The Poor Miller's Boy and the Cat

by The Brothers Grimm

　　

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In a certain mill lived an old miller who had neither wife nor child,and three apprentices served under him. As they had been with himseveral years, he one day said to them, "I am old, and want to sit inthe chimney-corner, go out, and whichsoever of you brings me the besthorse home, to him will I give the mill, and in return for it he shalltake care of me till my death." The third of the boys was, however,the drudge, who was looked on as foolish by the others; they begrudgedthe mill to him, and afterwards he would not have it. Then all threewent out together, and when they came to the village, the two said tostupid Hans, "Thou mayst just as well stay here, as long as thou livestthou wilt never get a horse." Hans, however, went with them, and whenit was night they came to a cave in which they lay down to sleep. Thetwo sharp ones waited until Hans had fallen asleep, then they got up,and went away leaving him where he was. And they thought they had donea very clever thing, but it was certain to turn out ill for them. Whenthe sun arose, and Hans woke up, he was lying in a deep cavern. He lookedaround on every side and exclaimed, "Oh, heavens, where am I?" Then hegot up and clambered out of the cave, went into the forest, and thought,"Here I am quite alone and deserted, how shall I obtain a horse now?"Whilst he was thus walking full of thought, he met a small tabby-catwhich said quite kindly, "Hans, where are you going?" "Alas, thou canstnot help me." "I well know your desire," said the cat. "You wish to have abeautiful horse. Come with me, and be my faithful servant for seven yearslong, and then I will give you one more beautiful than any you have everseen in your whole life." "Well, this is a wonderful cat!" thought Hans,"but I am determined to see if she is telling the truth." So she took himwith her into her enchanted castle, where there were nothing but catswho were her servants. They leapt nimbly upstairs and downstairs, andwere merry and happy. In the evening when they sat down to dinner, threeof them had to make music. One played the bassoon, the other the fiddle,and the third put the trumpet to his lips, and blew out his cheeks as muchas he possibly could. When they had dined, the table was carried away,and the cat said, "Now, Hans, come and dance with me." "No," said he,"I won't dance with a pussy cat. I have never done that yet." "Thentake him to bed," said she to the cats. So one of them lighted him tohis bed-room, one pulled his shoes off, one his stockings, and at lastone of them blew out the candle. Next morning they returned and helpedhim out of bed, one put his stockings on for him, one tied his garters,one brought his shoes, one washed him, and one dried his face withher tail. "That feels very soft!" said Hans. He, however, had to servethe cat, and chop some wood every day, and to do that, he had an axe ofsilver, and the wedge and saw were of silver and the mallet of copper. Sohe chopped the wood small; stayed there in the house and had good meatand drink, but never saw anyone but the tabby-cat and her servants. Onceshe said to him, "Go and mow my meadow, and dry the grass," and gave hima scythe of silver, and a whetstone of gold, but bade him deliver themup again carefully. So Hans went thither, and did what he was bidden,and when he had finished the work, he carried the scythe, whetstone,and hay to the house, and asked if it was not yet time for her to givehim his reward. "No," said the cat, "you must first do something morefor me of the same kind. There is timber of silver, carpenter's axe,square, and everything that is needful, all of silver, with these buildme a small house." Then Hans built the small house, and said that hehad now done everything, and still he had no horse. Nevertheless theseven years had gone by with him as if they were six months. The catasked him if he would like to see her horses? "Yes," said Hans. Then sheopened the door of the small house, and when she had opened it, therestood twelve horses, such horses, so bright and shining, that his heartrejoiced at the sight of them. And now she gave him to eat and drink,and said, "Go home, I will not give thee thy horse away with thee; butin three days' time I will follow thee and bring it." So Hans set out,and she showed him the way to the mill. She had, however, never oncegiven him a new coat, and he had been obliged to keep on his dirty oldsmock-frock, which he had brought with him, and which during the sevenyears had everywhere become too small for him. When he reached home,the two other apprentices were there again as well, and each of themcertainly had brought a horse with him, but one of them was a blind one,and the other lame. They asked Hans where his horse was. "It will followme in three days' time." Then they laughed and said, "Indeed, stupid Hans,where wilt thou get a horse?" "It will be a fine one!" Hans went intothe parlour, but the miller said he should not sit down to table, forhe was so ragged and torn, that they would all be ashamed of him if anyone came in. So they gave him a mouthful of food outside, and at night,when they went to rest, the two others would not let him have a bed,and at last he was forced to creep into the goose-house, and lie downon a little hard straw. In the morning when he awoke, the three dayshad passed, and a coach came with six horses and they shone so brightthat it was delightful to see them! and a servant brought a seventh aswell, which was for the poor miller's boy. And a magnificent princessalighted from the coach and went into the mill, and this princess wasthe little tabby-cat whom poor Hans had served for seven years. She askedthe miller where the miller's boy and drudge was? Then the miller said,"We cannot have him here in the mill, for he is so ragged; he is lyingin the goose-house." Then the King's daughter said that they were tobring him immediately. So they brought him out, and he had to hold hislittle smock-frock together to cover himself. The servants unpackedsplendid garments, and washed him and dressed him, and when that wasdone, no King could have looked more handsome. Then the maiden desiredto see the horses which the other apprentices had brought home withthem, and one of them was blind and the other lame. So she ordered theservant to bring the seventh horse, and when the miller saw it, he saidthat such a horse as that had never yet entered his yard. "And that isfor the third miller's boy," said she. "Then he must have the mill,"said the miller, but the King's daughter said that the horse was there,and that he was to keep his mill as well, and took her faithful Hansand set him in the coach, and drove away with him. They first drove tothe little house which he had built with the silver tools, and beholdit was a great castle, and everything inside it was of silver and gold;and then she married him, and he was rich, so rich that he had enoughfor all the rest of his life. After this, let no one ever say that anyonewho is silly can never become a person of importance.

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