Popular fairy tales by the brothers grimm. Tales of the Brothers Grimm

Information sheet:

The gripping fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm stand apart in the fairy tale world of creativity. Their content is so exciting that it will impress any child.

Where did your favorite fairy tales come from?

They came from German lands. Folk tales collected and processed by experts in language and folklore - brothers. For several years, writing down the best oral stories, the authors were able to improve them so interestingly and beautifully that today we perceive these fairy tales as written directly by them.

The heroes of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are kinder and better than they were in oral folk art, and this is the wonderful meaning of the work that linguists have done. In each work they put the thought of the unconditional victory of good over evil, the superiority of courage and love of life, which is taught by all plots.

How they were published

Tales tried to steal a man whom the brothers considered a friend, but did not have time. In 1812, the collectors were able to carry out their first edition. Not immediately the works were recognized as children's. But after professional editing they dispersed around the country large circulations. Reprinted 7 times in 20 years. The list of works has grown. Fairy tales from the category of simple folk art developed into a new literary genre.

The Brothers Grimm made a real breakthrough, which was appreciated all over the world. Today, their work is included in the international list of the great heritage of the past, created by UNESCO.

What is the modernity of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm?

Adults remember the names of many fairy tales from childhood. Because the works of the Brothers Grimm with their magical style of narration, variety of plots, preaching of love of life and perseverance in any life situations fascinate and attract extraordinarily.

And today we are happy to read them together with children, remembering which fairy tales we liked more, comparing with interest with those that are popular today.

Everyone knows the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. Perhaps, in childhood, parents told many fascinating stories about the beautiful Snow White, the good-natured and cheerful Cinderella, the capricious princess and others. Grown up children then themselves read the fascinating tales of these authors. And those who did not particularly like to spend time reading a book, be sure to watch cartoons based on the works of legendary creators.

Who are the Brothers Grimm?

The brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are famous German linguists. Throughout their lives, they worked on the creation of German. Unfortunately, they did not have time to finish it. However, this is not why they have become so popular. Made them famous folk tales. The Brothers Grimm became famous during their lifetime. "Children's and Household Tales" were being translated into different languages. The Russian version came out in the 60s of the 19th century. Today, their tales are read in almost 100 languages. On the works of the Brothers Grimm brought up many children from different countries. In our country, they gained wide popularity in the 30s of the last century thanks to the retellings and adaptations of Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak, and

What is the secret of the popularity of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm?

All fairy tales have a unique and interesting plot, happy ending, the victory of good over evil. Entertaining stories, which came out from under their pen, are very instructive, and most of them are dedicated to kindness, courage, resourcefulness, courage, honor. In the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, the main characters are people. But there are also stories in which actors become birds, animals or insects. Usually in such stories ridiculed negative traits human: greed, laziness, cowardice, envy, etc.

There are elements of cruelty in the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. So, for example, the murder of robbers by a brave tailor, the demand of the stepmother to bring her internal organs(liver and lung) Snow White, the harsh re-education of his wife by King Thrushbeard. But do not confuse elements of cruelty with pronounced violence, which is not here. But the frightening and terrible moments present in the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm help children to realize their fears and subsequently overcome them, which serves as a kind of psychotherapy for the child.

Fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm: a list

• An extraordinary musician.
• Brave tailor.
• About a fisherman and his wife.
• Lady blizzard.
• Golden bird.
• The poor and the rich.
• Ungrateful son.
• White and Rose.
• Hare and Hedgehog.
• Golden Key.
• Queen of bees.
• Friendship of a cat and a mouse.
• Successful trade.
• Bell.
• Straw, coal and bean.
• White Snake.
• About a mouse, a bird and a fried sausage.
• Singing bone.
• A louse and a flea.
• Outlandish bird.
• Six swans.
• Knapsack, hat and horn.
• Golden goose.
• Wolf and fox.
• Gosling.
• Wren and bear

The best fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm

These include:

• A wolf and seven little goats.
• Twelve brothers.
• Brother and sister.
• Hansel and Gretel.
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
• Bremen street musicians.
• Smart Elsa.
• Thumb boy.
• King Thrushbeard.
• Hans is my hedgehog.
• One-eyed, two-eyed and three-eyed.
• Mermaid.

