The Raven (Brothers Grimm) facts for kids

"The Raven" is a classic fairy tale collected by the famous Brothers Grimm. This story is about a princess who turns into a raven. It is number 93 in their collection of tales.

Synopsis

The Princess Becomes a Raven

Once, there was a queen with a very mischievous daughter. The queen wished her daughter would turn into a raven. She wanted some peace and quiet. Instantly, her wish came true! The princess changed into a raven. She flew far away into a deep forest.

The Man and the Raven

In the forest, a man heard a raven speak to him. The raven said she was an enchanted princess. She told him he could free her from the spell. He needed to go to a special cottage. There, he must not eat any food from the old woman.

The raven explained she would pass by in a carriage. This would happen every day for three days. If the man stayed awake during these three days, the spell would break. But each day, the old woman at the cottage offered him a drink. Even one sip made him very sleepy. Each time, he fell asleep just as the raven's carriage passed.

On the last day, the raven left gifts for the sleeping man. She left a bottle of wine, a loaf of bread, and a piece of meat. These magical items would never run out! She also put a gold ring with her name on his finger. The raven left him a letter too. It told him there was another way to save her. He had to find the golden castle of Stromberg.

The Search for Stromberg Castle

The man began to wander, searching for the golden castle. He soon met a huge Giant. The giant threatened to eat him! But the man shared his magical food. The giant was amazed that the food never ran out.

The giant then showed the man his map. It showed all the towns and houses. But the golden castle was not on it. The giant asked the man to wait for his brother. The brother had an older map. On this map, the castle of Stromberg was finally found! But it was thousands of miles away. The giant's brother agreed to carry the man most of the way. He carried him to within a hundred leagues of the castle. The man walked the rest of the journey.

Climbing the Glass Mountain

As the man got closer, he saw the golden castle. It stood on top of a shiny glass mountain. He could see the enchanted princess driving her carriage around the castle. Then she went inside. But the glass mountain was too slippery to climb. The man had to live in a small hut at the foot of the mountain for a whole year.

One day, he met three robbers. They were fighting over three magical items. One was a stick that could open any door. Another was a cloak that made you invisible. The third was a horse that could ride up the slippery glass mountain.

The man offered the robbers a mysterious reward for their items. But he insisted on trying them first. He wanted to make sure they worked. Once he was on the horse, wearing the invisible cloak, and holding the stick, he acted fast. He hit the robbers with the stick and rode up the glass mountain!

He used the stick and the invisible cloak to get inside the castle. He then dropped his gold ring into the princess's cup. The princess searched everywhere for her rescuer. She looked all over the castle. Finally, the man took off his invisible cloak. He revealed himself to her. They were very happy and got married!