Hello there!
Thank you so much for joining me for this special cat edition of some of the Grimm's Fairy Tales.
In this recording we'll be covering three different Grimm's Fairy Tales with cats involved.
We will have cat skin and cat and mouse in partnership,
Followed by the fox and the cat.
As you likely know if you've listened to some of these recordings before,
There are so many of the different Grimm's Fairy Tales.
Indeed there were more than 200 different folk tales originally collected up by the brothers Grimm,
Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm,
In Germany and then published in the early 1800s.
Some of the stories are shorter,
Some are longer,
Almost all of them are indeed rather Grimm,
And I think today's selection is probably no exception to that.
I just thought it would be fun to group together some of these cat themed stories.
So before we get further here into the Grimm's cat collection,
Let's just take a moment to have a nice deep exhale.
Letting go of the day,
Letting go of whichever baggage we might be bringing along with us into this moment.
For right now there's nowhere else we have to go,
Nothing else we have to be doing.
So we can just relax,
Get ourselves comfortable and enjoy an interesting cat themed selection of some of the Grimm's Fairy Tales.
Catskin.
There was once a king whose queen had hair of the purest gold,
And was so beautiful that her match was not to be met with on the whole face of the earth.
But this beautiful queen fell ill,
And when she felt that her end drew near,
She called the king to her and said,
Promise me that you will never marry again unless you meet with a wife who is as beautiful as I am and who has golden hair like mine.
Then when the king in his grief promised all she asked,
She shut her eyes and died.
But the king was not to be comforted,
And for a long time never thought of taking another wife.
At last,
However,
His wise men said,
This will not do.
The king must marry again that we may have a queen.
So messengers were sent far and wide to seek for a bride as beautiful as the late queen.
But there was no princess in the world so beautiful,
And if there had been,
Still there was not one to be found who had golden hair.
So the messengers came home and had had all their trouble for nothing.
Now the king had a daughter who was just as beautiful as her mother and had the same golden hair.
And when she was grown up,
The king looked at her and saw that she was just like this late queen.
Then he said to his courtiers,
May I not marry my daughter?
She is the very image of my dead wife.
Unless I have her,
I shall not find any bride upon the whole earth,
And you say there must be a queen.
When the courtiers heard this,
They were shocked and said,
Heaven forbid that a father should marry his daughter.
Out of so great a sin,
No good can come.
And his daughter was also shocked,
But hoped the king would soon give up such thoughts.
So she said to him,
Before I marry anyone,
I must have three dresses.
One must be of gold like the sun,
Another must be of shining silver like the moon,
And a third must be dazzling as the stars.
Besides this,
I want a mantle of a thousand different kinds of fur put together,
To which every beast in the kingdom must give a part of his skin.
And thus she thought he would think of the matter no more.
But the king made the most skillful workmen in his kingdom weave the three dresses.
One golden like the sun,
Another silvery like the moon,
And a third sparkling like the stars.
And his hunters were told to hunt out all the beasts in his kingdom and to take the finest fur out of their skins.
And thus a mantle of a thousand furs was made.
When all were ready,
The king sent them to her.
But she got up in the night when all were asleep and took three of her trinkets,
A golden ring,
A golden necklace,
And a golden brooch,
And packed the three dresses of the sun,
The moon,
And the stars up in a nutshell,
And wrapped herself up in the mantle made of all sorts of fur,
And besmeared her face and hands with soot.
Then she threw herself upon heaven for help in her need and went away,
And journeyed on the whole night,
Till at last she came to a large wood.
As she was very tired,
She sat herself down in the hollow of a tree and soon fell asleep,
And there she slept on till it was midday.
Now,
As the king to whom the wood belonged was hunting in it,
His dogs came to the tree and began to snuff about and run round and round and bark.
Look sharp,
Said the king to the huntsman,
And see what sort of game lies there.
And the huntsman went up to the tree and when they came back again said,
In the hollow tree there lies a most wonderful beast such as we never saw before.
