The Shroud (fairy tale) facts for kids

The Shroud, also known as The Burial Shirt or The Little Shroud, is a German fairy tale. It was collected by the famous Brothers Grimm and first published in their book Grimm's Fairy Tales in 1815. This story is about a child's death and how a mother deals with her grief.

"Look, mother, my shroud is nearly dry" - illustration by Otto Ubbelohde (c1893)

The Story of The Shroud

This fairy tale tells a touching story about a mother and her son.

A Mother's Love and Loss

Once upon a time, there was a mother who loved her seven-year-old son very much. He was a handsome and kind boy. Everyone who met him liked him right away. The mother loved him more than anything else in the world.

Sadly, the boy suddenly became very ill. He passed away, and his mother was heartbroken. She cried day and night, unable to find comfort.

The Child's Return

After the boy was buried, something unusual happened. He started to appear at night. He would show up in the places where he used to play and sit when he was alive. If his mother was crying, he would cry too. But when morning came, he would disappear.

The mother's sadness was so deep that she could not stop crying. One night, her son appeared again. He was wearing the small white cloth he was buried in. He also had a wreath of flowers around his head.

A Plea for Peace

The boy stood at the foot of his mother's bed. He spoke to her, saying, "Oh, mother, please stop crying." He explained that her tears were falling onto his burial cloth. "My shroud will not dry because of all your tears," he said. "I can never fall asleep in my coffin."

Hearing this, the mother felt a mix of fear and understanding. She realized her constant crying was keeping her son from resting peacefully. From that moment on, she stopped weeping.

Finding Peace

The very next night, the child came back. This time, he held a small light in his hand. He looked at his mother and said, "Look, mother, my shroud is nearly dry." He added, "Now I can rest in my grave."

The mother then accepted her sorrow with a calm heart. She trusted in God and bore her grief quietly. After that night, the child did not appear again. He was finally able to sleep peacefully in his little bed beneath the earth.