The Gold-Children facts for kids

The Gold-Children is a magical fairy tale from Germany. It was collected by the famous Brothers Grimm, who wrote down many classic stories. This tale is number 85 in their collection. It's known for its themes of magic, family, and adventure.

The Golden Beginning

Once upon a time, a fisherman caught a very special golden fish. This fish was magical! It offered the fisherman and his wife a beautiful, rich castle. The only rule was that the fisherman could never tell anyone how they got the castle.

His wife was very curious and kept asking him. Finally, he told her the secret. Just like that, the castle disappeared! The fisherman went back to the river and caught the golden fish again. The fish gave them the castle back, but warned him not to tell.

Again, his wife badgered him until he told her. And again, the castle vanished! The fisherman caught the fish a third time. This time, the fish knew it was meant to be caught by him. It told him to take it home and cut it into six pieces.

He was to give two pieces to his wife and two pieces to his horse. The last two pieces he had to bury in the ground. The fisherman followed these instructions exactly.

Magical Births and Golden Growth

Amazing things happened after the fish was divided! His wife gave birth to two twin boys, and both were made of pure gold. At the same time, his horse gave birth to two foals, also made of shining gold. And from the ground where he buried the last pieces, two beautiful golden lilies sprouted.

As the golden children grew up, they decided it was time for an adventure. They told their father that if the golden lilies in the garden ever looked sad or withered, it meant they were in trouble. If the lilies died, it meant they were gone forever.

A Journey and a Return

The golden boys set off on their journey. However, people they met often stared and made fun of them because of their unique golden skin. One of the brothers felt sad and decided to go back home to his father.

The other brother was braver and continued his journey alone. He traveled through a large forest known to have many robbers. To hide his precious golden skin from thieves, he covered himself with bearskins.

He soon met a kind maiden and they fell in love. They decided to get married! When her father came home, he was surprised to see his new son-in-law covered in bearskins. He thought the young man was a poor beggar. But the next morning, when the golden man took off his bearskins, the father-in-law was relieved and amazed to see his shining golden skin.

The Witch's Trick

One day, the golden man went hunting for a stag. He met an old witch and asked her if she knew where to find the stag. The witch said she did, but her dog started barking at him. When he threatened to shoot the dog, the witch used her magic! She turned him into a stone statue.

Back home, his brother saw that one of the golden lilies had withered and looked very sad. He knew this meant his brother was in danger! He immediately went to help him.

When he found the witch, he was careful not to get too close, so she couldn't turn him into stone too. He bravely threatened to shoot her if she didn't turn his brother back to normal. The witch, scared, used her magic to restore the golden man.

After this adventure, one brother went back to his new wife, and the other returned home to their father.