In fairness, it is worth noting that this list is far from the ultimate truth, since the preferences of different people can be radically different from each other.

Annotations to some fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm

1. "Hans is my hedgehog." The story was written in 1815. Tells about an extraordinary boy and his difficult fate. Outwardly, he resembled a hedgehog, but only with soft needles. He was not loved even by his own father.
2. "Rumpelstichzen". Tells about a dwarf who has the ability to spin gold from straw.
3. "Rapunzel". Tale of a beautiful girl with chic long hair. She was imprisoned in a high tower by an evil sorceress.
4. "The table - yourself - cover yourself, a golden donkey and a club from a bag." A fairy tale about the breathtaking adventures of three brothers, each of whom possessed a magical object.
5. "The Tale of the Frog King or the Iron Heinrich". The story of an ungrateful queen who did not appreciate the deed of a frog who pulled out her favorite golden ball. The frog turned into a beautiful prince.

Description of Jacob and Wilhelm

1. "Brother and Sister" After the appearance of the stepmother in the house, the children have a hard time. So they decide to leave. On their way there are a lot of obstacles that they need to overcome. Complicating everything is the witch-stepmother, who enchants the springs. Drinking water from them, you can turn into wild animals.
2. "The Brave Tailor". The hero of the tale is a brave tailor. Satisfied with a calm and boring life, he sets off to perform feats. Along the way, he encounters giants and a vile king.
3. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs". It tells about the delightful daughter of the king, who was gladly accepted by the seven dwarfs, saving and protecting her in the future from the evil stepmother, who owns a magic mirror.

   

4. "King Thrushbeard". Tale of the city and beautiful princess who didn't want to get married. She rejected all her potential suitors, mocking their real and imagined shortcomings. As a result, her father passes her off as the first person he meets.
5. "Miss Metelitsa". Can be categorized as " New Year's fairy tales brothers Grimm". Tells about a widow who had own daughter and reception. The stepdaughter had a hard time with her stepmother. But a sudden accident, in which the unfortunate girl dropped a spool of thread into the well, put everything in its place.



Categories of fairy tales

It is conditionally possible to distribute the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm into the following categories.

1. Fairy tales about beautiful girls whose lives are constantly spoiled by evil sorceresses, witches and stepmothers. Similar storyline many works of the brothers are imbued.
2. Fairy tales in which people turn into animals, and vice versa.
3. Fairy tales in which various items are animated.
4. which people and their actions become.
5. Fairy tales, the heroes of which are animals, birds or insects. They ridicule negative character traits and praise positive traits and inherent virtues.

All stories take place in different time years without focusing on it. Therefore, it is impossible to single out, for example, the spring tales of the Brothers Grimm. As, for example, in A.N. Ostrovsky's "The Snow Maiden", which is accompanied by the name "spring tale in four acts."



Witch Hunters or Hansel and Gretel?

The last film based on the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm is Witch Hunters. The film premiered on January 17, 2013.

In a condensed form, the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel" is presented at the beginning of the film. The father, for unknown reasons, leaves his son and daughter at night in the forest thicket. In desperation, the children go where their eyes look and come across a bright and delicious house of sweets. The witch who lured them into this house wants to eat them, but the savvy Hansel and Gretel send her into the oven.

Further events unfold according to the director's own plan. Many years later, Hansel and Gretel begin to hunt witches, which becomes the meaning of their lives and a way to make good money. By the will of fate, they find themselves in a small town teeming with sorceresses who steal children to perform their rituals. Heroically, they save the entire city.

As you can see, director Tommy Wirkola shot the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm in a laconic form, adding his own continuation to it in a new way.

Conclusion

Fairy tales are necessary for all children without exception. They are able to expand their horizons, develop their imagination and creative imagination, bring up certain character traits. Be sure to read fairy tales to your children by different authors, including the Brothers Grimm.

Only when choosing works, do not forget to pay attention to their edition. After all, there are such publications in which episodes are omitted or added. This is often overlooked in the footnotes. And this is not a small nuance, but a significant flaw that can distort the meaning of the tale.

It will also be great if you find time to talk about the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm or play your favorite ones at your leisure.

