The Two Brothers
Here is a surprise! 'The Two Brothers' is fairy tale number 60 in the Brothers Grimm's collection from Germany. Story experts discovered something amazing: this story is really TWO folk tales sewn into one! The opening 'magic bird' part and the main 'blood brothers' adventure were once two separate stories. Even the famous French writer Alexandre Dumas, who wrote The Three Musketeers, loved this tale and retold it as 'Les Deux Frères', naming the brothers Gottlieb and Wilfrid.
Once upon a time, in a small, out-of-the-way village, there lived a poor father. His wife had passed away long ago, leaving him to raise two sons all by himself. The two boys were twins, and they looked almost exactly alike: the same round eyes, the same turned-up noses, the same laugh, and even their hair stuck up at the same angle.
The poor father worked hard from morning till night, but sometimes even he could not tell which boy was the older brother and which was the younger. The neighbors often teased, "Your two lads look like they were printed from the same mold!" The poor father could only smile wryly and pat both boys on the head. Although the family was poor, the two brothers loved each other dearly and always played hand in hand and helped their father with chores. No one could have guessed that these loving twins would one day go on an incredible adventure.
One day, the poor father went into the forest to cut wood. As he walked along, he suddenly heard a beautiful song. Following the sound, he found a shining golden bird perched on a branch. Its song was as clear as a silver bell, and the father was so enchanted that he reached out and caught it.
When the goldsmith in the village heard about this, he hurried over and offered a large sum of money to buy the golden bird. You see, the goldsmith knew a secret: whoever ate the bird's heart and liver would find a gold coin under their pillow every day. But the poor father knew nothing of this secret. He only thought the bird was beautiful and that selling it could help feed his children. While their father was not looking, the two brothers secretly cooked the bird and shared the heart and liver. From then on, something wonderful was about to happen.
Early the next morning, the two brothers woke up and reached under their pillows. To their surprise, each found a shiny gold coin! They were astonished and delighted, and hurried to show their father. From that day on, a gold coin appeared under their pillows every morning. The rice jar was full, their torn clothes became new ones, and the poor father's life grew better and better.
But the goldsmith in the village was not happy at all. He had hoped to make a fortune from the golden bird, and now, seeing the brothers with a gold coin every day, he was green with envy. So he secretly told the poor father, "Your two children must be possessed by demons! If you keep them, the village will suffer." The poor father, confused for a moment, actually believed him. The goldsmith took the chance to lure the brothers deep into the forest and left them there.
The two brothers walked and walked in the forest. The sky grew darker and their stomachs grew hungrier. They were terrified and could not help crying. Just then, a huntsman with a bow on his back appeared. Seeing the two crying children, the huntsman's heart ached. He walked over, patted their shoulders, and gently asked, "Children, why are you here all alone?"
After hearing what had happened to the brothers, the huntsman sighed and decided to take them in. He brought them back to his little forest hut and taught them to recognize animal tracks, to draw a bow and shoot arrows, and to make a fire in the wild. As the days passed, the two brothers grew up in the forest, developed great skills, and became famous, outstanding hunters. They always remembered the huntsman's kindness and treated him as their second father.
In the blink of an eye, the two brothers had grown into handsome, tall young men. One day, they said to their huntsman father, "We want to go out and see the world." Though the huntsman was reluctant to let them go, he knew that grown children must eventually fly away, so he nodded and gave each of them a fine bow.
On the day of departure, the two brothers stopped before a big tree at the crossroads in the forest. They took out a knife and thrust it firmly into the trunk. The elder brother said, "From now on we part ways, each taking his own road. This knife will be our sign. If one day the blade rusts, it means one of us is in danger." With that, they hugged tightly, wished each other well, and then one went left and one went right, bravely setting off on their separate journeys.
After the two brothers parted, each walked into the vast forest. As they went along, they came across five animals one after another: a hopping hare, a clever-eyed fox, a grey-coated wolf, a sturdy bear, and a majestic lion. Strangely, every animal stopped when it saw them, its eyes full of pleading, as if to say, "Please don't hurt me."
