Grimm's Fairy Tales - Selected and Illustrated by Elenore Abbott

By Brothers Grimm and Elenore Abbott

This edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales contains thirty-six tales, selected by Elenore Abbott and decorated with her stunning colour, and black-and-white illustrations. Included, are such well-known and loved stories as ‘The Frog Prince’, ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘The Valiant Little Tailor’, ‘Cinderella’, ‘Snow White’, ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ and ‘Briar Rose’. The skilfully coloured images further refine the enchantingly simple story telling – all presented together in this text. It is a book to be enjoyed by both young and old, a beautiful example of literary and artistic endeavour.

The Brothers Grimm (or Die Brüder Grimm), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859), were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, lexicographers and authors – who together specialized in collecting and publishing folklore during the nineteenth century. The popularity of the ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales’ has endured well; they have been translated into more than 100 languages, and remain in print in the present day.

Pook Press celebrates the great ‘Golden Age of Illustration‘ in children’s literature – a period of unparalleled excellence in book illustration from the 1880s to the 1930s. Our collection showcases classic fairy tales, children’s stories, and the work of some of the most celebrated artists, illustrators and authors.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781444659771

Brothers Grimm

Wilhelm Grimm and his brother Jacob are famous for their classical collection of folk songs and folktales, especially for Children’s and Household Tales, generally known as Grimm’s Fairy Tales.

Book preview

THE FROG PRINCE

IN the olden time, when wishing was having, there lived a King, whose daughters were all beautiful; but the youngest was so exceedingly beautiful that the Sun himself, although he saw her very often, was surprised whenever she came out into the sunshine.

Near the castle of this King, lay a large and gloomy forest, and in the midst stood an old lime-tree, beneath whose branches flowed a tranquil brook; whenever it was very hot, the King’s youngest daughter ran off into this wood, and sat down on the bank of the cool stream; and, when she felt dull, would often divert herself by throwing a golden ball up in the air and catching it. And this was her favourite amusement.

Now, one day it so happened, that this golden ball, when the King’s daughter threw it into the air, did not fall down into her hand, but on the grass; and then it rolled past her into a little fountain. The King’s daughter followed the ball with her eyes, but it disappeared beneath the water, which was so deep that no one could see to the bottom. Then she began to lament, and to cry louder and louder; and, as she cried, a voice called out, Why weepest thou, O King’s daughter! thy tears would melt even a stone to pity. And she looked around to the spot whence the voice came, and saw a Frog stretching his thick ugly head out of the water. Ah! you old water-paddler, said she, was it you that spoke? I am weeping for my golden ball which has slipped away from me into the water.

Be quiet, and do not cry, answered the Frog; I can give thee good advice. But what wilt thou give me if I fetch thy plaything up again?

What will you have, dear Frog? said she. My dresses, my pearls and jewels, or the golden crown which I wear?

The Frog answered, Dresses, or jewels, or golden crowns, are not for me; but if thou wilt love me, and let me be thy companion and playfellow, and sit at thy table, and eat from thy little golden plate, and drink out of thy cup, and sleep in thy little bed,—if thou wilt promise me all these, then will I dive down and fetch up thy golden ball.

Oh, I will promise you all, said she, if you will only get me my ball. But she thought to herself, What is the silly Frog chattering about? Let him remain in the water with his equals; he cannot mix in society. But the Frog, as soon as he had received her promise, drew his head under the water and dived down. Presently he swam up again with the ball in his mouth, and threw it on the grass. The King’s daughter was full of joy when she again saw her beautiful plaything; and taking it up, she ran off immediately. Stop! stop! cried the Frog; take me with thee. I cannot run as thou canst. But all his croaking was useless; although it was loud enough, the King’s daughter did not hear it, but, hastening home, soon forgot the poor Frog, who was obliged to leap back into the fountain.

The next day, when the King’s daughter was sitting at table with her father and all his courtiers, and was eating from her own little golden plate, something was heard coming up the marble stairs, splish-splash, splish-splash; and when it arrived at the top, it knocked at the door, and a voice said, Open the door, thou youngest daughter of the King! So she rose and went to see who it was that called her; but when she had opened the door, she perceived the Frog before her; then she shut the door with great vehemence, and sat down at the table, looking very pale. But the King perceived that her heart was beating violently, and asked her whether it was a giant who had come to fetch her away who stood at the door. Oh no! answered she; it is no giant, but an ugly Frog.

What does the Frog want with you? said the King.

Oh, dear father, when I was sitting yesterday playing by the brook, my golden ball fell into the water, and this Frog fetched it up again because I cried so much: but first, I must tell you, he pressed me so much that I promised him that he should be my companion. I never thought that he could come out of the water, but somehow he has jumped out, and now he wants to come in here.

At that moment there was another knock, and a voice said,

"King’s daughter, youngest,

Open the door.

Hast thou forgotten

Thy promises made

By the banks of the streamlet,

Beneath the beech-shade?

King’s daughter, youngest,

Open the door."

Then the King said, What you have promised, that you must perform; go and let him in. So the King’s daughter went and opened the door, and the Frog hopped in after her right up to her chair: and as soon as she was seated, the Frog said, Take me up; but she hesitated so long, that at last the King ordered her to obey. And as soon as the Frog sat on the chair he jumped on to the table and said, Now push thy plate near me, that we may eat together. And she did so, but, as every one saw, very unwillingly. The Frog seemed to relish his dinner much, but every bit that the King’s daughter ate nearly choked her, till at last the Frog said, I have satisfied my hunger and feel very tired; wilt thou carry me up-stairs now into thy chamber, and make thy bed ready that we may sleep together? At this speech the King’s daughter began to cry, for she was afraid of the cold Frog, and dared not touch him; and besides, he actually wanted to sleep in her own beautiful, clean bed.

