The Water of Life (German fairy tale)
Encyclopedia
The Water of Life is a German fairy tale
collected by the Brothers Grimm
, tale number 97.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 551.
John Francis Campbell
noted it as a parallel of the Scottish fairy tale, The Brown Bear of the Green Glen
.
would save him. Each one set out in turn. The two older ones, setting out in hopes of being the heir, were rude to a dwarf on the way and became trapped in ravines. When the youngest son
went, the dwarf asked where he was going, and he told him. The dwarf told him it was in a castle, and gave him an iron wand to open the gates and two loaves to feed to the lions inside. Then he had to get the water before the clock struck twelve, when the gates would shut again.
He opened the gate with the wand and fed the lions the bread. Then he came to a hall where there were sleeping princes, and he took rings from their fingers, and some bread and sword from the table. He went on and found a beautiful princess, who kissed him, told him he had freed her, and promised to marry him if he returned within a year. Then she told him where the spring was. He went on, but saw a bed and lay down to sleep. When he woke, it was quarter to twelve. He sprang up, got the water, and escaped, with the closing gate taking off the heel of his boot.
He met the dwarf who told him what happened to his brothers and, at his imploring, freed them. They came to a kingdom plagued with war and famine, and the prince killed their foes with the sword and fed them with the loaf. Then they came to two more kingdoms in the same situation, and they did the same. Then they got on a ship to cross the sea and come home. The older brothers
stole the water of life and filled his bottle with sea water.
The king was sickened by the sea water; the older brothers accused the youngest of trying to poison him and gave him the water of life. The king decided to have his youngest son secretly killed. He sent a huntsman with him, into the woods, but the huntsman told the prince, and the prince fled.
Treasure arrived, from the three
kingdoms the youngest prince had saved, and the king wondered about his guilt. The huntsman confessed that he had not killed him, and the king issued a proclamation that he could freely return.
The princess in the castle had made a golden road to it and told her people to admit no one who did not ride straight up it. The two older princes saw it and thought it would be a shame to harm it, so they rode alongside, and the servants did not admit them. The youngest thought so constantly of the princess that he did not notice it, so he rode up it and was admitted. They married. The prince went back to his father and told the true story. The king wished to punish the older brothers, but they fled at sea and never returned.
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...
, tale number 97.
It is Aarne-Thompson type 551.
John Francis Campbell
John Francis Campbell
John Francis Campbell , Celtic scholar, educated at Eton and Edinburgh, was afterwards Secretary to the Lighthouse Commission...
noted it as a parallel of the Scottish fairy tale, The Brown Bear of the Green Glen
The Brown Bear of the Green Glen
The Brown Bear of the Green Glen is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands, listing his informant as John MacDonald, a "Traveling Tinker." He also noted the parallels with The Water of Life....
.
Synopsis
A king was dying. An old man told his sons that the water of lifeFountain of Youth
The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus, the Alexander romance, and the stories of Prester John...
would save him. Each one set out in turn. The two older ones, setting out in hopes of being the heir, were rude to a dwarf on the way and became trapped in ravines. When the youngest son
Youngest 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....
went, the dwarf asked where he was going, and he told him. The dwarf told him it was in a castle, and gave him an iron wand to open the gates and two loaves to feed to the lions inside. Then he had to get the water before the clock struck twelve, when the gates would shut again.
He opened the gate with the wand and fed the lions the bread. Then he came to a hall where there were sleeping princes, and he took rings from their fingers, and some bread and sword from the table. He went on and found a beautiful princess, who kissed him, told him he had freed her, and promised to marry him if he returned within a year. Then she told him where the spring was. He went on, but saw a bed and lay down to sleep. When he woke, it was quarter to twelve. He sprang up, got the water, and escaped, with the closing gate taking off the heel of his boot.
He met the dwarf who told him what happened to his brothers and, at his imploring, freed them. They came to a kingdom plagued with war and famine, and the prince killed their foes with the sword and fed them with the loaf. Then they came to two more kingdoms in the same situation, and they did the same. Then they got on a ship to cross the sea and come home. The older brothers
False hero
The false hero is a stock character in fairy tales, and sometimes also in ballads. The character appears near the end of a story in order to claim to be the hero or heroine and is, therefore, always of the same sex as the hero or heroine. The false hero presents some claim to the position. By...
stole the water of life and filled his bottle with sea water.
