Ludwig Bechstein

Once upon a time four travelling companions were wandering together, having met one another on the road quite by chance. The first of them was a king’s son, the second a nobleman, the third a merchant, and the fourth a craftsman. All four of them had run out of money, as tends to happen to […]

A crab crawled up out of its stream on to the green grass of a meadow, where he took his ease and convenience. Then a fox came along, saw the crab slowly crawling, and said to him derisively: “Mr. Crab, how is it that you walk so leisurely? Who took your speediness from you? Or […]

Following the death of his first wife, who had borne him a girl and a boy, a farmer had married a second and received from her another son, who was called Casper. She was a wicked stepmother to the first two children, treating them badly, having them walk around in tattered clothes, and giving them […]

Once upon a time in a town, there was a very rich merchant who had three grown-up daughters, and all three of them had a pretty figure, and they were also good and modest girls, whereas others in such favourable circumstances are sometimes very arrogant and trickish. That dapper suitors soon endeavoured to court the […]

Once upon a time there were two poor siblings, a boy and a girl, and the girl was called Margarete while the boy was called Hans. Their parents had died and had left neither house nor harbour, so they had to go out and beg to keep themselves alive. Both were still too small and […]

Once a pilgrim was on a journey, and on his way through a forest he came upon a wolf’s pit and perceived that there was something alive inside. And when he looked down, he saw a man inside, who was a goldsmith, and by him were an ape, a snake, and an adder; they had […]

A hare and a fox were travelling together. It was wintertime, nothing green was growing, and neither mouse nor louse crept through the fields. “This is hungry weather,” the fox said to the hare, “my insides are all laced together.” “Indeed,” the hare replied, “all this land belongs to Fasting Farm, and I would eat […]

A rich King had a very beautiful daughter; when she decided to get married, all the suitors who had presented themselves had to assemble on a large green meadow, where she threw a golden apple up into the air time and again, and whoever caught it and ventured to complete three obligations or three tasks, […]

A parish priest had a beautiful daughter who was so inordinately vain and haughty that she looked down her nose at every young lad who fell for her baby-doll face; for such high airs did she carry that she imagined some rich Count or even a Prince would surely come and take her away as […]

In a town there lived a man whose every chest was filled with gold and goods, while he himself was full of every kind of vice; so wicked was he, it seemed to everyone nothing short of miraculous that the earth had not swallowed him up. This man was a Justice as well – that […]

Once upon a time, there was a King to whom many German- and Italian-speaking lands were subject, and this gave him a vainglorious temper, so that he believed himself to be the one and only mighty lord in the world. Now it happened that he went one evening to Vespers, where he heard the priest […]

Once upon a time there was a King who built a magnificent cathedral in honour and in praise of God, and it was the King’s express command that no one was allowed to contribute so much as a farthing to the construction, upon pain of death, for he wished to build it entirely with his […]

Once upon a time there was an old woman who went into the forest to gather wood. As she was returning home with her load she saw a sick kitten lying behind a fence and whimpering pitifully. The poor woman compassionately took it up in her apron and carried it home. On the way her […]

“I was born in the house of a devout hermit; there were many of us siblings, and apart from my dear, departed parents, there also lived in this house their brothers and sisters, aunts and cousins and their children, all together. We never wanted for any kind of foodstuff, for every day the charitable people […]

Once upon a time there was a mother and a child, and the mother loved the child, her only one, with all her heart, and without her child she could not live, she could not exist. But then the Lord sent a great sickness which raged among children and seized this child, who took to […]

Once upon a time there was a very poor farmer, he was the shepherd in a little village, and had been so for many years. His family was small, he had a wife and only the one child, a boy. Yet he had taken this boy, while he was still very small, out to the […]

The true liar is of so mendacious a constitution that he lies at all times, and he is happy only when lying. He lies at night and lies by day; he lies whatever lies he can tell, he lies to his father as to his mother, he lies to his sister and even better to […]

Once upon a time there were seven brothers, all of them poor orphans, who had no sister, and had to do everything in the house themselves, which was not to their liking, so they all came to an agreement that they would marry. But where they lived, there were no brides for them, so the […]

Once upon a time there was a miller who was rich in money and goods and led a life of contentent with his wife. But misfortune comes overnight; the miller became poor, and at last he could barely call the mill in which he lived his own. During the day he wandered around full of […]

In a monastery there was a monk by the name of Urban, a very pious and industrious man, who was entrusted with the key to the cloister library; and he guarded this treasure with care, wrote many a fine book himself, and studied much in the other books and the Holy Scriptures. There he found […]

