The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm (Rackham)/The Raven
The Raven
HERE was once a Queen who had a little daughter still in arms. One day the child was naughty, and would not be quiet, whatever her mother might say.
So she grew impatient, and as the Ravens were flying round the castle, she opened the window, and said: ‘I wish you were a Raven, that you might fly away, and then I should have peace.’
She had hardly said the words, when the child was changed into a Raven, and flew out of the window.
She flew straight into a dark wood, and her parents did not know what had become of her.
One day a Man was passing through this wood and heard the Raven calling.
When he was near enough, the Raven said: ‘I am a Princess by birth, and I am bewitched, but you can deliver me from the spell.’
‘What must I do ?’ asked he.
‘Go further into the wood,’ she said, ‘and you will come to a house with an old Woman in it, who will offer you food and drink. But you must not take any. If you eat or drink what she offers you, you will fall into a deep sleep, and then you will never be able to deliver me. There is a great heap of tan in the garden behind the house; you must stand on it and wait for me. I will come for three days in a coach drawn by four horses which, on the first day, will be white, on the second, chestnut, and on the last, black. If you are not awake, I shall not be delivered.’
The Man promised to do everything that she asked.
But the Raven said: ‘Alas! I know that you will not deliver me. You will take what the Woman offers you, and I shall never be freed from the spell.’
He promised once more not to touch either the food or the drink. But when he reached the house, the Old Woman said to him: ‘Poor man! How tired you are. Come and refresh yourself. Eat and drink.’
‘No,’ said the Man; ‘I will neither eat nor drink.’
But she persisted, and said: ‘Well, if you won’t eat, take a sip out of the glass. One sip is nothing.’
Then he yielded, and took a little sip.
About two o’clock he went down into the garden, and stood on the tan-heap to wait for the Raven. All at once he became so tired that he could not keep on his feet, and lay down for a moment, not meaning to go to sleep. But he had hardly stretched himself out, before his eyelids closed, and he fell fast asleep. He slept so soundly, that nothing in the world could have awakened him.
At two o’clock the Raven came, drawn by her four white horses. But she was already very sad, for she said: ‘I know he is asleep.’
She alighted from the carriage, went to him, shook him, and called him, but he did not wake.
Next day at dinner-time the Old Woman came again, and brought him food and drink; but again he refused to touch it. But she left him no peace, till at last she induced him to take a sip from the glass.
Towards two o’clock he again went into the garden, and stood on the tan-heap, meaning to wait for the Raven. But he suddenly became so tired, that he sank down and fell into a deep sleep.
When the Raven drove up with her chestnut horses, she was very mournful, and said: ‘I know he is asleep.’
She went to him, but he was fast asleep, and she could not wake him.
Next day the Old Woman said: ‘What is the meaning of this? If you don’t eat or drink you will die.’
He said: ‘I must not, and I will not either eat or drink.’
She put the dish of food and the glass of wine before him, and when the scent of the wine reached him, he could withstand it no longer, and took a good draught.
When the time came he went into the garden and stood on the tan-heap and waited for the Raven. But he was more tired than ever, lay down and slept like a log.
At two o’clock the Raven came, drawn by four black horses, the coach and everything about it was black. She herself was in the deepest mourning, and said: ‘Alas! I know he is asleep.’
She shook him, and called him, but she could not wake him.
Finding her efforts in vain, she placed a loaf beside him, a piece of meat, and a bottle of wine. Then she took a golden ring on which her name was engraved, and put it on his finger. Lastly, she laid a letter by him, saying that the bread, the meat, and the wine were inexhaustible. She also said—
‘I see that you cannot deliver me here, but if you still wish to do so, come to the Golden Castle of Stromberg. I know that it is still in your power.’
Then she seated herself in her coach again, and drove to the Golden Castle of Stromberg.
When the Man woke and found that he had been asleep, his heart grew heavy, and he said: ‘She certainly must have passed, and I have not delivered her.’
Then his eyes fell on the things lying by him, and he read the letter which told him all that had occurred.
So he got up and went away to find the Golden Castle of Stromberg, but he had no idea where to find it.
