The Ear of Corn is a German fairy tale

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...

 collected by the Brothers Grimm

Brothers Grimm

The Brothers Grimm , Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm , were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, and authors who collected folklore and published several collections of it as Grimm's Fairy Tales, which became very popular...

, number 194. It is Aarne-Thompson type 779, Divine Rewards and Punishments.

Synopsis

Corn (wheat) used to produce many more grains, but one day God saw a woman using the grain to clean off her muddy son. Angry, he cursed them to have no more grain, since they were not worthy of it. Bystanders pleaded with him to have mercy, especially because of the children, and he chose to have it have the current amount of grain.

Title

Different usages have led to this tale being called "The Ear of Corn" and "The Ear of Wheat" in English.