Brothers Grimm books
The Grimm Brothers' books, Jacob and Wilhelm, have been tales that have transcended generations. We've all heard of the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales. Their success stems from the stories and tales they collected from the locals where they lived. Jacob and Wilhelm would ask their neighbors and acquaintances to tell them those tales or stories they would tell their children at night to help them sleep. They didn't hesitate to take note of these stories.
They also devoted themselves to the study of the language and to teaching. The composition between his passion for writing, language research, as well as his dedication to teaching were the motor to produce many stories that have become universal heritage.
For example, who can say that at some point in their life they have not heard the stories of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Fearless John, the Golden Goose, Hansel and Gretel, The Devil's Three Hairs, The Brave Little Tailor, or any of the Brothers Grimm's books?
Next we will detail the most famous tales of the Grimm brothers.
The jumply dwarf
The tale of Rumpelstiltskin, or Rumpelstiltskin, is one of the Brothers Grimm books that tells the story of the miller's attempt to trick the king. One day, while wandering through the countryside, the king encounters a miller who lies to him, trying to convince him that his daughter could spin straw into gold. To verify this, the king locks the miller's daughter in a room.
Locking her up puts straw on her to verify that what her father had said was true. Locked in that place, she appears to her Rumpelstiltskin, an evil elf who promises her that if she gives him a necklace he will turn that straw into gold. Once the deal is closed, the straw is transformed into the precious mineral. This fact is repeated several times. until the day came when the king promised him that straw would turn into gold he would marry her.
Faced with this offer, the goblin promises to turn straw into gold as long as she gives him the life of her firstborn. The princess promises to give him the soul of her son. When the time comes for the birth of the king and the girl's first child, the goblin comes to claim his offering. The girl tries to persuade him, and the hopping dwarf promises to leave the child alone as long as she tells him his name.
Hansel y Gretel
Hansel and Gretel is another book by the Brothers Grimm that tells the story of a poor woodcutter married to an evil woman. This woodcutter had two children, Hansel and Gretel, from his first marriage. Because he had no way to feed them, under the persuasion of the children's stepmother, he decided to abandon them in the forest.
The frightened children decide to venture into the woods and come across a gingerbread house, cake, and brown sugar. Hungry, they decide to eat some. However, they didn't know it was a trap set by an old witch so she could catch them and eat them.
This story addresses values that children can strengthen, such as camaraderie, ingenuity, false pretenses, and teamwork. These children, following a plan, manage to defeat the old woman and return home with precious stones that would lift their father out of poverty.
The Frog King or Iron Henry
Another of the Brothers Grimm's books is the tale titled The Frog King or Iron Henry. This tale tells the story of a beautiful princess spoiled by her father, the king. The sovereign king gives her a golden ball. The princess wanders around the kingdom playing with the ball until she reaches a well where the ball falls. Upon seeing a frog, she agrees that if she brings him the ball, he would sleep in her room in the palace. The frog agrees to the deal and brings the ball to the princess.
However, the princess forgets that she had made a pact with the frog. The frog appears at the palace and tells the king about the deal the princess and the reptile had made.
The king persuades the princess to let the frog sleep in her room. However, the princess, repulsed by the animal, throws it to the floor. A handsome prince appears and confesses that he had been the victim of an evil witch's spell. She falls in love, and the king agrees to their marriage.
Little Red Riding Hood
One of the Brothers Grimm's most famous books is the tale titled Little Red Riding Hood. It tells the story of a little girl who was called Little Red Riding Hood because she always wore a cloak with a red hood. One day, her mother asked her to take a basket of food to her grandmother, who was sick in her cottage. Her mother's instructions were to take the path to her grandmother's cottage. Little Red Riding Hood, disobeying her mother to take a shortcut, decided to go through the woods. Joyfully, she was walking through the woods when she stumbled upon a wolf.
The wolf, persuading the girl, asked her where she was going, and she bluntly told him she was going to her grandmother's house. The wolf pretended not to care where she was going. However, the wolf hurriedly arrived at the grandmother's house first and disguised himself as the old man.