One evening a young drummer was walking alone across the field. He approaches the lake, sees - three pieces of white linen are lying on the shore. “What a thin linen,” he said, and slipped one piece into his pocket. He came home, but forgot about his find and forgot to think and went to bed. But as soon as he fell asleep, it seemed to him that someone was calling him by name. He began to listen and heard a quiet voice that said to him: "Drummer, wake up, drummer!" And the night was dark, he could not see anyone, but it seemed to him as if he was rushing in front of his bed, then rising up, then falling down, some kind of figure.

What do you want? - he asked.

There lived a poor shepherd boy in the world. His father and mother died, then the authorities gave him to the house of a rich man, so that he would feed and educate him at home. But the rich man and his wife had an evil heart, and for all their wealth they were very stingy and unfriendly to people and always angry if someone used even a piece of their bread. And no matter how hard the poor boy tried to work, they fed him little, but beat him a lot.

Once upon a time there was an old miller at the mill; he had neither wife nor children, and he had three servants. They stayed with him for several years, so he once said to them:

I have already become old, I would now sit on the stove, and you go wandering around the wide world; and whoever brings home the best horse for me, to him I will give the mill, and he will feed me until death.

The third worker was a backfill at the mill, and they all considered him a fool and did not in any way predict a mill for him; Yes, he didn't want that either. And all three of them left, and, approaching the village, they said to Hans the Fool:

In ancient times, when the Lord God was still walking the earth, it happened that one day in the evening he got tired, the night caught him, and he had nowhere to spend the night. And there were two houses on the road, one opposite the other; one was large and beautiful, and the other was small and unsightly in appearance. Big house belonged to the rich man, and the little one to the poor. The Lord thought: “I won’t bother a rich man, I’ll spend the night with him.” The rich man heard that they were knocking on his door, opened the window and asked the stranger what he needed.

Long ago there lived a king, and he was famous throughout the earth for his wisdom. Everything was known to him, as if someone through the air gave him news of the most secret things. But he had a strange custom: every noon, when everything was cleared from the table and no one else was left, a reliable servant brought him another dish. But it was covered, and even the servant did not know what was on this dish; and not a single person knew about it, for the king opened the dish and started eating only when he was completely alone.

So it went on for a long time, but one day curiosity overcame the servant, he could not control himself and took the dish to his room. He closed the doors properly, lifted the lid from the dish, he sees - there is a white snake lying there. He looked at her and could not resist tasting her; he cut off a piece and put it in his mouth.

Once a woman with her daughter and stepdaughter went out into the field to cut grass, and the Lord God appeared to them in the form of a beggar and asked:

How can I get closer to the village?

If you want to know the way, - answered the mother, - look for it yourself.

And if you are worried that you will not find the way, then take yourself a guide.

The poor widow lived alone in her hut, and in front of the hut she had a garden; two rose trees grew in that garden, and white roses bloomed on one, and scarlet on the other; and she had two children, like those rose-trees, one called Snow White, and the other Crimson. They were so modest and kind, so hard-working and obedient, that there were no such people in the world; only Snow White was even quieter and gentler than Scarlet. Crimson jumped and ran more and more through meadows and fields, picking flowers and catching butterflies; and Snow White - she mostly sat at home near her mother, helped her with the housework, and when there was no work, she read something aloud to her. Both sisters loved each other so much that if they went somewhere, they always held hands, and if Snow White used to say: “We will always be together,” then Scarlet will answer her: “Yes, as long as we are alive, we will never let’s part,” and the mother added: “Whatever one of you has, let him share it with the other.”

Long ago, there was a beautiful queen. Once she was sewing at the window, accidentally pricked her finger with a needle and a drop of blood fell on the snow lying on the windowsill.

The scarlet color of blood on the snow-white cover seemed so beautiful to her that the queen sighed and said:

Oh, how I would like to have a baby with a snow-white face, with lips as scarlet as blood, and jet-black curls.

