Grimm's Fairy Tales | The Little Peasant | The Salad

Hello there,

Thank you so much for joining me for this reading of another couple of the Grimm's fairy tales.

This time we'll be hearing The Little Peasant and The Salad.

So there were originally more than 200 folk tales gathered together as the Grimm's fairy tales,

Gathered by the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in Germany and published more than 200 years ago back in the early 1800s.

There were so many different stories they collected and many of them are indeed quite grim by our modern standards and yet very familiar too.

So many of the themes form the backbones of stories we're still familiar with these days.

So before we get into these two particular stories let's just take a moment here to have a nice deep exhale.

Letting go of the day,

Letting go of whatever baggage we might be bringing along with us into this moment.

For right now there's nowhere else that we have to be and nothing else that we have to be doing.

So we can just relax,

Get ourselves comfortable and enjoy these readings of some of the Grimm's fairy tales.

The Little Peasant There was a certain village wherein no one lived but really rich peasants and just one poor one whom they called the Little Peasant.

He had not even so much as a cow and still less money to buy one and yet he and his wife did so wish to have one.

One day he said to her,

Listen I have a good idea.

There is our gossip the carpenter.

He shall make us a wooden calf and paint it brown so that it looks like any other and in time it will certainly get big and be a cow.

The woman also liked the idea and their gossip the carpenter cut and planed the calf and painted it as it ought to be and made it with its head hanging down as if it were eating.

Next morning when the cows were being driven out the Little Peasant called the cowherd in and said look I have a little calf there but it is still small and has to be carried.

The cowherd said all right and took it in his arms and carried it to the pasture and set it among the grass.

The little calf always remained standing like one which was eating and the cowherd said it will soon run by itself.

Just look how it eats already.

At night when he was going to drive the herd home again he said to the calf if you can stand there and eat your fill you can also go on your four legs.

I don't care to drag you home again in my arms.

But the Little Peasant stood at his door and waited for his little calf and when the cowherd drove the cows through the village and the calf was missing he inquired where it was.

The cowherd answered it is still standing out there eating it would not stop and come with us.

But the Little Peasant said oh but I must have my beast back again.

Then they went back to the meadow together but someone had stolen the calf and it was gone.

The cowherd said it must have run away.

The peasant however said don't tell me that and led the cowherd before the mayor who for his carelessness condemned him to give the peasant a cow for the calf which had run away.

And now the Little Peasant and his wife had the cow for which they had so long wished and they were heartily glad.

But they had no food for it and could give it nothing to eat so it soon had to be killed.

They salted the flesh and the peasant went into the town and wanted to sell the skin there so that he might buy a new calf with the proceeds.

On the way he passed by a mill and there sat a raven with broken wings and out of pity he took him and wrapped him in the skin.

But as the weather grew so bad and there was a storm of rain and wind he could go no farther and turned back to the mill and begged for shelter.

The miller's wife was alone in the house and said to the peasant lay yourself on the straw there and gave him a slice of bread and cheese.

The peasant ate it and lay down with his skin beside him and the woman thought he is tired and has gone to sleep.

In the meantime came the parson.

The miller's wife received him well and said my husband is out so we will have a feast.

The peasant listened and when he heard them talk about feasting he was vexed that he had been forced to make shift with a slice of bread and cheese.

Then the woman served up four different things.

Roast meat,

Salad,

Cakes and wine.

Just as they were about to sit down and eat there was a knocking outside.

The woman said heavens it is my husband.

She quickly hid the roast meat inside the tiled stove,

The wine under the pillow,

The salad on the bed,

The cakes under it and the parson in the closet on the porch.

Then she opened the door for her husband and said thank heaven you are back again.

There is such a storm it looks as if the world were coming to an end.

The miller saw the peasant lying on the straw and asked what is that fellow doing there?

Ah,

Said the wife,

The poor knave came in the storm and rain and begged for shelter so I gave him a bit of bread and cheese and showed him where the straw was.

The man said I have no objection but be quick and get me something to eat.

The woman said but I have nothing but bread and cheese.

I am contented with anything replied the husband.

So far as I am concerned bread and cheese will do and looked at the peasant and said come and eat some more with me.

