring them. “Beautiful clothes,” one replied. “Pearls and gemstones,” the other said. “But you, Cinderella,” he asked,  “what do you want?”  “Father, the first sprig that brushes against your hat on your return journey, break that off for me.”  So he bought beautiful clothes, pearls and gemstones for the two stepdaughters. And on his return, when he rode through the green brush a hazel branch brushed against him and knocked off his hat. He broke off the branch and took it along. When he returned home he gave the stepdaughters what they had requested and to Cinderella he gave the sprig from the hazel bush.  Cinderella thanked him, went to her mother’s grave and planted the sprig and cried so pitifully that her tears fell on the twig and watered it. It grew and became a beautiful tree.  Cinderella went to it each day, cried and prayed and each time a little bird came and sat on the tree. And when she had spoken her wish the bird threw down what she had wished for.

Now it happened that the king was giving a celebration that was to last three days and all beautiful maidens in the land were invited so that his son could select a bride. When the two stepdaughters heard that they were to appear they were of good cheer. They called to Cinderella and said “Comb our hair, brush our shoes and fasten our buckles; we are going to a wedding at the king’s castle.”  Cinderella obeyed but cried because she would have liked to go along to the dance and asked her stepmother to allow it.  “You, Cinderella, she said “are covered in dust and dirt and want to go to a wedding? You don’t have any clothes or shoes and want to dance!” But because she continued her pleading she finally said “I have poured a bowl of lentils in the ashes, if you can pick out the lentils in two hours, you can go.” The girl went through the back door to the garden and called “Tame turtledove, turtle dove, all little birds under heaven come and help me pluck out

“the good ones in the pot

  the bad ones not”

Now two white doves flew through the kitchen window and then the turtle doves came flying in, and finally with a whir all birds under heaven swarmed inside and swooped down into the ashes. And the doves bowed their little heads and began to pick, pick, pick, pick and the others also began to pick, pick, pick, pick and dropped all the good grains into a bowl. Barely an hour passed and it was all done and they flew back out. The girl now brought the bowl to her stepmother and was happy and believed she could now go to the wedding.  But her stepmother said “No Cinderella. You don’t have any clothes and cannot dance: you would only be laughed at.”  But when she began go cry the stepmother said, “If you can pick out two bowls full of lentils from the ashes, you can go.” But she thought “she won’t be able to do it.” When she had poured the two bowls of lentils in the ashes, the girl went out the back door to the garden and cried out “You doves, turtle doves, all birds under heaven, come and help me pluck out

“the good ones in the pot

  the bad ones not”

Two white little doves came flying through the kitchen window, the turtle doves followed, and finally all birds under heaven whirred and swarmed inside before plunging into the ashes. And the doves bent their little heads and began to pick, pick, pick, pick and the others started to pick, pick, pick, pick and placed all the good grain into bowls. And before an half hour had passed, they were finished and flew out again.  The girl carried the bowl to her stepmother and now thought she would surely be able to go to the wedding. But her stepmother said “This doesn’t help you; you can’t go because you don’t have clothes and cannot dance; we would be ashamed of you.” She turned her back and hurried away with her two proud daughters.

When no one else was at home, Cinderella went to her mother’s grave under the hazel tree and called

“Little tree shake shake

“Throw gold and silver over me.”

The birds threw down a gold and silver dress and slippers embroidered with silk and silver.  The girl quickly donned the dress and went to the wedding. Her sisters and stepmother did not recognize her and thought she was a foreign king’s daughter, she was so beautiful in the golden dress. They never thought about Cinderella and supposed she sat at home in dirt picking lentils out of the ashes.  The king’s son approached, took her by the hand and danced with her. He didn’t want to dance with anyone else and wouldn’t let go of her hand and when another one came and asked he said “She is my little dancer.”

She danced till evening and when she wanted to go home the king’s son said “Let me go with you.” He wanted to see to whom the beautiful maiden belonged. But she got away and jumped into the dove house. Now the king’s son waited until her father came and said the strange girl had jumped into the dove house. But the old man thought “Could it be Cinderella?” And they had to bring an axe and pick so that he could chop the dove house in two: but no one was inside.  And when they returned home Cinderella lay in her dirty clothes in the ashes and a dirty oil lamp burned in the chimney;  for Cinderella had quickly jumped out of the dove house and ran to the hazel bush. There she pulled off her beautiful clothes and placed them on the grave and the bird took them again and she put on her gray smock and sat down in the ashes.

The next day when the party again approached and the parents and step sisters went away, Cinderella went to the hazel tree and said

“Little tree shake shake

“Throw gold and silver over me.”

