Herr Korbes facts for kids

Herr Korbes (pronounced "Hair Kor-bess") is a classic German fairy tale. It was collected by the famous Brothers Grimm, who were known for gathering many popular stories. This particular tale is number 41 in their collection. The Grimm brothers found this story in two different places in Germany: the Main region, from a woman named Jeanette Hassenpflug, and in Hesse, from Lisette Wild.

This story belongs to a group of tales called Aarne-Thompson-Uther Index type 210. These tales often feature "Traveling Animals and a Wicked Man." Another well-known story of this type from the Grimms is The Pack of Ragamuffins.

The Story of Herr Korbes

The fairy tale begins with a brave cock (a rooster) and a hen. They decide to travel to Herr Korbes's house in a carriage. As they journey, they gather some unusual passengers and items. Along the way, they pick up a heavy millstone, a delicate egg, a quacking duck, a sharp pin, and a tiny needle.

When the animals arrive at Herr Korbes's house, he is not there. They decide to go inside and wait for him. When Herr Korbes finally returns home, the animals confront him. Using the items they collected, they work together to defeat him.

Changes to the Tale

Over time, the Brothers Grimm sometimes made small changes to their stories. In the third edition of their collection, they added a special sentence to the end of the "Herr Korbes" tale. This sentence explained that Herr Korbes "must have been a wicked man." This addition helped readers understand why the animals acted the way they did. It suggested that Herr Korbes deserved what happened to him because of his bad character.

Images for kids

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  An endpiece illustration for Mr. Korbes by Walter Crane, created in 1882.