The peasant did not require to be invited twice but got up and ate.

After this the miller saw the skin in which the raven was lying on the ground and asked what have you there?

The peasant answered I have a soothsayer inside it.

Can he foretell anything to me said the miller.

Why not answered the peasant but he only says four things and the fifth he keeps to himself.

The miller was curious and said let him foretell something for once.

Then the peasant pinched the raven's head so that he croaked and made a noise like The miller said what did he say?

The peasant answered in the first place he says that there is some wine hidden under the pillow.

Bless me cried the miller and went there and found the wine.

And went there and found the wine.

Now go on said he.

The peasant made the raven croak again and said in the second place he says that there is some roast meat in the tiled stove.

Upon my word cried the miller and went there and found the roast meat.

The peasant made the raven prophecy still more and said thirdly he says that there is some salad on the bed.

On the bed that would be a fine thing cried the miller and went there and found the salad.

At last the peasant pinched the raven once more till he croaked and said fourthly he says that there are some cakes under the bed.

That would be a fine thing cried the miller and looked there and found the cakes.

And now the two sat down to the table together but the miller's wife was frightened to death and went to bed and took all the keys with her.

The miller would have liked much to know the fifth but the little peasant said first we will quickly eat the four things for the fifth is something bad.

So they ate and after that they bargained how much the miller was to give for the fifth prophecy until they agreed on 300 tailors.

Then the peasant once more pinched the raven's head till he croaked loudly.

The miller asked what did he say?

The peasant replied he says that the devil is hiding outside there in the closet on the porch.

The miller said the devil must go out and opened the house door.

Then the woman was forced to give up the keys and the peasant unlocked the closet.

The parson ran out as fast as he could and the miller said it was true.

I saw the black rascal with my own eyes.

The peasant however made off next morning by daybreak with the 300 tailors.

At home the small peasant gradually launched out.

He built a beautiful house and the peasants said the small peasant has certainly been to the place where golden snow falls and people carry the gold home in shovels.

Then the small peasant was brought before the mayor and bidden to say from whence his wealth came.

He answered I sold my cow's skin in the town for 300 tailors.

When the peasants heard that they too wished to enjoy this great profit and ran home killed all their cows and stripped off their skins in order to sell them in the town to the greatest advantage.

The mayor however said but my servant must go first.

When she came to the merchant in the town he did not give her more than two tailors for a skin and when the others came he did not give them so much and said what can I do with all these skins?

Then the peasants were vexed that the small peasant should have thus outwitted them.

Wanted to take vengeance on him and accused him of this treachery before the mayor.

The innocent little peasant was unanimously sentenced to death and was to be rolled into the water in a barrel pierced full of holes.

He was led forth and a priest was brought who was to say a mass for his soul.

The others were all obliged to retire to a distance and when the peasant looked at the priest he recognized the man who had been with the miller's wife.

He said to him I set you free free from the closet set me free from the barrel.

At this same moment up came with a flock of sheep the very shepherd whom the peasant knew had long been wishing to be mayor so he cried with all his might no I will not do it if the whole world insists on it I will not do it.

The shepherd hearing that came up to him and asked what are you about what is it that you will not do the peasant said they want to make me mayor if I will but put myself in the barrel but I will not do it.

The shepherd said if nothing more than that is needful in order to be mayor mayor I would get into the barrel at once.

The peasant said if you will get in you will be mayor.

The shepherd was willing and got in and the peasant shut the top down on him then he took the shepherd's flock for himself and drove it away.

The parson went to the crowd and declared that the mass had been said then they came and rolled the barrel towards the water when the barrel began to roll the shepherd cried I am quite willing to be mayor.

They believed no otherwise than that it was the peasant who was saying this and answered that is what we intend but first you shall look about you a little down below there and they rolled the barrel down into the water.