Its skin seems to be made of a thousand kinds of fur,
But there it lies fast asleep.
See,
Said the king,
If you can catch it alive and we will take it with us.
So the huntsman took it up and the maiden awoke and was greatly frightened and said,
I am a poor child that has neither father nor mother left.
Have pity on me and take me with you.
Then they said,
Yes,
Miss Catskin,
You will do for the kitchen.
You can sweep up the ashes and do things of that sort.
So they put her into the coach and took her home to the king's palace.
Then they showed her a little corner under the staircase when no light of day ever peeped in and said,
Catskin,
You may lie and sleep there.
And she was sent into the kitchen and made to fetch wood and water to blow the fire,
Pluck the poultry,
Pick the herbs,
Sift the ashes and do all the dirty work.
Thus Catskin lived for a long time,
Very sorrowfully.
Ah,
Pretty princess,
Thought she,
What will now become of thee?
But it happened one day that a feast was to be held in the king's castle.
So she said to the cook,
May I go up a little while and see what is going on?
I will take care and stand behind the door.
And the cook said,
Yes,
You may go,
But be back again in half an hour's time to rake out the ashes.
Then she took her little lamp and went into her cabin and took off the fur skin and washed the soot from off her face and hands so that her beauty shone forth like the sun from behind the clouds.
She next opened her nut shell and brought out of it the dress that shone like the sun.
And so went to the feast.
Everyone made way for her.
Nobody knew her and they thought she could be no less than a king's daughter.
But the king came up to her and held out his hand and danced with her.
And he thought in his heart,
I never saw anyone half so beautiful.
When the dance was at an end,
She curtsied.
And when the king looked round for her,
She was gone.
No one knew where the guards that stood at the castle gate were called in,
But they had seen no one.
The truth was that she had run into her little cabin,
Pulled off her dress,
Blackened her face and hands,
Put on the first skin cloak and was catskin again.
When she went into the kitchen to her work and began to rake the ashes,
The cook said,
Let that alone till the morning and heat the king's soup.
I should like to run up now and give a peep,
But take care you don't let a hair fall into it or you will run a chance of never eating again.
As soon as the cook went away,
Catskin heated the king's soup and toasted a slice of bread first as nicely as ever she could.
And when it was ready,
She went and looked in the cabin for her little golden ring and put it into the dish in which the soup was.
When the dance was over,
The king ordered his soup to be brought in and it pleased him so well that he thought he had never tasted any so good before.
At the bottom,
He saw a gold ring lying and as he could not make out how it had got there,
He ordered the cook to be sent for.
The cook was frightened when he heard the order and said to catskin,
You must have let a hair fall into the soup.
If it be so,
You will have a good beating.
Then he went before the king and he asked him who had cooked the soup.
I did,
Answered the cook,
But the king said that is not true.
It was better done than you could do it.
Then he answered,
To tell the truth,
I did not cook it,
But catskin did.
Then let catskin come up,
Said the king.
And when she came,
He said to her,
Who are you?
I am a poor child,
Said she,
That has lost both father and mother.
How came you in my palace,
Asked he.
I am good for nothing,
Said she,
But to be scullion girl and to have boots and shoes thrown at my head.
But how did you get the ring that was in the soup,
Asked the king.
Then she would not own that she knew anything about the ring.
So the king sent her away again about her business.
After a time there was another feast and catskin asked the cook to let her go up and see it as before.
Yes,
Said he,
But come again in half an hour and cook the king the soup that he likes so much.
Then she ran to her little cabin,
Washed herself quickly and took her dress out,
Which was silvery as the moon and put it on.
And when she went in looking like a king's daughter,
The king went up to her and rejoiced at seeing her again.
And when the dance began,
He danced with her.
After the dance was at an end,
She managed to slip out so slyly that the king did not see where she was gone.
But she sprang into her little cabin and made herself into catskin again and went into the kitchen to cook the soup.