The wolf eats the grandmother and then disguises himself in her clothes and waits to eat Little Red Riding Hood as well. When the girl arrives, she finds that the wolf wanted to eat her, and they go to sleep. However, Little Red Riding Hood found a bean that the wolf had stolen. The girl eats the bean and grows very strong, managing to defeat and kill the wolf.
Cinderella
Cinderella's widowed father marries a woman who had two daughters. Soon after, the man dies, and the three women, filled with envy for the beauty, sweetness, and affection that everyone showed Cinderella, treat her with hatred and contempt.
They make her do household chores. But she remains a beautiful, serene, and sweet girl. One day, the prince of the region organizes a ball because he is looking for a wife. Cinderella, excited, longed with all her heart to go to the ball, but her stepmother prevents her.
Heartbroken, Cinderella cries in her room. A fairy godmother appears and casts a spell to transform her into a beautiful princess and prepares her for the ball. However, she warns her that she has until midnight, or the spell will be broken.
At first sight, he falls in love with the prince and Cinderella, and they dance endlessly. But at midnight, Cinderella remembers the fairy's warning and runs away, leaving one of her glass slippers behind. The prince decided to find the young woman, so she decided to try on every young woman in the kingdom so he could marry her. Despite the evil plan of the stepmother and her daughters, the prince finally meets Cinderella, and they are married.
Rapunzel
Another of the Brothers Grimm's classic books tells the story of Rapunzel. A girl who, in her early childhood, was kidnapped by an evil witch. She imprisoned her in an unknown tower in the region. A handsome prince was walking through the forest and heard a beautiful voice singing in the distance. Even without seeing the young maiden, the prince fell madly in love with that voice, but discovered there was no way to reach that lofty prison. He declared his love for her.
Day after day, the prince crept closer to the tower until, like the wicked old witch, he managed to enter the prison. The only way to enter that high, hidden prison was for Rapunzel to let down her long braid.
The young king asks his beloved to let her long hair fall, and they meet. He manages to free her and defeat the evil queen, and they are married.
Snow White
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is one of the other most famous Grimm books in history.
It is about the life of a snow-white girl. She is the daughter of an esteemed king who is widowed after the birth of his daughter. She decides to contract with a very beautiful evil stepmother. This woman was very vain and asked the mirror daily who was the most beautiful in the kingdom. The mirror always answered that she was the most beautiful woman.
Soon after, the king dies, leaving only the stepmother and the girl. Once Snow White is born, she transforms into a beautiful woman. The stepmother, as usual, always stood in front of the mirror and asked who the most beautiful woman in the kingdom was. However, this time, the mirror's answer was that the most beautiful was Snow White.
Upon hearing this response, the stepmother became very jealous and summoned a man she trusted completely and ordered him to kill Snow White. However, that man took pity on the beautiful young woman and left her in the forest.
That noble and good girl looks desolate in the forest and walking she finds a cabin where she found food and managed to sleep. The owners of that house were seven dwarfs who, seeing Snow White, took pity on the girl. Snow White told him the plan of that wicked witch.
The dwarfs invited her to live in their house. One day, the stepmother asked the mirror again who was the fairest in the forest, and the mirror once again replied, "Snow White." Upon discovering where Snow White lived, under a spell, the fruit looked so tempting that Snow White didn't hesitate to take a bite and immediately fell under the spell.
A traveling prince was wandering through the forest and heard news of a beautiful girl under a spell. Upon seeing her, he fell in love and kissed her. With true love's kiss, Snow White returned to life, and they fell in love and married.
The wolf and the seven kids
One of the Brothers Grimm's books that leaves a strong moral is the tale titled The Wolf and the Seven Goats. This story reminds us of the importance of children listening to their parents. It also highlights the fact that children can never trust strangers, even when they are offered gifts and candy. Another lesson this book teaches is that children should never open the door to strangers, no matter how much the person insists. This story has sad and happy passages, but a completely different ending.
The story tells of a mother goat living in a beautiful little house with her seven kids. One day, the mother had to leave her children alone. However, she warns them not to open the door to strangers and to be very careful of the wolf, who was always lurking in that part of the forest.
