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Little Brother and Little Sister
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Little brother took his little sister by the hand and said, "Since our mother died we have not had a single good hour. Our stepmother beats us every day, and whenever we come near her she kicks us away with her feet. Hard leftover crusts of bread are our food . The little dog under the table is better off, for she often throws it a good morsel. God have mercy, if our mother were to know about this. Come, let us go away together into the wide world."
they walked the whole day over meadows, fields, and stones. And when it rained the little sister said, "God and our hearts are crying together!"
In the evening they came to a large forest, and they were so tired from sorrow and hunger and from the long walk that they climbed into a hollow tree and fell asleep. The next day when they awoke the sun was already high in the sky and shone hotly down into the tree.
then the brother said, "Sister, I am thirsty. If I knew of a little spring I would go and get a drink. I think I hear one."
the brother got up and took his sister by the hand to try to find the spring.
Now the wicked stepmother was a witch, and she had seen how the two children had gone away, and had secretly crept after them, as witches do, and she had bewitched all the springs in the woods.
they found a spring, glistening as it ran over the stones. The brother was about to drink from it, but his sister heard how its rushing sound said, "Whoever drinks from me will become a tiger. Whoever drinks from me will become a tiger."
then the sister cried out, "Please, brother, do not drink, or you will become a wild animal and tear me to pieces."
the brother did not drink, although he was very thirsty, but said, "I will wait for the next spring."
When they came to the second spring the sister heard it say as well, "Whoever drinks from me will become a wolf. Whoever drinks from me will become a wolf."
then the sister cried out, "Please, brother, do not drink, or you will become a wolf and eat me up."
the brother did not drink, and said, "I will wait until we come to the next spring, but then I must drink, say what you will, for I am very thirsty."
When they came to the third spring the sister heard how its rushing sound said, "Whoever drinks from me will become a deer. Whoever drinks from me will become a deer."
the sister said, "Oh, brother, do not drink, or you will become a deer and run away from me."
But the brother had already knelt down by the spring, leaned over, and drunk from the water. As soon as the first drops touched his lips he lay there in the form of a young deer.
Now the sister cried over her poor bewitched brother, and the deer cried also, sitting sadly next to her.
Finally the girl said, "Be quiet, my sweet little deer. I will never, never leave you."
She took off her golden garter and put it around the deer's neck. Then she picked some rushes and wove them into a soft cord. This she tied to the little animal and led it onward, walking deeper and deeper into the woods.
After they had walked a long, long way they finally came to a little house. The girl looked in, and because it was empty, she thought, "We can stay here and live."
She found leaves and moss to make a soft bed for the deer. Every morning she went out and gathered roots, berries, and nuts for herself, and brought tender grass for the little deer, who ate out of her hand, and was contented and played around about her. In the evening, when the sister was tired and had said her prayers, she laid her head on the deer's back for a pillow, and gently fell asleep. If only the brother had had his human form, it would have been a wonderful life.
For some time they were alone like this in the wilderness. Then it happened that the king of the country held a GREat hunt in these woods. The blasts of the horns, the barking of the dogs, and the merry shouts of the huntsmen sounded through the trees. The little deer heard this and wanted ever so much to be with them.
"Oh," he said to his sister, "let me go and join the hunt. I cannot resist it any longer." He begged so long that she finally aGREed.
"But," she said she to him, "come back to me in the evening. I must lock the door to keep the wild huntsmen out. To let me know that it's you, knock and say, 'My little sister, let me in.' If you do not say that, I will not unlock the door."
then the young deer jumped away. He felt so good and was so happy to be in the open air. The king and his huntsmen saw the beautiful animal and started after him, but they could not catch him, and whenever they thought that they surely had him, he jumped away over the bushes and disappeared.