Many years have passed since the Brothers Grimm's "Children's and Household Tales" first appeared. The publication was the most modest both in appearance and in volume: the book contained only 83 fairy tales instead of the 200 currently being printed. The preface sent to the collection by the Brothers Grimm was signed on October 18, 1812, the ever-memorable year. The book was appreciated in this era of German self-consciousness, in this era of the awakening of ardent nationalist aspirations and the flourishing of romance. Even during the lifetime of the Brothers Grimm, their collection, constantly supplemented by them, has already gone through 5 or 6 editions and has been translated into almost all European languages.

This collection of fairy tales was almost the first, youthful work of the Brothers Grimm, their first attempt on the path of scientific collection and scientific processing of ancient monuments. German literature and nationalities. Following this path, the Grimm brothers later achieved resounding fame as the luminaries of European science and, having devoted their whole lives to their enormous, truly immortal works, indirectly had a very strong influence on Russian science and on the study of the Russian language, antiquity and nationality. Their name also enjoys loud, well-deserved fame in Russia, and is pronounced by our scientists with deep respect ... In view of this, we recognize that it would not be superfluous to place here a brief, concise biographical sketch of the life and work of the famous Grimm brothers, whom the Germans rightly call "fathers of and founders of German philology.

By origin, the Grimm brothers belonged to the middle class of society. Their father was first a lawyer in Hanau, and then entered the legal service of Prince Hanausky. The Grimm brothers were born in Hanau: Jacob - January 4, 1785, Wilhelm - February 24, 1786. From their earliest youth, they were bound by the closest bonds of friendship, which did not stop until the grave. Moreover, both of them, even by their very nature, seemed to complement each other: Jacob, as the eldest, was also physically stronger than his brother Wilhelm, who from his youth was constantly very sickly and became healthy only in old age. Their father died in 1796 and left his family in a very straitened position, so that it was only thanks to the generosity of their mother's aunt that the Grimm brothers were able to complete their studies, for which they already showed brilliant abilities very early. They first studied at the Kassel Lyceum, then entered the University of Marburg, with the firm intention of studying law for practical activities following the example of his father. They really listened to lectures at the Faculty of Law, and were also engaged in the study of law, but natural inclinations began to affect and led them in a completely different direction. While still at the university, they began to devote all their leisure time to the study of Russian German and foreign literature, and when in 1803 the famous romantic Tieck published his “Songs of the Minnesingers”, to which he prefaced a hot, heartfelt preface, the Grimm brothers immediately felt a strong attraction to the study of German antiquity and nationalities and decided to get acquainted with the ancient German handwritten literature on the originals. Having embarked on this path shortly after leaving the university, the Grimm brothers did not leave it until the end of their lives.

In 1805, when Jacob Grimm had to leave for a while in Paris with scientific purpose The brothers, accustomed to living and working together, felt the burden of this separation to such an extent that they decided never to be separated for any purpose - to live together and divide everything between them in half.

Between 1805-1809, Jacob Grimm was in the service: for some time he was the librarian of Jerome Bonaparte in Wilhelmsgeg, and then even a state auditor. After the end of the war with France, Jacob Grimm received an order from the Elector of Kassel to go to Paris and return to the Kassel library those manuscripts that had been taken from it by the French. In 1815, he was sent along with a representative of the Electorate of Kassel to the Congress of Vienna, and he even opened a profitable diplomatic career. But Jakob Grimm felt utter disgust for her, and in general he saw only an obstacle to the pursuit of science, to which he was devoted with all his heart. That is why in 1816 he left the service, rejected the professorship offered to him in Bonn, refused large salaries and preferred the modest position of a librarian in Kassel, where his brother had already been secretary of the library since 1814. Both brothers retained this modest position until 1820, diligently indulging in their scientific research, and this period of their life was the most fruitful in relation to their scientific activity. In 1825 Wilhelm Grimm married; but the brothers still did not part and continued to live and work together.