The wolf, noticing that the goats were alone, tried to persuade them to open the door. However, the goats had already been warned by their mother and shouted at him to leave the house. However, the wolf was very clever and disguised himself, and the goats managed to open the door.
The wolf swallowed six goats. The smallest managed to hide. When his mother arrived, she realized what had happened, and the youngest child told her how the wolf tricked them. The mother, desperate, went out to look for her children and found the wolf resting, its belly still moving. The mother asked the youngest goat to search her house for scissors, thread, and a needle. She managed to cut open the wolf's belly and rescue the rest of her children, who were still safe and sound.
Sleeping Beauty
The story goes that for a long time the king and queen desired children, but were unable to conceive. One day their wish was granted, and they had a little girl whom they named Princess Aurora. To celebrate the birth of this sweet princess, they organized a party in honor of the little girl. This grand celebration was attended by three of the kingdom's fairies, who bestowed positive gifts upon the princess. Two of those fairies had already given her the gifts, but an evil witch who hadn't been invited to the party broke the deal.
Enraged by the slight of not inviting her, she cursed the girl and condemned her to prick her finger with a needle in a wheel and die. The third fairy, who had not yet granted her Gift, mitigated that curse with another boy. She said that if the princess pricks her finger with a needle, she would not die, but would sleep for a century until she received a kiss from true love.
The three serpent blades
Another of the Brothers Grimm's wonderful tales is titled "The Three Snake Leaves." It tells the story of a young man who realizes his family is going through a very difficult financial situation. He decides to leave his father to seek financial resources to help him. After a journey, this young man enters the service of a king. The kingdom was at war, and the young man goes to the battlefield where he demonstrates his courage and skill, saving the kingdom from enemy attack.
The king, very grateful, grants him a privileged place within the kingdom and grants him the hand of his only daughter as his wife. However, the princess makes a strange request: any man who wishes to marry her should she die should be buried alive next to her. The young man accepts the condition, but unfortunately, the young woman dies shortly after.
The hero of the reign fulfills the promise he made to his wife and, finding himself inside the crypt, finds the opportunity to save his beloved and himself with three green leaves that could revive a snake.
He manages to resurrect his beloved wife, but it seems her love for her first husband has vanished. Together with her lover, they plan a crime. Fortunately for the young hero, however, one of his most faithful servants realizes what they are planning and manages to rescue the young man from death using the three serpent leaves he had kept since the first time the young man rescued himself.
The king, loyal to his friend for having defended the kingdom, makes his daughter pay for her crime and has her die alongside her new love.
The brave little tailor
The story tells of a little tailor who was very proud of having killed seven flies with a single blow. He went out to tell everyone he had killed seven with one blow. Those who heard his promise believed he had killed seven people with a single swipe of his paw. This story began to spread, and people believed he was a great warrior. Using his ingenuity, he managed to impress a giant and his friends, persuading them. When the king heard these great stories, he promised that if the kingdom of two giants vibrated with a unicorn and a boar, he would grant him half.
The brave little tailor, trusting in his great ingenuity, accepts and passes each of the tests, proving himself a fearsome warrior. The king grants him half the kingdom and the hand of his beautiful daughter, the princess.
The three golden hairs of the devil
All these Grimm books would be incomplete without the story of the devil's three golden hairs. It tells the story of a prophecy about a poor boy born with a cap on his head and all his teeth, who is destined to marry a princess.
The queen's father did everything he could to get rid of that boy from a very young age. However, the young man managed to marry the princess in the king's absence.
The angry king tells him he must go to hell and bring him three hairs from the devil's head as proof of his identity. The young man, determined, heads for hell. To get there, he must pass through two large walled cities and cross a river.
The ferryman and the sentries proposed three major problems, and the young man promised to solve them on his return. Upon arriving in Hell, he encounters the Devil's grandfather, who takes pity on the young man after seeing the trials he had been subjected to.
He helps the young man by removing three hairs from his grandson's head and gives him the answers to the three riddles. Upon his return, the young man gives him the answers to the three problems, and the sentries and the ferryman give him donkeys laden with precious stones and gold.
