Esben and the Witch
Encyclopedia
Esben and the Witch is a Danish fairy tale
. Andrew Lang
included it in The Pink Fairy Book. A version of the tale also appears in A Book of Witches
and A Choice of Magic
, by Ruth Manning-Sanders
. It is Aarne-Thompson type 327B, the small boy defeats the ogre.
, Esben, was little while his brothers were big and strong. One day the brother persuaded their father to let them seek their fortunes; he gave them each horses and money. Esben decided he would go too. His father refused to aid him. He took a stick and whittled it, so it was whiter than his brothers' horses, and rode off on it.
The eleven brothers came to a house where an old hag
told them they could not only stay for the night, they could each have one of her daughters. They were pleased. Esben came up behind them and sneaked about. In the night, he had his brothers change caps with the daughters. At midnight, the witch came with a knife and cut her daughters' throats, because of their night caps. Esben woke his brothers, and they all fled. The brothers left Esben behind on their horses.
The brothers took service with the king as stableboys. When Esben arrived, no one gave him a place, but he managed to get his food with one thing or another. His brothers did not stand to attention for Sir Red, whom everyone else at the castle hated but the king liked. Sir Red decided to revenge himself by saying they had said they could get the king a dove with a silver feather and a golden one. The king demanded it of them. Esben told them to get him some peas, then he recited a charm to his stick, and it flew him back to the witch's. He had noticed she had such a dove; he spread the peas and caught it. The witch saw him too late to catch him, but they exchanged taunts.
The king was pleased. Angry, Sir Red claimed that they had said that they could get him a boar with silver and golden bristles. Esben made them give him a bag of malt, and using it, caught just a boar that belonged to the witch.
The king was pleased with that, although his brothers did not even thank Esben. Sir Red claimed they had said they could get a lamp that could shine over seven kingdoms. Esben asked for a bag of salt. This task, he had to sneak inside; finally, he climbed down the chimney. He still could not find the lamp, which the witch guarded carefully, so he hid in the baking oven. The witch called to her daughter to make her porridge and add no salt, so Esben poured the bag into it. The witch complained and had her daughter make more, but there was no water in the house, so the daughter asked for the lamp to fetch more. Esben pushed her into the well and ran off with the lamp.
After the king received it, Sir Red made a new claim, about a coverlet that sounded when touched. Esben, taking nothing, tried to steal it, but it sounded and the witch caught him. She started to fatten him up, but her daughter took a liking to him. When the witch wanted to test how fat he was, he had the daughter give her a nail. Then, the next time, Esben was tired of the dark hole he was captive in, so he had her give her mother a cow's teat.
The witch had to go to a meeting of witches, so she told her daughter to roast him while she was gone. The daughter took him out but could not push him into the oven. She showed him how to sit, and he pushed her into the oven and stole the coverlet. This time, he told the witch he would not return, and she burst into pieces of flint.
His brothers were already in prison to be executed, but the king freed them. Esben also told him about Sir Red, and the king hanged him and rewarded all the brothers with gold and silver, and they returned home, telling their father how Esben had saved them.
In many tales, the hero must perform acts because someone has claimed that he boasted of them, but it is seldom to protect his brothers; in many cases, it is his brothers who slandered him -- Thirteenth
, The Grateful Beasts
, Boots and the Troll
, and How the Dragon was Tricked
-- and when it is not, the brothers seldom are involved, as in Dapplegrim
, Corvetto
, or The Gold-bearded Man
.
Fairy tale
A fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
. Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang
Andrew Lang was a Scots poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.- Biography :Lang was born in Selkirk...
included it in The Pink Fairy Book. A version of the tale also appears in A Book of Witches
A Book of Witches
A Book of Witches is a 1966 anthology of 12 fairy tales from Europe that have been collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders. It is one in a long series of such anthologies by Manning-Sanders....
and A Choice of Magic
A Choice of Magic
A Choice of Magic is a 1971 anthology of 32 fairy tales from around the world that have been collected and retold by Ruth Manning-Sanders. In fact, the book is mostly a collection of tales published in previous Manning-Sanders anthologies...
, by Ruth Manning-Sanders
Ruth Manning-Sanders
Ruth Manning-Sanders was a prolific British poet and author who was perhaps best known for her series of children's books in which she collected and retold fairy tales from all over the world. All told, she published more than 90 books during her lifetime. The dust jacket for A Book of Giants...
. It is Aarne-Thompson type 327B, the small boy defeats the ogre.
Synopsis
A farmer had twelve sons, and the youngestYoungest son
The youngest son is a stock character in fairy tales, where he features as the hero. He is usually the third son, but sometimes there are more brothers, and sometimes he has only one; usually, they have no sisters....
, Esben, was little while his brothers were big and strong. One day the brother persuaded their father to let them seek their fortunes; he gave them each horses and money. Esben decided he would go too. His father refused to aid him. He took a stick and whittled it, so it was whiter than his brothers' horses, and rode off on it.