When he had wandered about for a long time he came to a dark wood whence he could not find his way out.
After walking about in it for a fortnight, he lay down one night under a bush to sleep, for he was very tired. But he heard such lamentations and howling that he could not go to sleep.
Then he saw a light glimmering in the distance and went towards it. When he reached it, he found that it came from
The Golden Castle of Stromberg.
He thought: ‘If I go in and the Giant sees me, I shan’t escape with my life.’
But at last he ventured to go forward.
When the Giant saw him, he said: ‘It’s a good thing you have appeared. I have had nothing to eat for an age. I will just swallow you for my supper.’
‘You had better let me alone,’ said the Man. ‘I shan’t let myself be swallowed in a hurry. If you only want something to eat, I have plenty here to satisfy you.’
‘If you are speaking the truth,’ said the Giant, ‘you may be quite easy. I was only going to eat you because I had nothing else.’
Then they went in and sat down at the table, and the Man produced the bread, the meat, and the wine, which were inexhaustible.
‘This just suits me,’ said the Giant. And he ate as much as ever he could.
The Man said to him: ‘Can’t you tell me where to find the Golden Castle?’
The Giant said: ‘I will look at my map. Every town, village, and house is marked upon it.’
He fetched the map, but the castle was not to be found.
‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said. ‘I have a bigger map upstairs in my chest; we will look for it there.’
At last the Golden Castle was discovered, but it was many thousands of miles away.
‘How am I ever to get there?’ asked the Man.
The Giant said: ‘I have a couple of hours to spare. I will carry you near it. But then I must come back to look after my wife and child.’
Then the Giant transported him to within a hundred miles of the Castle, and said: ‘You will be able to find your way from here alone.’ Then he went back; and the Man went on, till at last he came to the Golden Castle.
It stood on a mountain of glass, and the bewitched Maiden drove round and round it every day in her coach.
He was delighted to see her again, and wanted to go to her at once. But when he tried to climb the mountain, he found it was so slippery, that he slid back at every step.
When he found he could not reach her, he grew very sad, and said to himself: ‘I will stay down here and wait for her.’
So he built himself a little hut, and lived in it for a whole year. He could see the Princess above, driving round the castle every day, but he could never get to her.
Then one day he saw three Robbers fighting, and called out to them: ‘God be with you!’
They stopped at the 
One day he saw three Robbers fighting. sound of his voice, but, seeing nothing, they began to fight again.
Then he cried again: ‘God be with you!’
They stopped and looked about, but, seeing no one, went on fighting.
Then he cried for the third time: ‘God be with you!’
Again they stopped and looked about, but, as there was no one visible, they fell to more savagely than ever.
He said to himself: ‘I must go and see what it is all about.’
He went up and asked them why they were fighting
One of them said he had found a stick which made any door fly open which it touched.
The second said he had found a cloak which made him invisible when he wore it.
The third said he had caught a horse which could go anywhere, even up the mountain of glass.
They could not decide whether these things should be common property or whether hey should divide them.
Then said the Man: ‘I will exchange them with you if you like. I have no money, but I have something more valuable. First, however, I must test your things to see if you are speaking the truth.’
They let him get on to the horse, put on the cloak and take the stick in his hand. When he had got them all, he was nowhere to be seen.
Then he gave them a sound drubbing, and said: ‘There, you have your deserts, you bears. You may be satisfied with that.’
Then he rode up the glass mountain, and when he reached the castle he found the gate was shut. He touched it with his stick and it flew open.
He went in and straight up the stairs into the gallery where the Maiden sat with a golden cup of wine before her.
But she could not see him because he had the cloak on.
He took that ring she had given him and dropped it into the cup, where it fell with a clink.
She cried: ‘That is my ring. The Man who is to deliver me must be here.’
They searched for him all over the castle, but could not find him, for he had gone outside, taken off the cloak, and mounted his horse.
When the people came to the gate and saw him, they raised cries of joy.
He dismounted and took the Princess in his arms. She kissed him, and said: ‘Now you have delivered me, and to-morrow we will celebrate our marriage.’