After that the peasants went home and as they were entering the village the small peasant also came quietly in driving a flock of sheep and looking quite contented contented then the peasants were astonished and said peasant from whence do you come have you come out of the water yes truly replied the peasant I sank deep deep down until at last I got to the bottom I pushed the bottom out of the barrel and crept out and there were pretty meadows on which a number of lambs were were feeding and from thence I brought this flock away with me said the peasants are there any more there oh yes said he more than I could want then the peasants made up their minds that they too would fetch some sheep for themselves a flock apiece but the mayor said I come first so they went to the water together together and just then there were some of the small fleecy clouds in the blue sky which are called little lambs and they were reflected in the water whereupon the peasants cried we already see the sheep down below the mayor pressed forward and said I will go down first and look about me and if things promise well I'll call you so he jumped in splash went the water it sounded as if he were calling them and the whole crowd plunged in after him as one man man then the entire village was dead and the small peasant as sole heir became a rich man the salad as a merry young huntsman was once going briskly along through a wood there came up a little old woman and said to him good day good day you seem merry enough but I am hungry and thirsty do pray give me something to eat the huntsman took pity on her and put his hand in his pocket and gave her what he had then he wanted to go his way but she took hold of him and said listen my friend my friend to what I am going to tell you I will reward you for your kindness go your way and after a little time you will come to a tree where you will see nine birds sitting on a cloak shoot into the midst of them and one will fall down dead dead the cloak will fall to take it it is a wishing cloak and when you wear it you will find yourself at any place where you may wish to be cut open the dead bird take out its heart and keep it and you will find a piece of gold under your pillow every morning when you rise when you rise it is the bird's heart that will bring you this good luck the huntsman thanked her and thought to himself if all this does happen it will be a fine thing for me when he had gone a hundred steps or so he heard a screaming and chirping in the branches over him and looked up and saw a flock of birds pulling a cloak with their bills and feet their bills and feet screaming fighting and tugging at each other as if each wished to have it himself well said the huntsman this is wonderful this happens just as the old woman said then he shot into the midst of them so that their feathers flew all about off went the flock chattering away but one fell down dead and the cloak with it then the huntsman did as the old woman told him cut open the bird took out the heart and carried the cloak home with him the next morning when he awoke he lifted up his pillow and there lay the piece of gold glittering underneath the same happened next day and indeed every day when he arose he heaped up a great deal of gold and at last thought to himself of what use is this gold to me whilst i am at home at home i will go out into the world and look about me then he took leave of his friends and hung his bag and bow about his neck and went his way it so happened that his road one day led through a thick wood at the end of which was a large castle in a green meadow and at one of the windows stood an old woman with a very beautiful young lady by her side looking about them now the old woman was a witch and said to the young lady there is a young man coming out of the wood who carries a wonderful prize we must get it away from him my dear child for it is more fit for us than for him he has a bird's heart that brings a piece of gold under his pillow every morning in the meantime the huntsman came nearer and looked at the lady and said to himself i have been traveling so long that i should like to go into this castle and rest myself for i have money enough to pay for anything i want but the real reason was that he wanted to see more of the beautiful lady then he went into the house and was welcomed kindly and it was not long before he was so much in love that he thought of nothing else but looking at the lady's eyes and doing everything that she wished then the old woman said now is the time for getting the bird's heart so the lady stole it away and he never found any more gold under his pillow for it lay now under the young ladies and the old woman took it away every morning but he was so much in love that he never missed his prize well said the old witch we have got the bird's heart but not the wishing cloak yet and that we must also get let us leave him that said the young lady he has already lost his wealth then the witch was very angry and said such a cloak is a very rare and wonderful thing and i must and will have it have it so she did as the old woman told her and set herself at the window and looked about the country and seemed very sorrowful then the huntsman said what makes you so sad alas dear sir said she yonder lies the granite rock where all the costly diamonds grow oh and i want so much to go there that whenever i think of it i cannot help being sorrowful for who can reach it only the birds and the flies man cannot but if that's all your grief said the huntsman i'll take you there with all my heart so he drew her under his cloak and the moment he wished to be on the granite mountain they were both there the diamonds glittered so on all sides that they were delighted with the sight and picked up the finest but the old witch made a deep sleep come upon him and he said to the young lady let us sit down and rest ourselves a little i am so tired that i cannot stand any longer so they sat down and he laid his head