Whilst the cook was above stairs,
She got the golden necklace and dropped it into the soup.
Then it was brought to the king who ate it and it pleased him as well as before.
So he sent for the cook who was again forced to tell him that catskin had cooked it.
Catskin was brought again before the king,
But she still told him that she was only fit to have boots and shoes thrown at her head.
Catskin was brought again before the king,
But she still told him that she was only fit to have boots and shoes thrown at her head.
But when the king had ordered a feast to be got ready for the third time,
It happened just the same as before.
You must be a witch,
Catskin,
Said the cook,
For you always put something into your soup so that it pleases the king better than mine.
However,
He let her go up as before.
Then she put on her dress which sparkled like the stars and went into the ballroom in it.
And the king danced with her again and thought she had never looked so beautiful as she did then.
So whilst he was dancing with her,
He put a gold ring on her finger without her seeing it and ordered that the dance should be kept up a long time.
When it was at an end,
He would have held her fast by the hand,
But she slipped away and sprang so quickly through the crowd that he lost sight of her.
And she ran as fast as she could into her little cabin under the stairs.
But this time she kept away too long and stayed beyond the half hour.
So she had not time to take off her fine dress and threw her fur mantle over it.
And in her haste,
Did not blacken herself all over with soot,
But left one of her fingers white.
Then she ran into the kitchen and cooked the king's soup.
And as soon as the cook was gone,
She put the golden brooch into the dish.
When the king got to the bottom,
He ordered cat skin to be called once more and soon saw the white finger and the ring that he had put on it whilst they were dancing.
So he seized her hand and kept fast hold of it.
And when she wanted to lose herself and spring away,
The fur cloak fell off a little on one side and the starry dress sparkled underneath it.
Then he got hold of the fur and tore it off.
And her golden hair and beautiful form was seen.
And she could no longer hide herself.
So she washed the soot and ashes from her face and showed herself to be the most beautiful princess upon the face of the earth.
But the king said,
You are my beloved bride and we will never more be parted from each other.
And the wedding feast was held.
And a merry day it was,
As ever was heard of or seen in that country or indeed in any other.
Cat and Mouse in Partnership A certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse and had said so much to her about the great love and friendship she felt for her that at length the mouse agreed that they should live and keep house together.
But we must make a provision for winter or else we shall suffer from hunger,
Said the cat.
And you little mouse cannot venture everywhere or you will be caught in a trap someday.
The good advice was followed and a pot of fat was bought.
But they did not know where to put it.
At length,
After much consideration,
The cat said,
I know no place where it will be better stored up than in the church,
For no one dares take anything away from there.
We will set it beneath the altar and not touch it until we are really in need of it.
So the pot was placed in safety.
But it was not long before the cat had a great yearning for it and said to the mouse,
I want to tell you something little mouse.
My cousin has brought a little son into the world and has asked me to be godmother.
He is white with brown spots and I am to hold him over the font at the christening.
Let me go out today and you look after the house by yourself.
Yes,
Yes,
Answered the mouse.
By all means go.
And if you get anything very good to eat,
Think of me.
I should like a drop of sweet red christening wine myself.
All this,
However,
Was untrue.
The cat had no cousin and had not been asked to be godmother.
She went straight to the church,
Stole to the pot of fat,
Began to lick at it and licked the top of the fat off.
Then she took a walk upon the roofs of the town,
Looked out for opportunities and then stretched herself in the sun and licked her lips whenever she thought of the pot of fat.
And not until it was evening did she return home.
Well,
Here you are again,
Said the mouse.
No doubt you have had a merry day.
All went off well,
Answered the cat.
What name did they give the child?
Top off,
Said the cat quite coolly.
Top off,
Cried the mouse.
That is a very odd and uncommon name.
Is it a usual one in your family?
What does that matter,
Said the cat.
It is no worse than crumb stealer,
As your godchildren are called.