Having grown up in the forest, the two brothers understood animals best. They lowered their bows and gently stroked each animal's head, saying, "Don't be afraid, we won't hurt you." The hare, the fox, the wolf, the bear, and the lion were astonished and delighted, and they gathered around the brothers and refused to leave. From that day on, these five animals became the brothers' most loyal friends, following them, protecting them, and keeping them company along the way.
The younger brother walked on and came to a strange city. Black cloth hung everywhere on the city walls and under the eaves. The people in the streets all walked with their heads down, their faces full of sorrow, and even the children dared not laugh out loud. Feeling puzzled, the younger brother stopped an old man and asked softly, "Excuse me, what has happened here?"
The old man sighed and said, "Young man, don't you know? In a cave outside the city lives a terrifying seven-headed dragon, and it eats a person every day. Tomorrow, it is the turn of our beloved princess. The king has decreed that whoever can kill this evil dragon shall marry the princess. But who has the skill to do it?" Hearing this, the younger brother clenched his fists and said with firm eyes, "Let me try." He decided to stay and rid the city of this evil dragon.
At dawn the next day, the younger brother took his five animal friends and came early to the cave outside the city. Suddenly, a deafening roar came from inside the cave, and the seven-headed dragon crawled out, baring its teeth and claws. Its seven heads swayed left and right, and smoke poured from its seven mouths. It looked terrifying. The younger brother was not afraid at all. He gave a great shout and charged forward with his animal friends.
The lion bravely bit the dragon's tail, the bear struck the dragon's body with its paws, the wolf kept chasing and biting at its side, the fox darted nimbly about to confuse the dragon's sight, and the hare leaped here and there to draw its attention. In the confusion, the younger brother shot arrow after arrow, aiming precisely at the dragon's heads. The five animals and the younger brother worked together flawlessly, fighting the evil dragon bravely. The battle was earth-shaking, and even the stones on the mountain were shaken loose and rolled down.
After a thrilling battle, the seven-headed dragon finally let out a mournful cry and fell heavily to the ground, unable to move anymore. The younger brother stepped forward, drew the short knife from his waist, cut off the seven dragon tongues, and wrapped them carefully in cloth as proof that he had killed the evil dragon. He was drenched in sweat from exhaustion, yet a relieved smile spread across his face.
When the people in the city heard that the evil dragon was dead, they ran out cheering. The princess was so moved that tears streamed down her face. She walked up to the younger brother, bowed deeply, and said, "Brave hunter, thank you for saving me and saving the whole city!" With that, the princess took off the gold necklace around her neck and hung it on the younger brother's neck with her own hands. Tired and deeply touched, the younger brother walked to a soft patch of grass, sat down against a big tree, and before he knew it, fell into a deep sleep.
The wicked marshal waited until the little brother was asleep, then crept up to the seven-headed dragon's body, cut off the seven dragon heads with his sword, wrapped them in cloth, and carried them away. The next morning, he ran to the king, laid the seven heads on the ground, and declared loudly: 'I am the one who slew this evil dragon! The one who killed the dragon should marry the princess!' The king was puzzled, but because the marshal had the dragon heads as proof, he had no choice but to promise the princess to him in marriage. When the little brother woke up, he found all the heads gone. Heartbroken, he quietly left the palace with his five animals. But the five animals refused to leave their master, staying close by his side. Just then, the little hare remembered that deep in the forest grew a magic healing root that could cure any wound. He raced away to find it and soon brought it back. The moment the root touched the little brother's lips, he opened his eyes and woke up, and the five animals danced around him for joy.
On the day of the wedding, the palace was hung with lanterns and colored silks, and guests filled the great hall. Just as everyone raised their cups to toast, five animals came striding boldly into the hall. The hare, the fox, the wolf, the bear, and the lion marched straight up to the king's table without the least courtesy. The lion swept out a paw, the roasted meat tumbled from the table, and the five animals bent their heads and began to gobble it up. The terrified guests ran in every direction, but the young brother alone stood still, watching quietly.