The eleven brothers came to a house where an old hag
Hag
A hag is a wizened old woman, or a kind of fairy or goddess having the appearance of such a woman, often found in folklore and children's tales such as Hansel and Gretel. Hags are often seen as malevolent, but may also be one of the chosen forms of shapeshifting deities, such as the Morrígan or...
told them they could not only stay for the night, they could each have one of her daughters. They were pleased. Esben came up behind them and sneaked about. In the night, he had his brothers change caps with the daughters. At midnight, the witch came with a knife and cut her daughters' throats, because of their night caps. Esben woke his brothers, and they all fled. The brothers left Esben behind on their horses.
The brothers took service with the king as stableboys. When Esben arrived, no one gave him a place, but he managed to get his food with one thing or another. His brothers did not stand to attention for Sir Red, whom everyone else at the castle hated but the king liked. Sir Red decided to revenge himself by saying they had said they could get the king a dove with a silver feather and a golden one. The king demanded it of them. Esben told them to get him some peas, then he recited a charm to his stick, and it flew him back to the witch's. He had noticed she had such a dove; he spread the peas and caught it. The witch saw him too late to catch him, but they exchanged taunts.
The king was pleased. Angry, Sir Red claimed that they had said that they could get him a boar with silver and golden bristles. Esben made them give him a bag of malt, and using it, caught just a boar that belonged to the witch.
The king was pleased with that, although his brothers did not even thank Esben. Sir Red claimed they had said they could get a lamp that could shine over seven kingdoms. Esben asked for a bag of salt. This task, he had to sneak inside; finally, he climbed down the chimney. He still could not find the lamp, which the witch guarded carefully, so he hid in the baking oven. The witch called to her daughter to make her porridge and add no salt, so Esben poured the bag into it. The witch complained and had her daughter make more, but there was no water in the house, so the daughter asked for the lamp to fetch more. Esben pushed her into the well and ran off with the lamp.
After the king received it, Sir Red made a new claim, about a coverlet that sounded when touched. Esben, taking nothing, tried to steal it, but it sounded and the witch caught him. She started to fatten him up, but her daughter took a liking to him. When the witch wanted to test how fat he was, he had the daughter give her a nail. Then, the next time, Esben was tired of the dark hole he was captive in, so he had her give her mother a cow's teat.
The witch had to go to a meeting of witches, so she told her daughter to roast him while she was gone. The daughter took him out but could not push him into the oven. She showed him how to sit, and he pushed her into the oven and stole the coverlet. This time, he told the witch he would not return, and she burst into pieces of flint.
His brothers were already in prison to be executed, but the king freed them. Esben also told him about Sir Red, and the king hanged him and rewarded all the brothers with gold and silver, and they returned home, telling their father how Esben had saved them.
See also
- Hop o' My ThumbHop o' My Thumb"Hop-o'-My-Thumb", also known as "Little Thumbling" , is a literary fairy tale by Charles Perrault . At the age of 67, Perrault decided to dedicate himself to his children and published Tales and Stories of the Past with Morals , with the subtitle: Tales of Mother Goose...
- Molly WhuppieMolly WhuppieMolly Whuppie is a Scottish fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in English Fairy Tales. A Highland version, Maol a Chliobain, was collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands...
In many tales, the hero must perform acts because someone has claimed that he boasted of them, but it is seldom to protect his brothers; in many cases, it is his brothers who slandered him -- Thirteenth
Thirteenth (fairy tale)
Thirteenth is an Italian fairy tale collected by Thomas Frederick Crane in Italian Popular Tales. It is Aarne-Thompson type 328, the boy steals the giant's treasures.-Synopsis:...
, The Grateful Beasts
The Grateful Beasts
The Grateful Beasts is a Hungarian fairy tale collected by Hermann Kletke. Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book.-Synopsis:Three sons set out to seek their fortune...
, Boots and the Troll
Boots and the Troll
Boots and the Troll is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in Norwegian Folktales.-Synopsis:An old man died. His three sons set out to seek their fortune. The two older would have nothing to do with the youngest son, whom they said was fit for nothing but...
, and How the Dragon was Tricked
How the Dragon was Tricked
How the Dragon was Tricked is a Greek fairy tale collected by J. G. von Hahn in Griechische und Albanesische Märchen. Andrew Lang included it in The Pink Fairy Book. It is Aarne-Thompson type 328, the boy steals the giant's treasures.-Synopsis:...
-- and when it is not, the brothers seldom are involved, as in Dapplegrim
Dapplegrim
Dapplegrim is a Norwegian fairy tale collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their Norske Folkeeventyr. Andrew Lang included it in The Red Fairy Book.-Synopsis:The youngest of twelve sons goes off to serve the king for a year...
, Corvetto
Corvetto
Corvetto is an Italian literary fairy tale written by Giambattista Basile in his 1634 work, the Pentamerone.It is Aarne-Thompson type 531. Other tales of this type include The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa, Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful, King Fortunatus's Golden Wig, and The...
, or The Gold-bearded Man
The Gold-bearded Man
The Gold-bearded Man is an Hungarian fairy tale collected in Ungarische Mahrchen. Andrew Lang included it in The Crimson Fairy Book.-Synopsis:...
.