The Wishing-Table, the Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Wishing-Table, the Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack |
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The youngest brother returns home with the table, the donkey and the stick. Illustration from a late 19th century fairy tale book.
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| Folk tale | |
| Name | The Wishing-Table, the Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack |
| Data | |
| Aarne–Thompson grouping | ATU 563 (The Table, the Ass, and the Stick) |
| Region | Germany |
| Published in | Grimm Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm |
"The Wishing-Table, the Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack" is a famous fairytale collected by the Brothers Grimm. They were two German brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, who gathered and published many popular folk tales. The original German name for this story is Tischlein deck dich, Goldesel und Knüppel aus dem Sack.
This tale is known around the world. It is officially categorized as tale type ATU 563. This system helps experts group similar stories together. This specific type is called "The Table, the Ass, and the Stick."
Contents
The Story of the Magic Gifts
This fairytale tells the exciting adventure of three brothers. They leave home and each find a special magical item. These items help them overcome challenges and bring happiness back to their family.
The Unfair Goat
A tailor lived with his three sons. They all relied on their goat for milk. Each day, one son took the goat to graze. They made sure it ate the best grass. When asked, the goat always said it had eaten enough.
But back home, the goat would lie. It told the tailor it was still hungry. This made the tailor angry. He unfairly kicked his sons out of the house, one by one. First the oldest, then the middle, and finally the youngest.
The tailor later took the goat himself. He found out the goat was lying. It still claimed to be hungry! Realizing his mistake, the tailor shaved the goat. He then chased it away from his home. He missed his sons very much.
The First Son and the Magic Table
The oldest son became a furniture maker. After his training, his master gave him a special gift. It was a magic table. If he said, "Table, Deck Yourself," it would instantly be covered with delicious food and drinks.
He decided to go home and show his father. On his way, he stopped at an inn. He showed off his magic table there. That night, the sneaky innkeeper swapped the magic table for a plain one. The son didn't even notice.
When he got home, he tried to show his father. But nothing happened. The table was just a normal table. His father was disappointed again.
The Second Son and the Gold Donkey
The second son worked for a miller. His master gave him a magical donkey. This donkey could make gold! All he had to say was, "Bricklebrit!" and gold coins would appear from its mouth and behind.
He also decided to go home. He stopped at the same inn as his brother. He showed the innkeeper his amazing donkey. Just like before, the innkeeper secretly swapped the magic donkey for a regular one.
When the son arrived home, he tried to show his father. Instead of gold, the donkey produced only ordinary droppings. His father was upset once more.
The Third Son and the Magic Cudgel
The youngest son worked for a woodturner. He received a magic cudgel (a strong stick) in a bag. If someone was being unfair, he just had to say, "Cudgel, out the sack!" The cudgel would then beat the wrongdoer. To stop it, he'd say, "Cudgel in the sack!"
This son had heard what happened to his brothers. He knew the innkeeper was a trickster. So, when he visited the same inn, he didn't show off his cudgel. He kept its power a secret. This made the innkeeper very curious.
That night, the innkeeper tried to peek into the bag. The clever son was ready! He ordered the cudgel to beat the innkeeper. It kept hitting him until the innkeeper returned all the stolen magic items.
Happy Ending
The youngest son returned home with all three magic items. He told his father everything. He showed him the magic table, the gold-making donkey, and the cudgel. His father was finally proud and happy. They all lived a rich and joyful life together.
What Happened to the Goat?
The story also tells us what happened to the goat. After being shaved and chased away, it hid in a fox's hole. When the fox came home, it was scared by the goat's eyes. The fox asked a bear for help. But the bear was also too scared to go in. Finally, they brought a bee. The bee stung the goat, making it run away in pain. No one knows where the goat is now!
Similar Stories Around the World
This type of story is very popular. You can find similar tales in many parts of the world. They appear in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and even the Americas. Some of these stories are very old. One of the oldest versions was found in China, dating back to the 6th century.
Different Versions of the Tale
Many countries have their own versions of this story.
- In the Czech Republic, there's a tale called Ubrousku, prostři se. In this story, the hero gets a lamb that makes money, a handkerchief that creates food, and a magic cane.
- An English tale is called Jack's Luck, or The Ass, the Table and the Stick. Here, a young man named Jack gets a donkey that makes silver and gold. He also gets a table that sets itself. Later, he receives a magic stick. Jack uses the stick to get his stolen items back.
