Grimm Reviews – “The Three Feathers”

My introductory post. 

Grimm Reviews List 1

Grimm Reviews List 2

“The Three Feathers”

A king had three sons.  The two oldest were thought wise, but the youngest was thought silly and was called Simple. 

As the king grew old, he didn’t know which son to leave his kingdom to.  So he sent them out and the one who brought him the finest carpet would be king.  Before they set out, they each blew a feather to see in what direction they would go.  One headed east, one west, but Simple’s feather fell to the ground.  The older two laughed at his misfortune and set out.

Simple sat by his feather not knowing what to do.  But then he saw a trap door.  He opened it and saw a set of stairs.  He went down until he came to a door and knocked.

The door opened to a large frog with several smaller frogs.  The large frog asked what he wanted and he replied the finest carpet, so she gave him one.

The two older brothers – apparently meeting up again – figured that since Simple wouldn’t be able to find a carpet, they didn’t need to search very far.  The first person they came to was a shepherd with a large plaid cloth.  They bought it and took it home.

The king was set to give his kingdom to Simple, but the two older brothers protested and demanded a second test.  So the king sent them out to find the most beautiful ring.

They again blew their feathers, and Simple’s fell near the trap door.  He went down and told the frog what he wanted, and she gave it to him. 

The two older brothers again figured Simple wouldn’t find anything, so they just grabbed a metal ring off a wagon. 

Again the king was set to give the kingdom to Simple, but the two older brothers demanded a third test.  So the king sent them off to find the most beautiful woman to be their wife.

The two older brothers followed their feathers, but Simple went back to the frog.  But she didn’t have a beautiful woman, but she gave him a hollowed out carrot with six mice harnessed to it.  Simple wasn’t sure what to do with it, but the frog told him to seat one of her little frogs on it. 

Simple took one of the little frogs and set it on the carrot.  The mice and carrot turned into horses and a carriage, and the little frog turned into the beautiful maiden.  They took the carriage to the castle and he introduced her to the king.

The two older brothers just found the prettiest peasant maidens they could find. 

The king was set to give the kingdom to Simple, but the two older brothers again complained.  This time they asked for a ring to be hung in the hall and for each woman to jump through.  They figured their peasant stock maidens were made of sterner stuff than the fine woman Simple found and she might die.  But the two peasants fell – one breaking an arm, the other a leg – while Simple’s woman leaped through the ring easily.

When the king died, Simple ruled the kingdom.

#

There’s a trap door right outside the castle leading to the frog queen, or whatever, and nobody has noticed it before?

So this frog just has carpets, rings, and magic carrots laying around for any who call?

So where the older brothers planning on co-ruling or something?

Did nobody ask Simple where he got the carpet?  Why did they just assume he wouldn’t be able to get a ring at the same place?

Wasn’t this trap door right outside the castle?  Why did they need to take a magic carrot carriage to it?

“Ah, I guess you’re pretty enough to be my queen.”

Yes, let’s make the future queen jump through a ring because ….

Was does the big frog have beautiful women as little frogs? 

Did the older brothers have to marry their wounded maidens?

Wednesday Writing Prompt for July 5

Write a sentence containing the following word: fireworks

Here is my example:

In the late morning of July 5th, John was still hold up in his bed trying to get over his fireworks hangover.

***

Image from Pixabay.

Grimm Reviews – “The Queen Bee”

My introductory post.  

Grimm Reviews List 1

Grimm Reviews List 2

“The Queen Bee”

A king had three sons.  The oldest two set off to make their way in the world, but fell into a reckless life.  The youngest son, Witling, set off to find them.  He found them, but they laughed at his simpleness and thinking that he could succeed where they had failed.  But the three set off together, and came across an anthill.  The two older ones wished to stir it up to watch the ants race about, but Witling wouldn’t let them.

They went on to a lake with some ducks.  The older two wanted to catch a couple to eat, but Witling said no.  Then they came to a bees nest overflowing with honey.  The two older ones wanted to smoke out the bees to get the honey, but Witling said no.

They went on until they came to a castle.  In the stables all the horses were of stone.  They went through the castle rooms until they found a door with three locks.  There was a hole in the door and inside they could see a little man sitting at a table.  They called to him, and he opened the locks and came out.

The man, without saying anything, took them to a table with food and drink.  Afterwards, they all went to sleep.  The next morning, the man took the oldest brother to a stone table with instructions on breaking the enchantment on the castle.  The first was to find the thousand pearls of the princess, lost in the woods.  If even one was missing by nightfall, he would be turned to stone.  The oldest brother only found one hundred, and was turned to stone.  The middle brother didn’t fare any better.

But when Witling was searching, the ant king marched in with thousands of his ants and they found all the pearls for him.

The second task was to get the key to the princess’s chamber from the bottom of the lake.  The ducks found it for him.

The final task was to figure out which of three, sleeping princesses was the youngest.  They all looked alike, but before sleeping they had each eaten something different.  The youngest had a spoonful of honey.  The queen bee that Witling had saved from the smoke checked the lips of all three for honey, and found the youngest.  This broke the spell and everyone woke up, or stopped being stone.  Witling married the youngest princess and became king after her father died.  His older brothers just had the other princesses.

#

Why is this “The Queen Bee?” Why not, “Three Sleeping Princesses,” or “Don’t be a jerk to insects?” Or why not “Witling’s Adventures?” It’s rare for someone to actually get a name in these things. 

Stirring up anthills, high entertainment in the olden days.

So Witling doesn’t want to hurt any animals.  What did he eat? 

So his two older brothers made fun of him for thinking he could go out into the world, but they listen to him when he tells them not to do things?

Why specifically were there three locks on the door? 

Why didn’t the man speak?  Was it part of the spell? 

Who put the castle and the princesses under a spell?  What was the point?  Why didn’t they do something when Witling messed it up?

How fortunate that the three animals Witling passed were the ones best suited to help him.  What would have happened if, instead of the ducks, they had come across a deer?  Would the deer then have to swim down to find the key?

The last line of the story is “But his two brothers had to put up with the two other sisters.” It makes it sound like a terrible thing, but why?  I’m going to dick around for a while, but then I’ll marry a beautiful princess but not have the burden of being king.  I’ll sign up for that.