The Two Kings' Children

The Two Kings' Children is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in "Grimm's Fairy Tales", tale number 113.Jacob and Wilheim Grimm, "Household Tales", [http://www.surlalunefairytales.com/authors/grimms/113twokingschildren.html "The Two Kings' Children"] ]

It is Aarne-Thompson type 313C, the girl helps the hero flee, and type 884, the forgotten fiancée. [D.L. Ashliman, " [http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimmtales.html The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales (Grimms' Fairy Tales)] "] Others of the first type include "The Master Maid", "The Water Nixie", "Nix Nought Nothing", "Jean, the Soldier, and Eulalie, the Devil's Daughter", and "Foundling-Bird". Other of the second type include "The Twelve Huntsmen", "The True Bride", and "Sweetheart Roland".

The Brothers Grimm also noted that scene with the false bride resembles that of "The Singing, Soaring Lark". Other fairy tales that use a similar motif include "East of the Sun and West of the Moon", "Black Bull of Norroway", "The Feather of Finist the Falcon", "Mr Simigdáli", and "White-Bear-King-Valemon".

ynopsis

It was foretold of a king's son that he would be killed by a stag at sixteen. When he was sixteen, he went hunting and chased a stag; a great man, a king, caught him and carried him off. He set him to watch his three daughters, one each night; he would call to the king's son each hour, and if he answered every time, the king's son could marry his daughter, but if not, he would die. Each night, the daughter he was set to watch enchanted a statue of St. Christopher to answer in the king's son's place.

The king said in order to marry one of the daughters, he had to cut down a forest in a day, and the king gave him a glass axe, a glass mallet, and a glass wedge to do it. All these things broke, and the king's son wept. The king told his daughters to bring him some food. The youngest daughter brought it, and told him to let her comb his hair. He fell asleep, and she conjured up Earth-workers to fell the forest.

The king then ordered the king's son to clear a muddy pond and fill it with fish in a day. When the king's son tried, his hoe and shovel stuck and broke. The youngest daughter brought him food and got him to sleep again; then she conjured the Earth workers again.

The king then ordered the king's son to clear a mountain of briars and put a castle on it. The glass hatchet he was given broke on the first briars, and the youngest daughter saved him again.

Finally, the king declared that the youngest daughter could not marry until the oldest daughters were married. The couple decided to run away at night. Once they were on their way, the king's daughter heard her father behind them. She turned herself into a rose, and the king's son into a briar. Her father thought he had lost them, and went back, but his wife told him the briar and the rose had been the children. He chased them again. The king's daughter turned herself into a priest, and the king's son into a church, and she preached a sermon. The king listened to the sermon and went home. His wife told him that they had been the children and came after them herself. The daughter realized the queen would know them whatever they did, but she changed herself into a duck and the king's son into a pond. The queen tried to drink the pool, but became ill and told her daughter she could come back. The daughter did, and the queen gave her three walnuts to aid her.

The king's son and the king's daughter went on. The king's son had her stay while he went to get her carriage to bring her back in due state, but his mother kissed him, and he forgot the king's daughter entirely. The king's daughter had to work for a miller.

One day, the queen sought a bride for her son. The king's daughter cracked one walnut and found a splendid dress in it. She wore it to the wedding. The bride declared she would not marry without a dress as fine. The king's daughter would not give it up unless she could spend a night outside the king's son's bedroom. The bride agreed but had the servants give the king's son a potion so he slept. She lamented all night long; the king's son did not hear, but the servants did. In the morning, the bride took the dress and went with the king's son to the church, but the king's daughter cracked the second walnut, and it held a more splendid dress, and the bride again refused to marry without one as fine. The king's daughter asked the same price, and the bride agreed and gave the same order, but the servant, who had heard, gave the king's son something to keep him awake. He heard her laments and was troubled by them. His mother had locked the door, but in the morning, he begged her pardon. The king's daughter cracked the third walnut and found still more splendid dress and wore it as her wedding gown, but the bride and the false mother were sent away.

ee also

*Anthousa, Xanthousa, Chrisomalousa
*Snow-White-Fire-Red

References