The princess sat at the wedding feast with her head bowed low. Suddenly she lifted her eyes, and her gaze fell upon the neck of the young guard standing beside the bridegroom—hanging there was the very necklace she had fastened with her own hands! Her heart pounded, and she leaped to her feet, crying out: "Stop! This wedding cannot go on! The man I shall marry is the one who wears my necklace around his neck!" The wicked marshal's face turned deathly pale, and the cup in his hand crashed to the floor.
Calmly, the younger brother took the seven dragon tongues out of his pocket and laid them on the table, one by one. 'Here is the proof,' he said. Everyone came forward to look at the dragon's head, and indeed there was not a single tongue left inside. At last the king understood that the true hero was the younger brother, and that the wicked marshal had been lying all along. The king was very angry and ordered the marshal to be locked away in a dungeon, punished for his lies about stealing another man's honor. The wicked marshal lowered his head, too ashamed to say a single word.
One day, the king was hunting a white stag in the forest. The stag ran so swiftly that it led him deep into the woods. The king dismounted and found an old woman standing there. She said to him, "King, take this magic wand and touch the animals gently with it, so they will not frighten you." The moment the king took the wand, a lion, a bear, a wolf, a fox, and a hare came running and circled around him one after another. He touched the lion with the wand, and it instantly turned to stone; he touched the bear, and the bear turned to stone too. The wolf, the fox, and the hare all became statues, one by one. At last, the king's own hands grew stiff, and he too turned into a stone figure. The old woman was in fact a witch. With a cold laugh, she turned and vanished into the deep forest.
At that very moment, the elder brother was far away at home. He looked up at the great tree and saw the knife his brother had stuck into it before leaving. The blade had turned rusty! His heart sank. "Oh no, my brother must be in danger!" He did not waste a single moment. He called his animal friends at once, and together they set off.
Following the marks his brother had left along the way, they raced across fields and over hills toward the forest. The wind whistled past his ears, and the elder brother had only one thought: "Hold on, brother, I'm coming!"
When the elder brother reached the town, the people at the gate cheered the moment they saw him: "The king is back!" The two brothers looked exactly alike, so everyone took him for the king. They welcomed him into the palace with great joy, and the princess, too, mistook him for her husband and hurried forward happily.
The elder brother could tell that something was strange, but he did not blurt it out. When night came, he laid his sword in the middle of the bed to keep a respectful distance from the princess, and slept there honorably. The next morning, he said to her sincerely, "Princess, I am the king's twin brother, not your husband. He is in danger in the forest, and I am on my way to save him." The princess was both startled and deeply moved. She understood that this elder brother was an honest and trustworthy man.
When the elder brother reached the forest, the old woman appeared again. She held out her wand and said, "Take this wand and touch the animals with it." But the elder brother was not fooled! He seized the old woman's hand and cried, "Undo your magic at once, or I will not be gentle with you!" His animal friends crowded around, and the witch trembled with fear. She had no choice but to touch the stone statues lightly with her wand. One by one, the stones changed back: first the animals, then the many people she had wronged, and last of all the younger brother. The witch was driven out of the forest and never dared to return.
The brothers should have been overjoyed to meet again. But when the younger brother heard that his brother had slept in his bed, he was so angry that he lost his reason. He raised his sword and wounded his brother. The elder brother fell, and the younger brother came to his senses at once. He was filled with terrible regret and cried out, "Help! Somebody help!" The little hare dashed off and came back carrying the magic healing root. The elder brother ate the root and soon woke up. The younger brother hugged him tightly and wept, and at last the two brothers understood: no matter how angry they might be, the bond between brothers matters most.
The two brothers returned to the town with their animal friends. The princess spotted the lion at once. Around its neck hung a necklace, the very one her husband had once hung there himself. She was amazed and overjoyed, and she knew immediately that this was her true husband! Softly, she asked about the sword in the bed that night. The elder brother explained honestly, "I did it out of respect for my brother." When she heard this, the princess admired him even more.
All of the witch's magic was undone, and the forest came alive once more, with birds singing in the branches. When the townspeople heard that their king had returned safely, and that he had a brave elder brother too, the whole town cheered. From that day on, the two brothers and the princess lived happily together. As for the knife in the tree, it never rusted again, because the two brothers had learned to trust each other.
