Going a Traveling facts for kids

Going a Traveling is a classic German fairy tale collected by the famous Brothers Grimm. It's tale number 143 in their well-known collection, Grimm's Fairy Tales. This story is also known as Aarne-Thompson type 1696, titled "What Should I Have Said?".

The Story of the Young Traveler

Once upon a time, there lived a mother and her son. The son told his mother he wanted to go on a journey. His mother was worried because they were very poor. But the son promised he would be fine. He decided he would always say "not much" wherever he went.

The Fisherman's Advice

One day, as the young man traveled, he passed some fishermen. They were trying to catch fish but weren't having any luck. When they heard him saying "not much," they got angry. He asked them what he should say instead. They told him to say, "Get it full!"

A Solemn Moment

The young man continued his journey, repeating "get it full, get it full." He then came to a place where people were being punished for serious crimes. The person in charge became upset when he heard the young man's words. "Is it good to have more criminals?" he asked. The young man quickly asked what he should say. He was told to say, "God, please have pity on the poor soul."

Dealing with Dead Animals

Next, the young man met a group of people who worked with dead animals. They were processing a horse when he passed by, saying "God, please have pity on the poor soul." The workers were annoyed. They told him he should say, "There lies the dead flesh in the pit."

The Journey's End

So, the young man kept traveling, repeating "there lies the dead flesh in the pit." Soon, a cart came by and accidentally fell into a ditch. The people in the cart were very upset and started to scold the young man. Frightened, he quickly ran all the way back home. From that day on, he never went traveling again!