But her tears only made the King very angry, and he said, He who helped you in the time of your trouble must not now be despised. So she took the Frog up with two fingers and put him in a corner of her chamber. But, as she lay in her bed, he crept up to it and said, I am so very tired that I shall sleep well; do take me up or I will tell thy father. This speech put the King’s daughter in a terrible passion, and, catching the Frog up, she threw him with all her strength against the wall, saying, Now, will you be quiet, you ugly Frog!

But as he fell he was changed from a frog into a handsome Prince with beautiful eyes, who after a little while, when the King’s daughter had recovered from her surprise, told her that a wicked fairy had bewitched him and condemned him to live as a frog. And he had lived in the fountain in the gloomy forest until the King’s daughter had released him from the spell.

And when the King saw him and heard his tale, it was his wish that the Prince should become the companion and husband of his daughter.

And the next morning, at the rising of the sun, there came to the gate of the King’s castle a great coach drawn by eight milk-white horses, with white ostrich plumes on their heads and harness of gold. And behind stood faithful Henry, the body-servant of the Prince, who had grieved so mightily when his master was changed into a frog that he had caused three iron bands to be fastened round his heart, fearing lest it break from grief and pain.

Now Henry had brought the coach with the eight milk-white horses, to carry the young pair back to the Prince’s own kingdom. He helped them both into the coach and mounted again behind, overjoyed at the deliverance of his master.

But they had only gone a little way when the Prince heard a cracking behind him, as if something were breaking. He turned around and cried in alarm:

Henry, the coach is giving way!

"No, Sir, the coach is safe, I say,

A band from my heart has fall’n in twain,

For long I suffered woe and pain,

While you a frog within a well

Enchanted were by witch’s spell!"

And once again when the milk-white horses had carried them a little farther along the road, they heard the cracking sound, and again the Prince thought some part of the carriage was giving way; and then a third time the sound of snapping startled them, and the Prince and the King’s daughter looked behind them in alarm, but it was only the three iron bands round faithful Henry’s heart which were breaking apart because of his great joy at his master’s deliverance and happiness.

THE MAN WHO LEARNED TO SHIVER

A FATHER had two sons, the elder of whom was forward and clever enough to do almost any thing; but the younger was so stupid that he could learn nothing, and when the people saw him they said, Will thy father still keep thee as a burden to him? So if any thing was to be done, the elder had at all times to do it; but sometimes the father would call him to fetch something in the dead of night, and perhaps the way led through the churchyard or by a dismal place, and then he used to answer, No, father, I cannot go there, I am afraid, for he was a coward. Or sometimes, of an evening, tales were told by the fireside which made one shudder, and the listeners exclaimed, Oh, it makes us shiver! In a corner, meanwhile, sat the younger son listening, but he could not comprehend what was said, and he thought, They say continually, ‘Oh, it makes us shiver, it makes us shiver!’ but perhaps shivering is an art which I cannot comprehend. One day, however, his father said to him, Do you hear, you there in the corner? You are growing stout and big; you must learn some trade to get your living by. Do you see how your brother works? But as for you, you are not worth malt and hops.

Ah, father! answered he, I would willingly learn something. What shall I begin? I want to know what shivering means, for of that I can understand nothing.

The elder brother laughed when he heard this speech, and thought to himself, Ah! my brother is such a simpleton that he cannot earn his own living. He who would be a woodcutter must stoop betimes. But the father sighed and said, What shivering means you may learn soon enough, but you will never get your bread by that.

Soon after the parish sexton came in for a gossip, so the father told him his troubles, and how that his younger son was such a simpleton that he knew nothing, and could learn nothing. Just fancy, when I asked him how he intended to earn his bread, he desired to learn what shivering meant. Oh, if that be all, answered the sexton, he can learn that soon enough with me; just send him to my place, and I will soon teach him. The father was very glad, because he thought that it would do the boy good; so the sexton took him home to ring the bells. About two days afterwards he called him up at midnight to go into the church tower to toll the bell. You shall soon learn what shivering means, thought the sexton, and getting up he went out. As soon as the boy reached the belfry, and turned himself round to seize the rope, he saw upon the stairs, near the sounding hole, a white figure. Who’s there? he called out; but the figure gave no answer, and neither stirred nor spoke. Answer, said the boy, or make haste off; you have no business here to-night. But the sexton did not stir, so that the boy might think that it was a ghost.

The boy called out a second time, What are you doing here? Speak, if you are an honest fellow, or else I will throw you down-stairs.

The sexton said to himself, That is not a bad thought, but he remained quiet as if he were a stone. Then the boy called out for the third time, but it produced no effect; so, making a spring, he threw the ghost down the stairs, so that it rolled ten steps and then lay motionless in a corner. Thereupon he rang the bell, and then going home he lay down without saying a word, and fell fast asleep. The sexton’s wife waited some time for her husband, but he did not come; so at last she became anxious, woke the boy, and asked him if he knew where her husband was, who had gone before him to the tower.

