The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

The Three Snake-Leaves

There was once on a time a poor man, who could no longersupport his only son. Then said the son, dear father, things go sobadly with us that I am a burden to you. I wouldrather go away and see how I can earn my bread. So the father gavehim his blessing, and with great sorrow took leave of him. At thistime the king of a mighty empire was at war and the youth tookservice with him, and went out to fight. And when he came beforethe enemy, there was a battle, and great danger, and it rained shotuntil his comrades fell on all sides, and when the leader also waskilled, those left were about to take flight, but the youth steppedforth, spoke boldly to them, and cried, we will not let ourfather-land be ruined. Then the others followed him, and he pressedon and conquered the enemy. When the king heard that he owed thevictory to him alone, he raised him above all the others, gave himgreat treasures, and made him the first in the kingdom.The king had a daughter who was very beautiful, but she wasalso very strange. She had made a vow to take no one as her lordand husband who did not promise to let himself be buried alivewith her if she died first. If he loves me with all his heart, saidshe, of what use will life be to him afterwards. On her side shewould do the same, and if he died first, would go down to the gravewith him. This strange oath had up to this time frightened awayall wooers, but the youth became so charmed with her beauty thathe cared for nothing, but asked her father for her. But do youknow what you must promise, said the king. I must be buriedwith her, he replied, if I outlive her, but my love is so great thatI do not mind the danger. Then the king consented, and the weddingwas solemnized with great splendor.They lived now for a while happy and contented with each other,and then it befell that the young queen was attacked by a severeillness, and no physician could save her. And as she lay there dead,the young king remembered what he had been obliged to promise, andwas horrified at having to lie down alive in the grave, but therewas no escape. The king had placed sentries at all the gates, andit was not possible to avoid his fate. As the day came when thecorpse was to be buried, he was taken down with it into the royalvault and then the door was shut and bolted.Near the coffin stood a table on which were four candles, fourloaves of bread, and four bottles of wine, and when this provisioncame to an end, he would have to die of hunger. And now he satthere full of pain and grief, ate every day only a little piece ofbread, drank only a mouthful of wine, and nevertheless saw deathdaily drawing nearer. Whilst he thus gazed before him, he saw asnake creep out of a corner of the vault and approach the dead body.And as he thought it came to gnaw at it, he drew his sword and said,as long as I live, you shall not touch her, and hewed the snake inthree pieces. After a time a second snake crept out of the hole,and when it saw the other lying dead and cut in pieces, it went back,but soon came again with three green leaves in its mouth. Then ittook the three pieces of the snake, laid them together, as theyfitted, and placed one of the leaves on each wound. Immediately thesevered parts joined themselves together, the snake moved, andbecame alive again, and both of them hastened away together. Theleaves were left lying on the ground, and a desire came into themind of the unhappy man who had been watching all this, to knowif the wondrous power of the leaves which had brought the snaketo life again, could not likewise be of service to a human being.So he picked up the leaves and laid one of them on the mouth of hisdead wife, and the two others on her eyes. And hardly had he donethis than the blood stirred in her veins, rose into her pale face,and colored it again. Then she drew breath, opened her eyes, andsaid, ah, God, where am I. You are with me, dear wife, he answered,and told her how everything had happened, and how hehad brought her back again to life. Then he gave her some wine andbread, and when she had regained her strength, he raised her upand they went to the door and knocked, and called so loudly thatthe sentries heard it, and told the king. The king came downhimself and opened the door, and there he found both strong andwell, and rejoiced with them that now all sorrow was over. Theyoung king, however, took the three snake-leaves with him, gavethem to a servant and said, keep them for me carefully, and carrythem constantly about you. Who knows in what trouble they may yetbe of service to us.But a change had taken place in his wife. After she had beenrestored to life, it seemed as if all love for her husband had goneout of her heart. After some time, when he wanted to make a voyageover the sea, to visit his old father, and they had gone on board aship, she forgot the great love and fidelity which he had shownher, and which had been the means of rescuing her from death,and conceived a wicked inclination for the skipper. And once whenthe young king lay there asleep, she called in the skipper andseized the sleeper by the head, and the skipper took him by thefeet, and thus they threw him down into the sea. When theshameful deed was done, she said, now let us return home, and saythat he died on the way. I will extol and praise you so to myfather that he will marry me to you, and make you the heir to hiscrown. But the faithful servant who had seen all that they did,unseen by them, unfastened a little boat from the ship, got into it,sailed after his master, and let the traitors go on their way. Hefished up the dead body, and by the help of the three snake-leaveswhich he carried about with him, and laid on the eyes and mouth,he fortunately brought the young king back to life.They both rowed with all their strength day and night, and theirlittle boat sailed so swiftly that they reached the old kingbefore the others. He was astonished when he saw them come alone,and asked what had happened to them. When he learnt the wickednessof his daughter he said, I cannot believe that she has behaved soill, but the truth will soon come to light, and bade both go into asecret chamber and keep themselves hidden from everyone. Soonafterwards the great ship came sailing in, and the godless womanappeared before her father with a troubled countenance. He said,why do you come back alone. Where is your husband. Ah, dearfather, she replied, I come home again in great grief. Duringthe voyage, my husband became suddenly ill and died, and if thegood skipper had not given me his help, it would have gone ill withme. He was present at his death, and can tell you all. The kingsaid, I will make the dead alive again, and opened the chamber,and bade the two come out. When the woman saw her husband, shewas thunderstruck, and fell on her knees and begged for mercy.The king said, there is no mercy. He was ready to die with youand restored you to life again, but you have murdered him in hissleep, and shall receive the reward that you deserve. Then she wasplaced with her accomplice in a ship which had been pierced withholes, and sent out to sea, where they soon sank amid the waves.