Sweetheart Roland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sweetheart Roland
An illustration by Arthur Rackham for a 1925 book of Grimms' Fairy Tales
Folk tale
Name	Sweetheart Roland
Data
Aarne–Thompson grouping	1119, 313A, and 884
Country	Germany
Related	The Master Maid, The Water Nixie, Nix Nought Nothing

Sweetheart Roland (German: Der Liebste Roland) is a classic German fairy tale. The famous Brothers Grimm collected this story. It is number 56 in their collection of tales.

This story is a mix of different fairy tale types. It includes parts where a witch accidentally harms her own child. It also has a brave girl who helps a hero escape danger. Finally, it features a hero who forgets his true love for a while. Other tales like this one include The Master Maid and The True Bride.

The Witch's Evil Plan

A long time ago, there lived a very wicked witch. She had two daughters. One was her own evil daughter, whom she loved very much. The other was her good stepdaughter, whom she hated.

One day, the witch decided to get rid of her stepdaughter. She planned to kill the stepdaughter that night. She told her own daughter to sleep close to the wall. The stepdaughter was to sleep on the outside of the bed.

The stepdaughter secretly heard this terrible plan. After her stepsister fell asleep, she quietly changed their places. The witch came in the dark and accidentally killed her own daughter.

Escaping the Witch

The stepdaughter quickly got up and ran to her sweetheart, Roland. She told him what had happened. They knew they had to escape right away.

Roland said they must take the witch's magic wand. The stepdaughter bravely went back to get it. She left three drops of blood behind.

In the morning, the witch called for her daughter. The drops of blood answered her. But when she could not see her daughter, she went into the bedroom. There, she found her own daughter dead.

The witch was furious! She put on her seven-league boots. These special boots let her take huge steps. She set out to chase Roland and the girl.

Clever Disguises

As the witch chased them, the girl used the magic wand. She turned herself into a duck. Roland became a pond. The witch tried to trick the duck. She wanted to lure it closer, but she could not. She had to go home that night without them.

The next day, Roland and the girl continued their journey. The witch caught up to them again. This time, the girl used the wand to turn Roland into a fiddler. She turned herself into a beautiful flower. This flower grew in a thorny bush.

The witch asked if she could pick the flower. Roland, as the fiddler, said yes. But when the witch crawled into the bush, Roland began to play his fiddle. The music was magical. It forced the witch to dance. He kept playing until the thorns tore her to pieces.

The Forgotten Love

Roland then went to his father. He wanted to arrange their wedding. The girl waited for him. She turned herself into a red stone to stay hidden.

But a different woman made Roland forget his true love. The girl became very sad. She turned herself into a flower, thinking someone would step on her.

A kind shepherd found the flower and picked it. He took it home with him. He noticed something strange. Whenever he left, all his housework was done.

A wise old woman gave him advice. She told him to throw a white cloth when he saw something move in the morning. He did this, and it revealed the girl. She agreed to stay and keep house for him.

A Happy Ending

Later, Roland's wedding day arrived. All the young women sang, as was the custom. When Roland heard his true love's voice, he remembered her. He recognized her right away.

Roland then married his true love instead of the new bride. They lived happily ever after.