No, answered the boy; but there was some one standing on the steps, who would not give any answer, nor go away, so I took him for a thief and threw him down-stairs. Go now, and see where he is; perhaps it may be he, but I should be sorry for it. The wife ran off, and found her husband lying in a corner, groaning, with one of his ribs broken.

She took him up and ran with loud outcries to the boy’s father, and told him, Your son has brought a great misfortune on us; he has thrown my husband down and broken his bones. Take the good-for-nothing fellow from our house.

The terrified father came in haste and scolded the boy. What do these wicked tricks mean? They will only bring misfortune upon you.

Father, answered the lad, hear me! I am quite innocent. He stood there at midnight, like one who had done some evil; I did not know who it was, and cried three times, ‘Speak, orbe off!’

Ah! said the father, every thing goes badly with you. Get out of my sight; I do not wish to see you again.

Yes, father, willingly; wait but one day, then will I go out and learn what shivering means. I now understand one business which will support me.

Learn what you will, replied the father; all is the same to me. Here are fifty dollars; go forth with them into the world, and tell no man whence you came, or who your father is, for I am ashamed of you.

"Yes, father, as you wish; if you desire nothing else, I shall esteem that very lightly."

As soon as day broke, the youth put his fifty dollars into a knapsack, and went out upon the high road, saying continually, Oh, if I could but shiver!

Presently a man came up, who heard the boy talking to himself; and as they were just passing the place where the gallows stood, the man said, Do you see? There is the tree where seven fellows have married the hempen maid, and now swing to and fro. Sit yourself down there and wait till midnight, and then you will know what it is to shiver.

Oh! if that be all, answered the boy, I can very easily do that. But if I learn so speedily what shivering is, then you shall have my fifty dollars if you come again in the morning.

Then the boy went to the gallows, sat down, and waited for evening; and, as he felt cold, he made a fire. But about midnight the wind blew so sharp that, in spite of the fire, he could not keep himself warm. The wind blew the bodies against one another, so that they swung backwards and forwards, and he thought, If I am cold here below by the fire, how must they freeze and tremble above! So his compassion was excited, and contriving a ladder, he mounted, and unloosening them one after another, he brought down all seven. Then he poked and blew the fire, and sat them round that they might warm themselves; but, as they sat still without moving, their clothing caught fire. So he said, Take care of yourselves, or I will hang all of you up again. The dead heard not, and silently allowed their rags to burn. This made him so angry that he said, If you will not hear, I cannot help you; but I will not burn with you! So he hung them up again in a row, and sitting down by the fire he soon went to sleep. The next morning the man came, expecting to receive his fifty dollars, and asked, Now do you know what shivering means? No, he answered; how should I know? Those fellows up there have not opened their mouths, and were so stupid that they let the old rags on their bodies be burnt. Then the man saw that he should not carry away the fifty dollars that day, so he went away saying, I never met with such an one before.

The boy also went on his way, and began again to say, Ah, if only I could but shiver; if I could but shiver! A wagoner walking behind overheard him, and asked, Who are you?

I do not know, answered the boy.

The wagoner asked again, What do you here?

I know not.

Who is your father?

I dare not say.

What is it you are continually grumbling about?

Oh, replied the youth, I wish to learn what shivering is, but nobody can teach me.

Cease your silly talk, said the wagoner. Come with me, and I will see what I can do for you. So the boy went with the wagoner, and about evening time they arrived at an inn where they put up for the night, and while they were going into the parlour he said, quite aloud, Oh, if I could but shiver, if I could but shiver! The host overheard him, and said, laughingly, Oh, if that is all you wish, you shall soon have the opportunity. Hold your tongue, said his wife; so many imprudent people have already lost their lives, it were a shame and sin to such beautiful eyes that they should not see the light again. But the youth said, If it were ever so difficult I would at once learn it; for that reason I left home; and he never let the host have any peace till he told him that not far off stood an enchanted castle, where any one might soon learn to shiver if he would watch there three nights. The King had promised his daughter in marriage to whomever would venture, and she was the most beautiful young lady that the sun ever shone upon. And he further told him that inside the castle there was an immense amount of treasure, guarded by evil spirits; enough to make any one free, and turn a poor man into a very rich one. Many had, he added, already ventured into this castle, but no one had ever come out again.

The next morning this youth went to the King, and said, If you will allow me, I wish to watch three nights in the enchanted castle. The King looked at him, and because his appearance pleased him, he said, You may make three requests, but they must be inanimate things you ask for, and such as you can take with you into the castle. So the youth asked for a fire, a lathe, and a cutting-board.