in her lap and fell asleep and whilst he was sleeping on she took the cloak from his shoulders hung it on her own picked up the diamonds and wished herself home again when he awoke and found that his lady had tricked him and left him alone on the wild rock he said alas what roguery there is in the world and there he sat in great grief and fear not knowing what to do to do now this rock belonged to fierce giants who lived upon it and as he saw three of them striding about he thought to himself i can only save myself by feigning to be asleep so he laid himself down as if he were in a sound sleep when the giants came up to him the first pushed him with his foot and said what worm is this that lies here curled up tread upon him and kill him said the second it's not worth the trouble said the third let him live he'll go climbing higher up the mountain and some cloud will come roll in and carry him away and they passed on but the huntsman had heard all they said and as soon as they were gone he climbed to the top of the mountain and when he had sat there a short time a cloud came rolling around him and caught him in a whirlwind and bore him along for some time till it settled in a garden and he fell quite gently to the ground amongst the greens and cabbages then he looked around him and said wish i had something to eat if not i shall be worse off than before for here i see neither apples nor pears nor any kind of fruits nothing but vegetables at last he thought to himself i can eat salad it will refresh and strengthen me so he picked out a fine head and ate of it but scarcely had he swallowed two bites when he felt himself quite changed and saw with horror that he was turned into an ass however he still felt very hungry and the salad tasted very nice so he ate on till he came to another kind of salad and scarcely had he tasted it when he felt another change come over him and soon saw that he was lucky enough to have found his old shape again then he laid himself down and slept off a little of his weariness and when he awoke the next morning he broke off a head both of the good and the bad salad and thought to himself this will help me to my fortune again and enable me to pay off some folks for their treachery so he went away to try and find the castle of his friends and after wandering about a few days he luckily found it then he stained his face all over brown so that even his mother would not have known him and went into the castle and asked for a lodging i am so tired said he but i can go no farther countrymen said the witch who are you and what is your business i am said he a messenger sent by the king to find the finest salad that grows under the sun i have been lucky enough to find it and have brought it with me but the heat of the sun scorches so that it begins to wither and i don't know that i can carry it farther when the witch and the young lady heard of his beautiful salad they longed to taste it and said dear countrymen let us just taste it to be sure answered he i have two heads of it with me and will give you one so he opened his bag and gave them the bad then the witch herself took it into the kitchen to be dressed and when it was ready she could not wait till it was carried up but took a few leaves immediately and put them in her mouth and scarcely were they swallowed when she lost her own form and ran braying down into the court in the form of an ass now the servant maid came into the kitchen and seeing the salad ready was going to carry it up but on the way she too felt a wish to taste it as the old woman had done and ate some leaves so she also was turned into an ass and ran after the other letting the dish with the salad fall on the ground the messenger sat all this time with the beautiful young lady and as nobody came with the salad and she longed to taste it she said i don't know where the salad can be then he thought something must have happened and said i will go into the kitchen and see and as he went he saw two asses in the court running about and the salad lying on the ground all right said he those two have had their share then he took up the rest of the leaves laid them on the dish and brought them to the young lady saying i bring you the dish myself that you may not wait any longer so she ate of it and like the others ran off into the court braying away then the huntsman washed his face and went into the court that they might know him now you shall be paid for your roguery said he and tied them all three to a rope and took them along with him till he came to a mill and knocked at the window what's the matter said the miller said the miller i have three tiresome beasts here said the other if you will take them give them food and room and treat them as i tell you i will pay you whatever you ask with all my heart said the miller but how shall i treat them then the huntsman said give the old one stripes three times a day and hay once once give the next who was the servant maid stripes once a day and hay three times and give the youngest who was the beautiful lady hay three times a day and no stripes for he could not find it in his heart to have her beaten after this he went back to the castle where he found everything he wanted he wanted some days after the miller came to him and told him that the old ass was dead the other two said he are alive and eat but are so sorrowful that they cannot last long then the huntsman pitied them and told the miller to drive them back to him and when they came he gave them some of the good salad to eat to eat and the beautiful young lady fell upon her knees before him and said oh dearest huntsman forgive me all the ill i have done you my mother forced me to it it was against my will for i always loved you very much your wishing cloak hangs up in the closet and as for the bird's heart i will give it to you too but he said keep it it will be just the same thing for i mean to make you my wife so they were married and lived together very happily till they died