The Four Skillful Brothers facts for kids

"The Four Skillful Brothers" is a German fairy tale. The famous Brothers Grimm collected this story. It is about four brothers who each learn a very special skill. They use their unique talents to help others and solve big problems.

The Four Skillful Brothers

Learning Special Skills

Once, there was a poor old father. He sent his four sons out into the world. Each son needed to learn a useful trade. They wanted to become good at something.

Each brother met a different person. From these people, they learned amazing skills. The oldest son became a clever thief. The second son learned to be an astronomer. He studied the stars and sky. The third son became a skilled huntsman. The youngest son learned to be a talented tailor.

The Egg Challenge

When the brothers returned home, their father wanted to see their skills. He gave them a test. He asked his astronomer son about a bird's nest high in a tree. The astronomer used his special telescope. He quickly told his father there were five eggs in the nest.

Next, the oldest son, the thief, climbed the tree. He carefully took all five eggs. The mother bird did not even notice! Then, the huntsman took his aim. With one single shot, he hit all five eggs. They shattered into pieces.

But the story wasn't over! The tailor then used his needle and thread. He sewed the broken eggs back together. He even sewed the tiny chicks inside them! The thief put the eggs back in the nest. The mother bird still didn't notice. Soon, the eggs hatched. The only sign of their adventure was a little red thread around the chicks' necks.

Rescuing the Princess

Not long after, a terrible event happened. A fierce Dragon kidnapped the King's Daughter. The four brothers decided to rescue her. They knew their special skills could help.

Finding the Princess

The astronomer used his telescope first. He searched the land and sky. Soon, he found where the dragon was holding the princess. She was far away! The brothers asked for a ship. They sailed towards the princess's prison.

Facing the Dragon

When they reached the dragon's lair, the huntsman was ready. But he hesitated to shoot the dragon. He was afraid he might hurt the princess too. So, the thief stepped forward. He was very sneaky. He managed to steal the princess away from the dragon.

The brothers quickly got back on their ship. They started sailing home to the king. But the dragon was angry! It chased after them. This time, the huntsman took a brave shot. He killed the dragon!

The Boat Disaster

When the huge dragon fell into the ocean, it caused a giant wave. The wave crashed over their boat. It smashed the ship into many pieces! They were in danger of sinking.

But the tailor saved them all! He worked very fast. He used his amazing sewing skills. He sewed the broken pieces of the boat back together. The boat became whole again! They were able to sail safely back to the king.

A Fair Reward

The king was very happy to have his daughter back. But he had a problem. He didn't know which brother deserved to marry his daughter. Each brother had played a very important part in the rescue.

Instead of choosing one, the king gave them a quarter of his kingdom each. The brothers agreed this was a fair reward. They were happy to share the kingdom. They knew it was better than arguing over who was most important.