The King let him take these things by day into the castle, and when it was evening the youth went in and made himself a bright fire in one of the rooms, and, placing his cutting-board and knife near it, he sat down upon his lathe. Ah, if I could but shiver! said he. But even here I shall never learn. At midnight he got up to stir the fire, and, as he poked it, there shrieked suddenly in one corner, Miau, miau, how cold I am! You simpleton! he exclaimed, what are you shrieking for; if you are so cold, come and sit down by the fire and warm yourself! As he was speaking two great black cats sprang up to him with an immense jump, and sat down one on each side, looking at him quite wildly with their fiery eyes. When they had warmed themselves for a little while they said, Comrade, shall we have a game of cards? Certainly, he replied; but let me see your paws first. So they stretched out their claws, and he said, Ah, what long nails you have got; wait a bit, I must cut them off first; and so saying, he caught them up by their necks and put them on his board and screwed their feet down. Since I have seen what you are about I have lost my relish for a game at cards, said he, and instantly killing them, threw them away into the water. But no sooner had he quieted these two, and thought of sitting down again by his fire, than there came out of every hole and corner black cats and black dogs, with glowing chains, continually more and more, so that he could not hide himself. They howled fearfully, and jumped upon his fire and scattered it about as if they would extinguish it. He looked on quietly for some time, but at last getting angry he took up his knife and called out, Away with you, you vagabonds! and chasing them about, a part ran off, and the rest he killed and threw into the pond. As soon as he returned he blew up the sparks of his fire again, and warmed himself, and while he sat, his eyes began to feel very heavy and he wished to go to sleep. So looking round he saw a great bed in one corner in which he lay down; but no sooner had he closed his eyes, than the bed began to move of itself and travelled all around the castle. Just so, said he, only better still; whereupon the bed galloped away as if six horses pulled it up and down steps and stairs, until at last all at once it overset, bottom upwards, and lay upon him like a mountain; but up he got, threw pillows and mattresses into the air, and saying, Now, he who wishes may travel, laid himself down by the fire and slept till day broke. In the morning the King came, and seeing the youth lying on the ground, he thought that the spectres had killed him, and that he was dead; so he said, It is a great misfortune that the finest men are thus killed; but the youth, hearing this, sprang up, saying, It is not come to that with me yet! The King was much astonished, but still very glad, and asked him how he had fared. Very well, replied he; as one night has passed, so also may the other two. Soon after he met his landlord, who opened his eyes when he saw him. I never thought to see you alive again, said he; have you learnt now what shivering means? No, said he; it is all of no use. Oh, if any one would but tell me!

The second night he went up again into the castle, and sitting down by the fire began his old song, If I could but shiver! When midnight came, a ringing and rattling noise was heard, gentle at first, and louder and louder by degrees; then there was a pause, and presently with a loud outcry half a man’s body came down the chimney and fell at his feet. Holloa! he exclaimed, only half a man answered that ringing; that is too little. Then the ringing began afresh, and a roaring and howling was heard and the other half fell down. Wait a bit, said he; I will poke up the fire first. When he had done so and looked round again, the two pieces had joined themselves together, and an ugly man was sitting in his place. I did not bargain for that, said the youth; the bench is mine. The man tried to push him away, but the youth would not let him, and giving him a violent push set himself down in his old place. Presently more men fell down the chimney, one after the other, who brought nine thigh bones and two skulls, which they set up, and then they began to play at ninepins. At this the youth wished also to play, so he asked whether he might join them. Yes, if you have money! Money enough, he replied, but your balls are not quite round; so saying he took up the skulls, and, placing them on his lathe, turned them round. Ah, now you will roll well, said he. Holloa! now we will go at it merrily. So he played with them and lost some of his money, but as it struck twelve every thing disappeared. Then he lay down and went to sleep quietly. On the morrow the King came for news, and asked him how he had fared this time. I have been playing ninepins, he replied, and lost a couple of dollars. Have you not shivered? No! I have enjoyed myself very much; but I wish some one would teach me that!

On the third night he sat down again on his bench, saying in great vexation, Oh, if I could only shiver! When it grew late, six tall men came in bearing a coffin between them. Ah, ah, said he, that is surely my little cousin, who died two days ago; and beckoning with his finger he called, Come, little cousin, come! The men set down the coffin upon the ground, and he went up and took off the lid, and there lay a dead man within, and as he felt the face it was as cold as ice. Stop a moment, he cried; I will warm it in a trice; and stepping up to the fire he warmed his hands, and then laid them upon the face, but it remained cold. So he took up the body, and sitting down by the fire, he laid it on his lap and rubbed the arms that the blood might circulate again. But all this was of no avail, and he thought to himself if two lie in a bed together they warm each other; so he put the body in the bed, and covering it up laid himself down by its side. After a little while the body became warm and began to move about. See, my cousin, he exclaimed, have I not warmed you? But the body got up and exclaimed, Now I will strangle you. Is that your gratitude? cried the youth. Then you shall get into your coffin again; and, taking it up, he threw the body in, and made the lid fast. Then the six men came in

Reviews for Grimm's Fairy Tales - Selected and Illustrated by Elenore Abbott

[angelab86 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Timeless stories, in all their bloody glory. :) My favorite is Rumpelstiltskin, when he rips himself in half. :D

[lyz94 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Wow, disney is WAY off on how the original Cinderella went!! I like this book, but the brothers Grimm were a little morbid!

[fearless2012 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are alot of good fairy tales, but alot depends on the editor or the edition, and going for "The Complete" isn't always the best choice. Repeating a story simply because it was told in the past isn't always a good idea-- it's a bit like turning on the TV and watching something simply because it's being aired. After a certain point, editing is required, whether you admit it or not, after all, there are infinite possible variations to every story, some of which have even made it into writing. So calling any collection "The Complete" is an illusion, and a damaging one, I think. If they simply mean that it's a translation of the "original"-- in terms of the written word-- Brothers Grimm collection of the 1810s, they could simply indicate that in some way. Perhaps-- 'Grimm's Fairy Tales-- Children's and Household Tales', or something like that. I suppose that even of this type of translation there are different versions, and the edition I have (Arthur Rackham as [mediocre] illustrator), doesn't have an introduction (which can be good as well as bad), and doesn't really explain the name-jokes when they come up-- "Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie"..... I mean, if you're not going to do something like that well, then maybe you shouldn't include it at all.... should you stuff it in there, just because you have this illusion that there can ever be a "complete" book of fairy tales? In the end this is to me more like a mine from which good stories can be picked, rather than a really good version in itself; my favorite collection of Grimm's Fairy Tales at this point is a google book's version with Edna Henry Lee Turpin as editor, from about a hundred years ago, although there are probably also other good versions, actually meant to be read by, I don't know, children and householders. (I don't want to get into specifics, but if you glance at the list of stories, even, you'll find at least one that clearly you wouldn't read to people of today.... which is why it only makes sense to edit it, as any story-teller modifies what he or she receives from the past....) In the end, the *average* quality of *all* these stories is simply that-- average. It could be better, although it could be worse, too. That's my take. (8/10)