A nun, a miner, and a blacksmith were wandering through the world together. One day they lost their way in a large and dark forest, so they were of course delighted when, at last, they caught sight of some walls in the distance, inside which they thought to find shelter. So they walked towards them […]

Once upon a time there was a rich merchant who had to travel to foreign lands on business. Now when he took his leave, he said to his three daughters: “Dear daughters, I would like to give you a treat on my return, therefore tell me what I should bring back for you.” The eldest […]

Once upon a time there was a wicked wizard who had, a good while before, abducted two children of tender age, a boy and a girl, and he lived with them in a cave, quite solitary and hermit-like. He had promised these children, more’s the pity, to the Evil One, and he practised his wicked […]

Once a rich Jew was travelling through a kingdom and he carried a large treasure of money and goods. As his way was to take him through a large forest, he was afraid of losing his life there for the sake of his money; and so he went to the King of the land, proffered […]

Not far from a peaceful village which lay on the sea-strand and was inhabited mostly by fisher-folk, there appeared on the shore every year, at several fixed times, a maiden of superterrestrial beauty; she would came sailing up in a wondrously beautiful little ship, which looked as if it were made of pure, light-coloured pearls […]

This story sounds like a tall tale, lads, but it’s true for all that, for my grandfather, whom I have it from, always used to say when he told it: “Well, it must be true, my sons, for otherwise no one could tell it, could they?” The story happened like this: “It was once upon […]

Once upon a time there was an old nanny-goat who had seven little kids, and one day when she was going away into the forest, she said: “My dear little kids, beware of the wolf and do not let him in, or you will all be done for.” And then she left. After a while […]

There was once a young knight who was handsome and rich and had a magnificent castle. One day he rode with his hounds into the forest to hunt, where he saw a hind that was whiter than snow, and it started up and fled from him through the wild tall bushes into the mountains. The […]

Once upon a time a poor shepherd boy lived in a peaceful, pleasantly situated little village. Near the village was a valley and a precious place to which the shepherd boy always drove his flock, and it seemed as if the shepherd had chosen this quiet spot for his favourite retreat. He did not eat […]

Once upon a time there were two brothers, one of whom, the elder, was no fool, but rather clever and artful beyond measure; but the younger one was, as they say, as thick as two short planks. This caused great concern to his father, but none to him, for he passed his days on earth […]

In the little town of Juterbog there once lived a smith, of whom both young and old tell a wondrous tale. This smith was once a young fellow who had a very strict father but faithfully observed God’s commandments. He made lengthy journeys and underwent many adventures, and he was exceptionally dexterous and capable in […]

Once upon a time there was a knight who had, besides abundant wealth and land, a bad wife whom he never could manage to master, and a worse wife was hardly to be found on this earth. He, however, was honourable and of a gentle disposition. They had an only daughter, and the mother raised […]

Once upon a time there was a powerful knight who was rich in money and goods and lived off the fat of the land at his castle. As he had a blue beard, he was called simply Knight Bluebeard; his real name was actually something else, but it had been lost. This knight had already […]

now listen, and I’ll tell you about a good country, which many a man would emigrate to if he knew where it lay and an opportune passage. But the way there is far for the young and for the old, and they will find it too hot in winter and too cold in summer. This […]

In olden times, a man went into the forest one blessed Sunday morning, chopped a mighty bundle of wood for himself, tied it up, thrust a stick through the faggot, hoisted it onto his back, and carried it homewards. On the way he met a gentleman in his Sunday best, going no doubt to church, […]

Once upon a time there were seven Swabians who wished to be great heroes and wander all over the world in search of adventure. So that they might be well armed, they first made their way to the world-famous city of Augsburg and went at once to the most dexterous Master there in order to […]

In a village there lived a couple of very poor old people, as alone as alone can be, in a shabby little cottage which stood very far out, and this very cottage marked the end of the village. Both the old folks were upright and industrious, but they had no children. They had had a […]

Once upon a time there was a miller who had three beautiful daughters of a sprightly temper; but the youngest was the most sensible one of the three. One day, they had been to town and were now returning to their mill. On the way they chatted about this and that, and the eldest one […]

Once upon a time there was a poor linen weaver who was visited by three rich students, and when they saw that the man was very poor they gave him a hundred pounds for his housekeeping. The linen weaver was very pleased with this gift and thought to use it well, but first he wanted […]

Once upon a time three young musicians left their native town to see the world. All three of them had studied music with the same master, and now they wished to stay together and seek their fortune in foreign lands. They wandered happily on from place to place, played for dances at fairs and on […]