Fitcher's Bird

by The Brothers Grimm

　　There was once a wizard who used to take the form of a poor man, and wentto houses and begged, and caught pretty girls. No one knew whither hecarried them, for they were never seen more. One day he appeared beforethe door of a man who had three pretty daughters; he looked like a poorweak beggar, and carried a basket on his back, as if he meant to collectcharitable gifts in it. He begged for a little food, and when the eldestdaughter came out and was just reaching him a piece of bread, he didbut touch her, and she was forced to jump into his basket. Thereupon hehurried away with long strides, and carried her away into a dark forestto his house, which stood in the midst of it. Everything in the housewas magnificent; he gave her whatsoever she could possibly desire, andsaid, "My darling, thou wilt certainly be happy with me, for thou hasteverything thy heart can wish for." This lasted a few days, and thenhe said, "I must journey forth, and leave thee alone for a short time;there are the keys of the house; thou mayst go everywhere and look ateverything except into one room, which this little key here opens, andthere I forbid thee to go on pain of death." He likewise gave her an eggand said, "Preserve the egg carefully for me, and carry it continuallyabout with thee, for a great misfortune would arise from the loss of it."

　　She took the keys and the egg, and promised to obey him ineverything. When he was gone, she went all round the house from the bottomto the top, and examined everything. The rooms shone with silver and gold,and she thought she had never seen such great splendour. At length shecame to the forbidden door; she wished to pass it by, but curiosity lether have no rest. She examined the key, it looked just like any other;she put it in the keyhole and turned it a little, and the door sprangopen. But what did she see when she went in? A great bloody basin stoodin the middle of the room, and therein lay human beings, dead and hewnto pieces, and hard by was a block of wood, and a gleaming axe layupon it. She was so terribly alarmed that the egg which she held inher hand fell into the basin. She got it out and washed the blood off,but in vain, it appeared again in a moment. She washed and scrubbed,but she could not get it out.

　　It was not long before the man came back from his journey, and the firstthings which he asked for were the key and the egg. She gave them to him,but she trembled as she did so, and he saw at once by the red spots thatshe had been in the bloody chamber. "Since thou hast gone into the roomagainst my will," said he, "thou shalt go back into it against thineown. Thy life is ended." He threw her down, dragged her thither by herhair, cut her head off on the block, and hewed her in pieces so that herblood ran on the ground. Then he threw her into the basin with the rest.

　　"Now I will fetch myself the second," said the wizard, and again he wentto the house in the shape of a poor man, and begged. Then the seconddaughter brought him a piece of bread; he caught her like the first,by simply touching her, and carried her away. She did not fare betterthan her sister. She allowed herself to be led away by her curiosity,opened the door of the bloody chamber, looked in, and had to atone forit with her life on the wizard's return. Then he went and brought thethird sister, but she was clever and crafty. When he had given her thekeys and the egg, and had left her, she first put the egg away withgreat care, and then she examined the house, and at last went into theforbidden room. Alas, what did she behold! Both her sisters lay therein the basin, cruelly murdered, and cut in pieces. But she began togather their limbs together and put them in order, head, body, arms andlegs. And when nothing further was wanting the limbs began to move andunite themselves together, and both the maidens opened their eyes and wereonce more alive. Then they rejoiced and kissed and caressed each other.

　　On his arrival, the man at once demanded the keys and the egg, and as hecould perceive no trace of any blood on it, he said, "Thou hast stood thetest, thou shalt be my bride." He now had no longer any power over her,and was forced to do whatsoever she desired. "Oh, very well," said she,"thou shalt first take a basketful of gold to my father and mother,and carry it thyself on thy back; in the meantime I will prepare for thewedding." Then she ran to her sisters, whom she had hidden in a littlechamber, and said, "The moment has come when I can save you. The wretchshall himself carry you home again, but as soon as you are at home sendhelp to me." She put both of them in a basket and covered them quiteover with gold, so that nothing of them was to be seen, then she calledin the wizard and said to him, "Now carry the basket away, but I shalllook through my little window and watch to see if thou stoppest on theway to stand or to rest."

　　The wizard raised the basket on his back and went away with it, butit weighed him down so heavily that the perspiration streamed from hisface. Then he sat down and wanted to rest awhile, but immediately one ofthe girls in the basket cried, "I am looking through my little window,and I see that thou art resting. Wilt thou go on at once?" He thoughtit was his bride who was calling that to him; and got up on his legsagain. Once more he was going to sit down, but instantly she cried, "I amlooking through my little window, and I see that thou art resting. Wiltthou go on directly?" And whenever he stood still, she cried this, andthen he was forced to go onwards, until at last, groaning and out ofbreath, he took the basket with the gold and the two maidens into theirparents' house. At home, however, the bride prepared the marriage-feast,and sent invitations to the friends of the wizard. Then she took a skullwith grinning teeth, put some ornaments on it and a wreath of flowers,carried it upstairs to the garret-window, and let it look out fromthence. When all was ready, she got into a barrel of honey, and then cutthe feather-bed open and rolled herself in it, until she looked like awondrous bird, and no one could recognize her. Then she went out of thehouse, and on her way she met some of the wedding-guests, who asked,

　　"O, Fitcher's bird, how com'st thou here?"

　　"I come from Fitcher's house quite near."

　　"And what may the young bride be doing?"

　　"From cellar to garret she's swept all clean,

　　And now from the window she's peeping, I ween."

　　At last she met the bridegroom, who was coming slowly back. He, likethe others, asked,

　　"O, Fitcher's bird, how com'st thou here?"

　　"I come from Fitcher's house quite near."

　　"And what may the young bride be doing?

　　"From cellar to garret she's swept all clean,

　　And now from the window she's peeping, I ween."

　　The bridegroom looked up, saw the decked-out skull, thought it was hisbride, and nodded to her, greeting her kindly. But when he and his guestshad all gone into the house, the brothers and kinsmen of the bride,who had been sent to rescue her, arrived. They locked all the doors ofthe house, that no one might escape, set fire to it, and the wizard andall his crew had to burn.