Upon his return, the young man was warmly welcomed by the woman and his ambitious father-in-law. Seeing such great riches, he asked where all those precious stones and minerals had come from. The young man told him he must cross the river and those great cities, without mentioning that the first riddle was that whoever took the ferryman's oar would take his place.
His father-in-law went to that place and asked the boatman to help him cross the river. The boatman gave him the oar, and without realizing it, he had to take the boatman's place, so he could never return. If you'd like to hear this story, here's the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W316ZnvGm7Q
The fisherman and his wife
It's one of the classic books by the Brothers Grimm that tells the story of a husband who faithfully fulfills his wife's wishes. The story begins with a humble fisherman who, while fishing, catches a goldfish.
This golden fish speaks to him and tells him to set him free, for he is a prince enchanted, and if he were to set him free, he would grant him some favors. The noble man sets the golden fish free and returns home. He recounts his experience to the ambitious woman, who repeatedly makes him return to the lake to ask the golden fish for great riches, which are granted.
At the end of the story, the greedy woman's ambitions are so great that the goldfish transforms her back into a very humble woman, and they lose all the possessions the goldfish had granted them. The story's moral is that neither envy nor respect leads only to misfortune.
The Cristal ball
The Crystal Ball is another of the Brothers Grimm books that tells the story of a sorceress who has three sons. This evil sorceress despised her sons, believing that at some point they would seize power from her. To their distrust, she decided to cast a spell on each of them. She transformed her eldest son into an eagle. The bird managed to fly to the top of a mountain. Her second son was turned into a whale. She condemned him to live the rest of his life at sea. When her third son realized what his mother had done to his brothers, he decided to run away.
Then, his journey leads him to a castle where a beautiful princess is imprisoned, and he decides to rescue her by any means necessary. After facing numerous trials, he manages to rescue the young princess and her future love.
The Golden Bird
Long ago, in a distant kingdom, there was a castle with a beautiful garden. In this beautiful place, a tree grows that bears golden apples. Every day, they picked the apples and counted them. One day, while counting the apples, they realized one was missing.
The king puts one of his three sons on guard duty at night to identify who was stealing the golden apples. However, the young prince, tired, fell asleep at midnight. When he awoke, he realized that another golden apple had been stolen.
The following night, the king decides to place his second son on sentry duty, however, when midnight comes, sleep also overtakes him.
At dawn he realizes that a golden apple is missing again.
The saddened king appoints his third son, although he didn't trust him, to guard the tree. The younger prince, determined to solve the riddle, stays awake and senses at midnight the arrival of a golden bird that takes a golden apple from the tree. The young prince manages to pierce the bird with a sword, and the bird escapes. However, one of its feathers falls to the ground.
This is the proof the young prince gives his father about what was happening. The king, astonished, calls his council and tells them that the feather was worth more than the entire kingdom combined. The king then searched for the bird throughout the kingdom.
Brothers Grimm Biography
The Grimm brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm, were born in Hanau, Hessen, Germany. Jacob and Wilhelm were the eldest of six children. By the age of 20, both brothers were working in a library. Jacob was the librarian, and his brother served as the library secretary.
His father, a legal scholar, studied at the University of Marburg. His older children followed in his footsteps, where they met C. Brentano, a figure who captivated them with his popular poetry. They also established a relationship with F.K. Savigny, who persuaded them to study a method of textual research, which formed the basis of their later work.
Before reaching the age of 30, their names were already famous for their publications and short stories. Their most famous works are the children's and household stories mentioned earlier in this article, as well as others that also stand out, such as Tom Thumb, The Three Spinners, The Bold Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Three Feathers, The Water of Life, The Godmother of Death, The Riddle, The Queen Bee, among others.
Both brothers were dedicated to their professions as university professors in Göttingen and Kassel. Despite being distinguished professionals, they were dismissed from their universities after leading a protest against King Ernest Augustus I of Hanover. A year later, the brothers were invited to Berlin by Frederick William IV of Prussia. There, they once again distinguished themselves as university professors at Humboldt University and were also members of the Royal Academy of Sciences. Like these brothers, the works of Franz Kafka have caused a sensation in the international literary world.
