Grimm's Fairy Tales

Chapter Sixteen: Brother And Sister

1812GRIMM'S FAIRY TALESBROTHER AND SISTERJacob Ludwig Grimm and Wilhelm Carl Grimm (all credit goes to them and may they rest in peace)

A BROTHER took his sister's hand and said to her, "Since ourmother died we have had no good days; our step-mother beats usevery day, and if we go near her she kicks us away; we havenothing to eat but hard crusts of bread left over; the dog under thetable fares better, he gets a good piece every now and then. If ourmother only knew, how she would pity us! Come, let us gotogether out into the wide world!" So they went, and journeyed thewhole day through fields and meadows and stony places, and if itrained the sister said, "The skies and we are weeping together." Inthe evening they came to a great wood, and they were so wearywith hunger and their long journey, that they climbed up into ahigh tree and fell asleep.

The next morning, when they awoke, the sun was high in heaven,and shone brightly through the leaves. Then said the brother,"Sister, I am thirsty; if I only knew where to find a brook, that Imight go and drink! I almost think that I hear one rushing." So thebrother got down and led his sister by the hand, and they went toseek the brook. But their wicked step-mother was a witch, and hadknown quite well that the two children had run away, and hadsneaked after them, as only witches can, and had laid a spell on allthe brooks in the forest. So whenthey found a little stream flowingsmoothly over its pebbles, the brother was going to drink of it; but the sister heard how it said in its rushing, "He a tiger will be whodrinks of me, Who drinks of me a tiger will be!"

Then the sister cried, "Pray, dear brother, do not drink, or you willbecome a wild beast, and will tear me in pieces." So the brotherrefrained from drinking, though his thirst was great, and he saidhe would wait till he came to the next brook. When they came to asecond brook the sister heard it say, "He a wolf will be who drinksof me, Who drinks of me a wolf will be!"

Then the sister cried, "Pray, dear brother, do not drink, or you willbe turned into a wolf, and will eat me up!" So the brother refrainedfrom drinking, and said, "I will wait until we come to the nextbrook, and then I must drink, whatever you say; my thirst is sogreat." And when they came to the third brook the sister heardhow in its rushing it said, "He a fawn will be who drinks of me,Who drinks of me a fawn will be!"

Then the sister said, "O my brother, I pray drink not, or you will beturned into a fawn, and run away far from me." But he had alreadykneeled by the side of the brook and stooped and drunk of thewater, and as the first drops passed his lips he became a fawn. Andthe sister wept over her poor lost brother, and the fawn wept also,and stayed sadly beside her. At last the maiden said, "Becomforted, dear fawn, indeed I will never leave you." Then sheuntied her golden girdle and bound it round the fawn's neck, andwent and gathered rushes to make a soft cord, which she fastenedto him; and then she led him on, and they went deeper into theforest. And when they had gone a long long way, they came at lastto a little house, and the maiden looked inside, and as it was emptyshe thought, "We might as well live here." And she fetched leavesand moss to make a soft bed for the fawn, and every morning shewent out and gathered roots and berries and nuts for herself, andfresh grass for the fawn, who ate out of her hand with joy,frolicking round her.

At night, when the sister was tired, and had said her prayers, shelaid her head on the fawn's back, which served her for a pillow,and softly fell asleep. And if only the brother could have got backhis own shape again, it would have been a charming life. So theylived a long while in the wilderness alone.

Now it happened that the King of that country held a great hunt inthe forest.

The blowing of the horns, the barking of the dogs, and the lustyshouts of the huntsmen sounded through the wood, and the fawnheard them and was eager to be among them.