The king was sickened by the sea water; the older brothers accused the youngest of trying to poison him and gave him the water of life. The king decided to have his youngest son secretly killed. He sent a huntsman with him, into the woods, but the huntsman told the prince, and the prince fled.
Treasure arrived, from the three
Rule of three (writing)
The "rule of three" is a principle in writing that suggests that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. The reader/audience of this form of text is also more likely to consume information if it is written in groups of...
kingdoms the youngest prince had saved, and the king wondered about his guilt. The huntsman confessed that he had not killed him, and the king issued a proclamation that he could freely return.
The princess in the castle had made a golden road to it and told her people to admit no one who did not ride straight up it. The two older princes saw it and thought it would be a shame to harm it, so they rode alongside, and the servants did not admit them. The youngest thought so constantly of the princess that he did not notice it, so he rode up it and was admitted. They married. The prince went back to his father and told the true story. The king wished to punish the older brothers, but they fled at sea and never returned.
See also
- The King of England and his Three SonsThe King of England and his Three SonsThe King of England and his Three Sons is a Gypsy fairy tale collected by Joseph Jacobs in More English Fairy Tales. He listed as his source Francis Hindes Groome's In Gypsy Tents, where the informant was John Roberts, a Welsh gypsy....
- The Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's SonThe Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's SonThe Rider Of Grianaig, And Iain The Soldier's Son is a Scottish fairy tale collected by John Francis Campbell in Popular Tales of the West Highlands, listing his informant as Donald MacNiven, a lame carrier, in Bowmore, Islay; the story was written down by Hector MacLean on 5 July, 1859...
- The King of Erin and the Queen of the Lonesome IslandThe King of Erin and the Queen of the Lonesome IslandThe King of Erin and the Queen of the Lonesome Island is an Irish fairy tale collected by Jeremiah Curtin in Myths and Folk-lore of Ireland.-Synopsis:...
- The Bird 'Grip'The Bird 'Grip'The Bird 'Grip is a Swedish fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it The Pink Fairy Book. It is Aarne-Thompson type 550, the quest for the golden bird/firebird; other tales of this type include The Golden Bird, The Greek Princess and the Young Gardener, How Ian Direach got the Blue Falcon, The Nunda,...
- The Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of LifeThe Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of LifeThe Bold Knight, the Apples of Youth, and the Water of Life is a Russian fairy tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in Narodnye russkie skazki.-Synopsis:...
- The Golden BirdThe Golden Bird"The Golden Bird" is a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, number 57, about the pursuit of a golden bird by a king's three sons.A French version, collected by Paul Sébillot, is called The Golden Blackbird. Andrew Lang included that variant in The Green Fairy Book.It is Aarne-Thompson folktale type 550,...
- The Enchanted CanaryThe Enchanted CanaryThe Enchanted Canary is a French fairy tale collected by Charles Deulin. Andrew Lang included it in The Red Fairy Book.-Synopsis:A lord was the fattest lord in Flanders. He loved his son dearly. One day, the young man told him he did not find the women in Flanders beautiful; he did not wish to...
- The Witch (fairy tale)The Witch (fairy tale)The Witch is a Russian fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book.A version of the tale, under the title "The Twins and the Snarling Witch", appears in A Book of Witches, by Ruth Manning-Sanders.-Synopsis:...
- PrunellaPrunella (fairy tale)Prunella is an Italian fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it The Grey Fairy Book. It is Aarne-Thompson type 310, the Maiden in the Tower.A version of the tale also appears in A Book of Witches, by Ruth Manning-Sanders....
- Water and SaltWater and SaltWater and Salt is an Italian fairy tale, it can be found in the collection Italian Popular Tales, collected by Thomas Frederick Crane.In the Aarne-Thompson classification system, Water and Salt is Type 923.-Synopsis:...
- The Hairy ManThe Hairy ManThe Hairy Man is a Russian fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Crimson Fairy Book.-Synopsis:Two ricks of a king's rapeseed fields are found burned every night. Finally, a shepherd with dogs keeps watch, and catches the "hairy man" who is responsible. The king puts him in a cage...
- Snow WhiteSnow White"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
- Niels and the GiantsNiels and the GiantsNiels and the Giants is a Danish fairy tale. Andrew Lang included by The Crimson Fairy Book.-Synopsis:A couple had two sons. The older was content to be a shepherd like his father, but the younger, Niels, wanted to be a hunter. He got a gun, practiced with it, and became a good shot. The mother...