Before long,
The cat was seized by another fit of yearning.
She said to the mouse,
You must do me a favour and once more manage the house for a day alone.
I am again asked to be godmother.
And as the child has a white ring round its neck,
I cannot refuse.
The good mouse consented,
But the cat crept behind the town walls to the church and devoured half the pot of fat.
Nothing ever seems so good as what one keeps to oneself,
Said she,
And was quite satisfied with her day's work.
When she went home,
The mouse inquired,
And what was the child christened?
Half done,
Answered the cat.
Half done?
What are you saying?
I've never heard the name in my life.
I'll wager anything it is not in the calendar.
The cat's mouth soon began to water for some more licking.
All good things go in threes,
Said she.
I am asked to stand godmother again.
The child is quite black.
Only it has white paws,
But with that exception it has not a single white hair on its whole body.
This only happens once every few years.
You will let me go,
Won't you?
Top off,
Half done,
Answered the mouse.
They are such odd names.
They make me very thoughtful.
You sit at home,
Said the cat,
In your dark grey fur coat and long tail and are filled with fancies.
That's because you do not go out in the daytime.
During the cat's absence,
The mouse cleaned the house and put it in order,
But the greedy cat entirely emptied the pot of fat.
When everything is eaten up,
One has some peace,
Said she to herself,
And well filled and fat,
She did not return home till night.
The mouse at once asked what name had been given to the third child.
It will not please you more than the others,
Said the cat.
He is called All Gone.
All Gone,
Cried the mouse.
That is the most suspicious name of all.
I have never seen it in print.
All Gone?
What can that mean?
And she shook her head,
Curled herself up and lay down to sleep.
From this time forth,
No one invited the cat to be godmother,
But when the winter had come and there was no longer anything to be found outside,
The mouse thought of their provision and said,
Come cat,
We will go to our pot of fat,
Which we have stored up for ourselves.
We shall enjoy that.
Yes,
Answered the cat.
You will enjoy it as much as you would enjoy sticking that dainty tongue of yours out of the window.
They set out on their way.
But when they arrived,
The pot of fat certainly was still in its place,
But it was empty.
Alas,
Said the mouse,
Now I see what has happened.
Now it comes to light.
You are a true friend.
You have devoured all when you were standing godmother.
First top off,
Then half done,
Then.
Will you hold your tongue?
Cried the cat.
One word more and I will eat you too.
All Gone was already on the poor mouse's lips.
Scarcely had she spoken it before the cat sprang on her,
Seized her and swallowed her down.
Verily,
That is the way of the world.
The Fox and the Cat It happened that the cat met the fox in a forest.
And as she thought to herself,
He is clever and full of experience and much esteemed in the world,
She spoke to him in a friendly way.
Good day,
Dear Mr.
Fox.
How are you?
How is all with you?
How are you getting on in these hard times?
The fox,
Full of all kinds of arrogance,
Looked at the cat from head to foot and for a long time did not know whether he would give any answer or not.
At last,
He said,
You wretched beard cleaner,
You piebald fool.
You hungry mouse hunter.
What can you be thinking of?
Have you the cheek to ask how I am getting on?
What have you learnt?
How many arts do you understand?
I understand but one,
Replied the cat modestly.
What art is that?
Asked the fox.
When the hounds are following me,
I can spring into a tree and save myself.
Is that all?
Said the fox.
I am master of a hundred arts and have into the bargain a sackful of cunning.
You make me sorry for you.
Come with me.
I will teach you how people get away from their hounds.
Just then came a hunter with four dogs.
The cat sprang nimbly up a tree and sat down at the top of it where the branches and foliage quite concealed her.
Open your sack,
Mr Fox,
Open your sack,
Cried the cat to him.
But the dogs had already seized him and were holding him fast.
Oh,
Mr Fox,
Cried the cat.
You,
With your hundred arts,
Are left in the lurch.
Had you been able to climb like me,
You would not have lost your life.