Now the bird threw down an even more sublime dress than the day before. When the girl appeared at the marriage feast in this dress, everyone was astonished by her beauty.  The prince had waited until she came, immediately took her hand and only danced with her. When the others came and asked he said “this is my little dancer”. When night fell she wanted to leave and the king’s son pursued her and wanted to see which house she entered: but she jumped away and hid in the garden behind the house.  A large beautiful tree stood there on which the most beautiful pears hung.  She climbed between the branches nimble as a squirrel and the king’s son did not know where she had vanished.  But he waited until her father came and said to him “the strange girl got away and I believe she jumped into the pear tree.”  The father thought “Could it be Cinderella?” and he called for an axe and chopped the tree down. But no one was in it.  When they entered the kitchen, Cinderella lay in the ashes as before because she had jumped down on the other side of the tree and the beautiful bird in the hazel tree took away her beautiful clothes and brought her little gray shift.

On the third day when her parents and sisters were gone, Cinderella returned to her mother’s grave and spoke to the little tree

“Tree, tree shake your branches

Throw gold and silver in avalanches.”

Now the bird threw down a dress that was more splendid and glittering than it ever had, and the slippers were entirely golden.  When the maid arrived at the wedding in this dress, no one knew what to say in their amazement.  The king’s son wanted only to dance with her and if someone else asked he replied “this is my dancer.”

When it was evening Cinderella wanted to leave and the king’s son wanted to accompany her, but she escaped quickly and he could not follow. But the king’s son had thought up a trick and had the entire stairway covered with pitch. When the girl jumped away the left slipper of the girl remained stuck.  The king’s son lifted it and it was small and delicate and entirely golden.  The next morning he went to the man and said to him “no other shall become my wife than the one whose foot fits into this golden shoe.”  Both sisters rejoiced because they had pretty feet. The oldest went into the chamber with the shoe and wanted to try it on and the mother stood by. But she couldn’t get her big toe in, the shoe was too small so she handed her mother a knife and said “Hack off the toe, when you are a queen you won’t have to walk any more.”  The girl hacked off the toe, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed her pain and went out to the king’s son. He took her on his horse as bride and rode off with her. But they had to pass the grave where two little doves sat on the hazel tree and they called out

“Loop dee hoo, loop dee hoo.

Blood in shoe.

The shoe is too small

The true bride sits at home”

He looked down at her foot and saw that blood oozed out.  He turned his horse around and brought the false bride back to her house. He said she wasn’t the right one, the other sister should try on the shoe.  This one went into the chamber and all toes happily fit inside the shoe, but her heel was too large.  The mother gave her a knife and said “lop off your heel: when you are queen you won’t have to walk on your feet.”  The girl lopped off a piece of her heel, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed her pain and went out to the king’s son.  He took her as his bride on his horse and rode off. When they passed the hazel tree, the two doves sat there and called out

“Loop dee hoo, loop dee hoo.

Blood in shoe.

The shoe is too small

The true bride sits at home”

He looked down at her foot and saw blood oozing out and the white stockings were soaked crimson. He turned his horse around and returned the bride to the house. “This is also not the right one,” he said. “Do you have another daughter?”  “No,” the man said, “only the child from my dead wife is a small stunted cinderella. It is impossible that she could be the bride.”  The king’s son said he should send her up; but the mother said “Oh no, she is much too dirty, you can’t look at her.”  But he insisted and Cinderella had to be called.  First she washed her hands and face, then went and bowed before the prince, who held out the golden shoe.  She sat on a footstool, pulled her foot out her heavy wooden shoe and placed it in the slipper. It fit like a glove.  And when she rose and the king looked into her face he recognized the beautiful maiden that had danced with him and cried out : “this is the rightful bride”.  The stepmother and both sisters became frightened and pale with rage.  But he took Cinderella and placed her on his horse and rode off.  When they passed the hazel tree the two white doves called out:

“Loop dee hoo, loop dee hoo.

No blood in shoe.

The shoe is not too small

The true bride goes with him home.”

And when the birds had finished their song, they flew down and landed on Cinderella’s shoulders. One on the right, one on the left.

When the marriage was to be celebrated the two false sisters came and wanted to ingratiate themselves and share their sister’s good fortune.  When the married couple arrived at church, the oldest daughter stood at the right, the youngest one at the left and the doves picked out one of their eyes. Afterward when they went out, the oldest was on the left side and the youngest one one at the right side: now the doves picked out their other eye.  And so they were punished for their malice and falsehood for the rest of their lives.

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