The Blue Light (fairy tale) facts for kids
The Blue Light is a classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale. It tells the story of a soldier who finds a magical object. This object gives him a special helper with amazing powers. You might notice parts of this story in other famous tales. For example, it shares ideas with Hans Christian Andersen's later work, The Tinderbox. It also has similarities to the story of Aladdin and his magic lamp.
Contents
The Blue Light Story
The Soldier's Hard Times
A brave soldier was let go from the king's army. He had been hurt in battle and could no longer serve. As night came, the soldier needed a place to stay. He found a house belonging to a witch. He asked her if he could stay the night.
The witch agreed, but only if he worked for her. The next day, she asked him to dig up her garden. This job took so long that he had to stay another night. Then, she asked him to chop her wood. Again, he had to stay one more night.
The Magical Discovery
The next day, the witch asked him to go into a deep well. She wanted him to get her "blue light" from the bottom. As the soldier was getting it, he realized something. The witch planned to trap him in the well once he gave her the light. So, he decided to keep the light for himself. He didn't know what it was, but he held onto it.
The witch left him trapped in the well. The soldier felt sad and decided to smoke his pipe one last time. He used the blue light to light his pipe. Suddenly, a small dwarf appeared! The dwarf said he would grant the soldier any wish.
Wishes and Revenge
First, the soldier wished to be taken out of the well. The dwarf quickly helped him escape. Next, the soldier asked for the witch to be taken to jail. He wanted her to be punished for her trickery.
The soldier was still angry at the king for letting him go. He asked the dwarf to bring the princess to his room. He wanted to annoy the king by doing this. When the princess woke up, she told her mother about a strange "dream." The queen thought it might have been real. She told the princess to fill her pocket with peas. She also asked her to make a small hole in the pocket. This way, if she was taken again, they could follow the trail of peas.
Tricking the King
The dwarf, however, was very clever. He noticed the peas falling. So, he spread peas all over the city. This made it impossible for anyone to follow the trail back to the soldier.
The next night, the princess planned to hide her shoe in the soldier's home. The dwarf warned the soldier about this plan. But the soldier didn't listen. The next day, the princess's shoe was found in his room. He was quickly taken to jail.
Freedom and a New Life
The soldier sent his friend to get the blue light. As his final wish before being punished, he asked for one last smoke of his pipe. The dwarf appeared again! The dwarf quickly dealt with the king's guards. The soldier also demanded the king's life. But the king begged for mercy, and the soldier spared him.
In the end, the soldier married the princess. He then became the new king.