[thewallflower-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's hard to read and repetitive. Every story is a variation of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, or Sleeping Beauty. There's lots of long paragraphs, little dialogue, and the narrative does little to evoke imagination. Everything happens in sets of threes, and I know nothing is going to happen the first two times, so I would just skip to the third.Every story is the same. Someone goes out into the world to seek fortune, marry someone, or defeat evil. He/she collects some magic artifacts. Something happens based on wordplay or puns. Then he's told not to do something, and inevitably, he does it. Because where would the plot be if anyone actually followed directions? Otherwise we wouldn't have "Gremlins". Go see the Disney versions.

[aethercowboy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have a confession to make: I find it more convenient to acquire the collected works of an author long after they're dead. That gives the experts plenty of time to wage their wars on authenticity, and translators the time to properly translate all the ancient idioms into today's slang, and so forth.Now, I don't wish any authors dead, as I'd rather they generate as much work as possible before I finish collecting it, but I just love it when I can get a copy of EVERY JOT AND TITTLE BY AUTHOR A, so I don't have to have too many books on my shelf.Because of this quirk, The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales is a wonder for me. Within this work, I discovered a very interesting thing that the Disney generation would probably miss: The fairy tales were not intended solely for children (and at times, probably weren't suitable for children), but were instead intended for the people. The children's stories, however, are not fairy tales, per se, but are more religious morality tales featuring Jesus or the Apostles.If you've been raised on Disney and colorful picture books, then reading the collected, uncut works may be a shock to you. They're pretty gruesome. And everybody had lice.But, within its pages, we have all the great tales: Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding-Hood, and so forth. And unless you're a Grimm scholar, there will probably be a story in there that you've never heard of before.I would probably not recommend this book for your children. Other people's children, maybe, but not yours, unless you don't want to molly-coddle them until they're 36. But, don't give it to your children expecting it to be the brightly-colored, sanitized version of all your favorite fairy tales. It is, instead, the grim (was that pun intended?) tales as originally written, and well worth the read.

[kendrarenee · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved these stories! (Even with all the gruesome parts.) Very imaginative, albeit a bit repetitive if you read them all to close together. Still, in doses they're good bedtime reading to put oneself to sleep.

[angelag86 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Timeless stories, in all their bloody glory. :) My favorite is Rumpelstiltskin, when he rips himself in half. :D

[ashleyhill2012 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This fairytale was about a brother and sister named, Hansel and Gretel, who are lured into the woods by their evil stepmom. They can't find their way back home and come upon a gingerbread candy house. They begin to eat the house and then get invited in by a witch who tried to fatten them up to eat them in a stew. They trick the witch, kill her, and then find their way home to their father with riches. The theme of this story could be triumph and perseverance. This story is kind of scary to teach as a lesson but I think it is a great book to have in the classroom for special story days to read about fairytales and the different types of them.

[matthewhittinger · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally finished. I have lots of thoughts about these tales and their common motifs. Pretty much, if you have a stepmother, she's wicked and dabbles in witchcraft. Trials and events happen in threes. There's always a dress of the sun, a dress of the moon, and a dress of the stars that a beautiful maiden will exchange with a false bride so that she may sleep in the same chamber as her beloved, but the false bride will give the groom a sleeping potion so that he won't hear the beautiful maiden's story and remember who she is. Luckily the servants will inform the prince and all will be made well. The cleverest son is usually the one deemed stupid or daft. If you can slip from the skin of an animal, a form you are required to take by day, and someone steals the skin and burns it, then you are free from your curse and will remain human. And on and on. I learned many ways to cheat the devil, so that's handy. It was enjoyable to read the original, darker versions of the tales Disney "cleaned up" and to read the tales no one ever mentions, like "Allerleirauh" which in the German means "of many different kinds of fur." "The Bremen Town Musicians" and "The Master Thief" are two of my faves.

[breksarah · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic book of many traditional fairy tales and more. I would use this for upper level elementary students when discussing how the same story can be told in different ways.This is really a great read for third grade on up.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ever since I was a little girl, fairy tales have always made a way into my heart. I will never forget staying up late reading stories about Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and The Little Mermaid. The more I read these fairytales the more I wanted. Then I found my way to the fae. Another realm of stories I fell into. Then I learned about The Brother’s Grimm. I was immediately consumed with learning about all these stories and fascinated that even existed. I wanted the beginning. I wanted the truth of how and where this stories began. So I began searching for the perfect book to open that door. I found it in my local indie bookstore. I ask if they have a collection of the “real” Grimm’s brothers stories. They said yes and brought me this beauty…Can I talk about how BEAUTIFUL this book is? Cause it truly is. Leatherbound, eerie and smelling wonderfully (yes I sniffed the book). It has gold pages laced with the real stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, etc. I have it sitting by my bedside in which I read a story each night. And each story has brought me so much satisfaction.The stories themselves aren’t anything new. Most of us all heard of the Grimm’s stories either by movies (Disney has turned many Grimm’s stories into movies) or tv shows. I personally love reading the real thing. I feel like I stepped into a whole other world when I open this book. And maybe there is hope that something, maybe something strange will happen…you know, just like in stories. (WINK, WINK)If you are a fairytale lover like me and enjoy reading, go pick up this beauty. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I adore this book. I’m not even half-way through it (as I’m reading it slowly) but it is truly a wonderful collections of stories. I will warn you that these stories don’t all have happy endings. These stories were meant for children as lessons for life. Some end in happy endings while others not so much. With each story, I think about the life lesson that the Brothers Grimm are portraying. The way the capture it so beautifully in just a mere couples of pages always leaves me in awe.

