The Three Little Men in the Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Three Little Men in the Wood |
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Illustration by Arthur Rackham, 1917.
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| Folk tale | |
| Name | The Three Little Men in the Wood |
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| Aarne–Thompson grouping | ATU 403B |
| Country | Germany |
| Published in | Grimm's Fairy Tales |
"The Three Little Men in the Wood" is a classic German fairy tale. It was collected by the famous Brothers Grimm in 1812 and published in their book Grimm's Fairy Tales. This story is also known as "The Three Little Gnomes in the Forest." It shares themes with other well-known tales about kind and unkind characters.
Contents
How the Story Began
The Brothers Grimm first published this tale in 1812. They got the story from Dortchen Wild, who later became Wilhelm Grimm's wife. Later editions of their book included more details from other storytellers like Dorothea Viehmann.
The Story of the Kind and Unkind Sisters
Once upon a time, a woman wanted to marry a widower. She promised that her own daughter would have a luxurious life, washing with milk and drinking wine. But the widower's daughter would only wash and drink water. The man tested her promise, and she kept it at first. So, he married her.
However, after just a day or two, things changed. The stepmother secretly hated the widower's daughter because she was prettier than her own child. Soon, the stepdaughter was only given water to wash and drink. Meanwhile, the stepmother's daughter enjoyed milk and wine.
The Strawberries in Winter
One cold winter day, the stepmother came up with a cruel plan. She made her stepdaughter wear a thin paper dress. Then, she ordered her to go out and find strawberries. The girl was shocked. Strawberries don't grow in winter, and the paper dress offered no warmth! The stepmother insisted, telling her not to come back without the fruit. She secretly hoped the girl would never return.
The poor girl wandered into the snowy woods. She soon found a small house with three little men inside. She was very polite to them. She shared her simple food, which the stepmother had given her. She also helped clean their house. The little men felt sorry for her. They decided to give her three special gifts:
- She would become prettier every day.
- Gold would fall from her mouth every time she spoke.
- She would one day marry a king.
After receiving these gifts, the girl found strawberries growing right behind the house! She gathered them happily and went home.
The Stepsister's Turn
When the girl returned, her stepsister became very jealous. She wanted the same rewards! Her mother didn't want her to go at first, but the stepsister begged until she was allowed. She was given a warm coat and good food for her journey.
The stepsister found the same house with the three little men. But unlike her stepsister, she was very rude. She refused to share her food or help clean. When she realized she wouldn't get any gifts, she left. The three men decided to punish her for her bad behavior:
- She would become uglier every day.
- Toads would jump out of her mouth every time she spoke.
- She would meet a very sad end.
The stepsister returned home unhappy. Her mother was disgusted by the toads that came out of her mouth.
The Queen and the Duck
The stepmother's hatred for her stepdaughter grew as the girl became more beautiful. One day, she sent the girl to cut a hole in an icy river to rinse yarn. While she was there, a king arrived in his carriage. He was amazed by her beauty. He took her to his castle and married her, just as the three little men had predicted. Soon after, they had a baby boy.
However, the stepmother heard about this. She came to the castle with her own daughter, pretending to visit. When they were alone, they grabbed the queen. They threw her out a window, and she fell into a stream and disappeared. The stepmother's daughter immediately took the queen's place. The king was told his new queen was sick, which explained why toads now came from her mouth instead of gold.
During the night, a kitchen-boy saw a duck swim up a gutter. The duck asked about the king and the baby. The boy answered that they were sleeping peacefully. The duck then magically turned into the queen for a short time. She cared for her baby and then swam away as a duck again. This happened two more times. On the third night, the queen told the kitchen-boy to tell the king to wave his sword over her three times. The boy told the king, who did as he was told. The duck turned back into the queen, alive and well!
Justice for the Wicked
The king hid his true wife during their child's baptism. He wanted to confront the stepmother and the false queen. He asked the stepmother what punishment someone should receive for throwing another person into the water to disappear. The foolish woman replied that they should be put in a barrel with nails inside and rolled down a hill into the water. The king then declared that she had just spoken her own punishment! So, the stepmother and her daughter were put into such a barrel and rolled down a hill into a nearby river.
Similar Stories
This fairy tale combines two common story ideas. One is the "kind and unkind girls" theme, where a good character is rewarded and a bad one is punished. You can find this in stories like Frau Holle or The Fairies.
The second idea is about a stepmother or another woman trying to take the place of the true bride after a marriage. This happens in tales like The White Duck.
Story Connections
This story seems to be influenced by Charles Perrault's tale, The Fairies. In that story, the kind heroine also receives a similar reward of precious things falling from her mouth.
Other Versions
In some versions of "The Three Little Men in the Wood," the queen asks the king to be merciful to the stepmother and her daughter. Instead of a harsh punishment, they are simply sent away from the kingdom.