[mbrittain_8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a reread for me, as I read a volume of these when I was nine or ten. What always resonates for me is the violence that was in these stories and how lessons were always to be learned for the reader/listener. Stories of comeuppance and knowing ones’ place in society are in many of the tales, but so are stories of “happily ever after.” For me, it’s the sheer volume of stories that is intriguing. It’s easy to pick a favorite story for however one might be feeling at the time and get a lift or feeling of vengeful satisfaction in the misfortunes of the bad characters that remind us of terrible bosses or the guy who cut us off in traffic.

[ccahill_25 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was interesting to read the original (and darker) versions of some of the fairy tales that Disney has sanitized for American children. I love Grimm fairy tales, and they are even better in their original German. Each one is not only entertaining, but teaches a great life lesson. If you have a dark sense of humor or just plain like morbid stories, Grimm fairy fales are as good as they get.

[temsmail · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Interesting reading, but hard to get through. These are the fairy tales I heard of as an adult, but never knew as a vhild. Some of these are NOT for children.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It is always interesting to read non-Disney-fied versions of fairy tales. This collection has a good number of the more popular tales compiled by the Brothers Grimm.

[jontseng · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Enormous breadth, and much crueller in the original telling (and the best children's literature often has a streak of cruelty viz Roald Dahl). Maybe there are too many stories in the volume - sometimes they can be repetitive. On a secondary note and interesting window into the folk traditions of early modern Germany.

[bleached_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of the best collections. The real versions of all the classic fairy tales that Disney censored. The gore and twists give them more of a realistic perspective and are more alluring. Definitely a book I plan to pass down for generations.

[filialibri-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Diese und weitere Rezensionen findet ihr auf meinem Blog Anima Libri - Buchseele

Märchen, Märchen, Märchen… Ich sollte dringend mal die Kategorie/Genre-Darstellung auf dem Blog reparieren und passend einrichten, sodass man einen besseren Überblick über all die wunderschönen Märchenbücher bekommt, die ich in letzter Zeit so rezensiert habe…

Da wären „Grimms Märchen“ von Phillip Pullman, „Die Märchen der Brüder Grimm“ und „Die Märchen von Hans Christian Andersen“ aus dem Taschen Verlag, „Grimms Märchen ohne Worte“ von Frank Flöthmann und „1001 Nacht – Tausendundeine Nacht“ oder auch Hörbücher wie „Es war einmal und wenn sie nicht“ oder „Es war einmal: Autoren auf Grimms Spuren“.

Zugegebenermaßen, meine Märchensammlung ist derzeit auffällig Grimm-lastig und mit diesem Buch kommt noch eine weitere Ausgabe der Grimmschen Märchen hinzu: Die „Kinder- und Hausmärchen“ der Brüder Grimm aus der Reclam Bibliothek sieht nicht nur wirklich gut aus, sie ist auch tatsächlich einmal eine vollständige Ausgabe aller dieser Märchen.

Ja, ich besitze bereits eine vollständige Ausgabe der Grimmschen Märchen, eine wunderschöne dreibändige Ausgabe, die allerdings auch schon ein paar Jährchen auf dem Buckel hat und sich nur bedingt zum „einfach mal drinrumlesen“ eignet. Daher habe ich mich wirklich gefreut, als ich diese Ausgabe gefunden habe, denn die wurde wirklich sehr gekonnt zusammengestellt und besonders der Punkt „weitgehend an der originalen Sprachlichkeit orientiert“ hat es mir angetan.

So sind die Märchen in dieser Sammlung zwar z.B. grammatikalisch auf dem neusten Stand und auch sprachlich nicht mehr im „Originalzustand“ aber sehr nah dran. So kommt der ursprüngliche „Zauber“ der Grimmschen Märchen nach wie vor rüber, während sich die Märchen trotzdem etwas angenehmer und flüssiger lesen lassen als in der Originalversion.

Alles in allem ist „Kinder- und Hausmärchen“ der Brüder Grimm aus der Reclam Bibliothek eine Ausgabe dieser Märchensammlung, mit der man kaum etwas falsch machen kann. Die Umsetzung ist sehr gut gelungen und inhaltlich bin ich ja sowieso ein riesiger Fan dieser Märchen. Von daher definitiv eine dicke, dicke Empfehlung für dieses Buch.

[bnielsen_30 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Indeholder "Katten og musen", "Eventyret om en, der drog ud for at lære frygt at kende", "Den tro Johannes", "De tolv brødre", "Pak", "De tre små mænd i skoven", "De tre spindersker", "Hans og Grete", "Fiskeren og hans kone", "Den tapre lille skrædder", "Askepot", "Gåden", "Mor Hulda", "Rødhætte", "De Bremer stadsmusikanter", "Djævelens tre guldhår", "Lusen og loppen", "Den kloge Hans", "Den kloge Else", "Bord dæk dig", "Tommeliden", "Tornerose", "Kong Drosselskæg", "Snehvide", "Ranselen, hatten og hornet", "Rumleskaft", "Guldfuglen", "Hunden og spurven", "Kongen af det gyldne bjerg", "Det lille æsel", "Ferdinand Tro og Ferdinand Utro", "Jernovnen", "Enøje, Toøje og Treøje", "De seks tjenere", "Jernhans", "På rejse", "Historien om en roe", "Den stærke Hans", "Bonden i himlen", "De to brødre", "Den lille bonde", "Guldgåsen", "Historien om seks, der kommer gennem verden", "Nelliken", "Den kloge Grete", "Bedstefaderen og sønnesønnen", "Bror Lystig", "Lykkehans", "Den fattige og den rige mand", "Den kloge bondepige", "Djævelens snavsede bror", "Bjørneskindsmanden", "De klge folk", "Den fattige møllerdreng og katten", "De to vandringsmænd", "Det blå lys", "Kongesønnen, der ikke var bange for noget", "De tre håndværkssvende", "Salatæslet", "Levetiden", "Bonden og djævelen", "Alfernes gave", "Haren og pindsvinet", "Ten, skytte og synål", "Marsvinet"."Katten og musen" handler om ???"Eventyret om en, der drog ud for at lære frygt at kende" handler om ???"Den tro Johannes" handler om ???"De tolv brødre" handler om ???"Pak" handler om ???"De tre små mænd i skoven" handler om ???"De tre spindersker" handler om ???"Hans og Grete" handler om ???"Fiskeren og hans kone" handler om ???"Den tapre lille skrædder" handler om ???"Askepot" handler om ???"Gåden" handler om ???"Mor Hulda" handler om ???"Rødhætte" handler om ???"De Bremer stadsmusikanter" handler om ???"Djævelens tre guldhår" handler om ???"Lusen og loppen" handler om ???"Den kloge Hans" handler om ???"Den kloge Else" handler om ???"Bord dæk dig" handler om ???"Tommeliden" handler om ???"Tornerose" handler om ???"Kong Drosselskæg" handler om ???"Snehvide" handler om ???"Ranselen, hatten og hornet" handler om ???"Rumleskaft" handler om ???"Guldfuglen" handler om ???"Hunden og spurven" handler om ???"Kongen af det gyldne bjerg" handler om ???"Det lille æsel" handler om ???"Ferdinand Tro og Ferdinand Utro" handler om ???"Jernovnen" handler om ???"Enøje, Toøje og Treøje" handler om ???"De seks tjenere" handler om ???"Jernhans" handler om ???"På rejse" handler om ???"Historien om en roe" handler om ???"Den stærke Hans" handler om ???"Bonden i himlen" handler om ???"De to brødre" handler om ???"Den lille bonde" handler om ???"Guldgåsen" handler om ???"Historien om seks, der kommer gennem verden" handler om ???"Nelliken" handler om ???"Den kloge Grete" handler om ???"Bedstefaderen og sønnesønnen" handler om ???"Bror Lystig" handler om ???"Lykkehans" handler om ???"Den fattige og den rige mand" handler om ???"Den kloge bondepige" handler om ???"Djævelens snavsede bror" handler om ???"Bjørneskindsmanden" handler om ???"De klge folk" handler om ???"Den fattige møllerdreng og katten" handler om ???"De to vandringsmænd" handler om ???"Det blå lys" handler om ???"Kongesønnen, der ikke var bange for noget" handler om ???"De tre håndværkssvende" handler om ???"Salatæslet" handler om ???"Levetiden" handler om ???"Bonden og djævelen" handler om ???"Alfernes gave" handler om ???"Haren og pindsvinet" handler om ???"Ten, skytte og synål" handler om ???"Marsvinet" handler om ???

[sharese_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Summary:The book I own is from 1945 and I could not find the specific book on here. This is a collection of the fairy tales collected and printed by the brothers Grimm. All of the classic tales such as Briar Rose (sleeping Beauty) and Cinderella are in the book as well as some unknown to me like Fundevogel. Many of the stories start with 'Once upon a time' and contain someone good, someone bad and a quest or lesson to be learned. The book is bound with burgundy material and has wonderful color prints on the front and throughout the book.

[antao-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

(Original Review, 2005-11-16)In Genesis there is suddenly this sentence/observation about giants walking the Earth in them days... I always see those elderly male Jews in Babylon, staring glumly at some campfire, thinking about the good old days and thinking up revengeful plans to smite the enemy. They tell the stories of their tribes but there is that one quite senile idiot always going on about 'them giants' - so in the end they say, "Okay, we WILL put them in. Now shut up already!" I can see myself being the Giant Guy (if more all over the place) and I'm not sure the good campfire folks here need the distraction... I don't know if it is only about 'folk tales' per se, but I am with most people on the campfire and howling wolves. For me the atmospherics are very, very important. Our culture no longer has much in the way of campfires and wolves so our writers have had to incorporate them, figuratively, into the fictions themselves. The rest is literary history.I don't see fairytales simply as children's stories; that's a relatively recent- and, of late, receding- viewpoint. There is a vast quantity of material around beyond Grimm and Andersen and little of it aimed at children. Perrault or Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy were writing for the amusement of adults, and the Arabian Nights were not exactly suitable bedtime reading for under-5's, while Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen achieved almost occult-like effects in her wondrous tales, which float somewhere between Baghdad and Copenhagen.Fairytales are most powerful when they access the taboo, the suppressed, or the deepest fears and desires within us. And they do so often. Your "children's rituals" and "simple messages" are really only the tip of the iceberg. For that matter, “The talented Mr. Ripley” (LINK) fulfills a similar role - a very wicked and challenging little tale full of deliciously gratuitous moments, the enjoyment of which made me at least think long and hard about my own morality.I was raised on the standard stuff: Grimm and Andersen mostly. There is obviously darkness there - and taboos, yes. (It's interesting that in the stories where children are imperiled the original versions had 'mother' and the later versions 'stepmothers'.) The ones I and probably most children end(ed) up with are the simpler, safer ones though, don't you think? I love Angela Carter's “Bloody Chamber” but most kids will be more likely to see Disney as the centre of the fairytale universe - which truly is a disservice to fairytales, of course.I am no longer that interested in stories where the characters are merely there to move things alone. Like standard puppets that can be used and reused for all kinds of similar types of stories. As I mentioned elsewhere, that goes for all kinds of stories, including movies. What I find fascinating about the early stories passed along (mutating on the way) is more that they give us some kinds of fleeting glimpse of the origin story of stories. Because most of the early part of that origins stories is/was in an oral form we can never really know how stories began and evolved. There are no helpful fossils - or not enough to have more than (slightly) informed theories.Did stories start as parts of religious/ceremonial chants? Were they like cave paintings: meant to magically influence the outcome of the hunt? Where did fiction start to make an entrance, if the earliest stories were mostly a sort of remembering (the deeds and wisdom of) dead tribe members? All endlessly fascinating to me - and no more than useless musings in the end.Back to fairytales for a moment. They may no longer really work for me as entertainment but the reason they don't is in a way part of their strength. That they are predictable is partly why they work so well as stories. They warn us about the evils of the world but they are also almost like a church service: a repeated ritual to explain the world. They bring order to what basically is a chaotic system. Which is of course also why they are so enduringly popular with children, who like rituals and the idea of safety-through-repetition. I like my stories, like “Grimms Märchen,” more complex but it is easy to see how stories that carve simple messages out of the complex narrative of the world will be as enduring as the world. In that way they are exactly like religion (for me at least). The Grimms, despite their initial attempt to be "invisible" curators of folklore, began increasingly to modify and colour the tales they transcribed. Italo Calvino discusses this phenomenon at length in the introduction to Italian Fables, his own attempt to replicate the Grimms' work in Italy.

[ecmsms12 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This a is great little story that shows you can never receive something without expecting to have to give something in return.

[mgeorge2755 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Classic stories. It is interesting how these stories have been altered through the years. Another reminder that life isn't always a "happy ending."

[bookangel_a · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I've read a few Grimm's Fairy Tales over the years, while growing up, etc. But I'm glad I finally made the time to read the complete, original collection.These fairy tales are very short, and best read in small doses. I read one or two tales every day. It was interesting to see the original version of popular classics like Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, etc, and how much has been changed over the years.I had heard that these tales were darker than the modern versions, and they are, just a little bit. I would not recommend reading these to VERY young children - they might find some parts a little scary. For instance, sometimes young people get eaten, killed, and occasionally a head is chopped off. Generally speaking, things work out for the best in the end, though, and there is usually a lesson to be learned. Older children should have no problem reading this.I would recommend this book if you have any interest in fairy tales, modern or ancient.

[smeyer8 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I really liked this book because it is a classic book filled with original stories that are well-known and still popular today. The language is descriptive and clear. The writ ing is engaging, organized, and paced well. Every story is entertaining and captivating. The stories are still famous today and have left such a huge impression on people. There are no illustrations in the book besides small little drawings through out the book. I find this really interesting because the characters in this book have grown to become such famous and well-known characters that this book has clearly done such a great job developing each character through the stories. The characters are believable and well-developed. Some of the stories are fantasy based but the characters are still realistic. The plot is organized and each story is full of suspense, conflict, and resolution. This book is filled with several different stories like Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow-White, Hänsel and Gretel, Little Red-Cap (Little Red Riding Hood), and Briar-Rose (Sleeping Beauty) and 200 more characters. The big idea in this book is fantasy, love, and imagination.

[ma_washigeri · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

With love from Mummy and Daddy Xmas 1959, I was three and the words and pictures have never left me. A rock on which the rest of my life was built. The book records a moment in time and place, defined by stories, marked on every page by the history of the world, cousin to other stories in other places all over the world and full of the expectancy of the ever changing future.

[dianaleez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good folk tales but not for children!

[cjyurkanin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a great thing to reread all these old tales again, most of them as if for the first time! I'd forgotten how much simpler and purer many of these are than their Disney versions (although I do appreciate those also) such as Rumpelstiltskin and how explicitly Christian many of them are such as Our Lady's Child, my favorite, from which Tomie Depaola's classic "Clown of God" obviously draws from. I think the translation is one of the most readable I've seen, keeping a touch of old world flavor without sounding too foreign to modern ears. Great collection.

[kawgirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The brothers Grimm. Required reading for all children. Required reading auf deutsch for anyone who is studying German.

[mariahsidhe · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Awesome. So many stories. Not enough time!