In 1829 the director of the Kassel Library died; his place, of course, in all rights and justice should have gone to Jacob Grimm; but a foreigner of no merit was preferred to him, and the two Brothers Grimm, offended by this flagrant injustice, found themselves compelled to resign. It goes without saying that the Grimm brothers, who at that time had already managed to acquire a very high-profile fame for their work, did not remain idle. Jacob Grimm was invited to Göttingen in 1830 as a professor of German literature and senior librarian at the university there. Wilhelm entered the same place as a junior librarian and in 1831 was elevated to extraordinary, and in 1835 to ordinary professors. Both learned brothers lived well here, especially because here they met a friendly circle, which included the first luminaries of modern German science. But their stay in Göttingen was short-lived. new king The Hanoverian, who ascended the throne in 1837, conceived with one stroke of the pen to destroy the constitution given to Hanover by his predecessor, which, of course, aroused general displeasure against him throughout the country; but only seven Goettingen professors had the civic courage to publicly protest against such an unauthorized violation of the basic state law. Among these seven daredevils were the Brothers Grimm. King Ernst-August responded to this protest by immediately dismissing all seven professors from their positions and expelling from the Hanoverian borders those of them who were not Hanoverian natives. Within three days, the Grimm brothers had to leave Hanover and temporarily settled in Kassel. But the famous scientists stood up public opinion Germany: a general subscription was opened to provide the Brothers Grimm from need, and two large German booksellers-publishers (Reimer and Hirzel) approached them with a proposal to jointly compile a German dictionary on the broadest scientific basis. The Grimm brothers accepted this offer with the greatest readiness and, after the necessary, rather lengthy preparations, set to work. But they did not have to stay long in Kassel: their friends took care of them and found them an enlightened patron in the person of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia, and when he ascended the throne in 1840, he immediately summoned the learned brothers to Berlin. They were elected members of the Berlin Academy of Sciences and, as academicians, received the right to lecture at the University of Berlin. Soon both Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm started lecturing at the university and since then lived in Berlin without a break until their death. Wilhelm died on December 16, 1859; Jacob followed him on September 20, 1863, in the 79th year of his laborious and fruitful life.

As for the significance of the scientific activity of the Brothers Grimm, it, of course, is not subject to our assessment in this brief biographical note. We can here limit ourselves to listing their most important works, which brought them great fame as European scientists, and point out the difference that existed in the activities of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and to some extent characterized their personal attitude to science.

In 1812, a collection of fairy tales entitled "Children's and Family Tales" was published.

These were fairy tales collected in the German lands and literary processed by the brothers Jacob And Wilhelm Grimms. Later, the collection was renamed, and to this day it is known under the name "Tales of the Brothers Grimm".

Authors

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863)

Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859)

The Brothers Grimm were men of rich erudition who had wide circle interests. It is enough just to list the types of their activities to be convinced of this. They were engaged in jurisprudence, lexicography, anthropology, linguistics, philology, mythology; worked as librarians, taught at the university, and also wrote poetry and works for children.

Wilhelm Grimm's office

The brothers were born in the family of the famous lawyer Philipp Grimm in Hanau (Hesse). Wilhelm was younger than Jacob by 13 months and was in poor health. When the eldest of the brothers was 11 years old, their father died, leaving almost no funds. Their mother's sister took the boys in her care and contributed to their education. In total, Philip Grimm's family had 5 sons and a daughter, of which Ludwig Emil Grimm (1790-1863) – german artist and engraver.

Ludwig Emil Grimm. self-portrait

The brothers were members of the circle of Heidelberg romantics, whose goal was to revive interest in folk culture Germany and its folklore. Heidelberg School of Romanticism oriented artists in the direction of the national past, mythology, to a deep religious feeling. Representatives of the school turned to folklore as the "authentic language" of the people, contributing to its unification.
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm left the famous collection German fairy tales. Main labor life of the Brothers Grimm - "German Dictionary". In fact, this is a comparative-historical dictionary of all Germanic languages. But the authors managed to bring it only to the letter "F", and the dictionary was completed only in the 1970s.

Jacob Grimm giving a lecture at Gettingham (1830). Sketch by Ludwig Emil Grimm

In total, during the life of the writers, the collection of fairy tales withstood 7 editions (the last - in 1857). This edition contained 210 fairy tales and legends. All editions were illustrated first by Philipp Groth-Johann and after his death by Robert Leinweber.
But the first editions of the tales were heavily criticized. They were considered unsuitable for children's reading both in content and because of the academic information inserts.
Then in 1825 the Brothers Grimm published the collection Kleine Ausgabe, which included 50 fairy tales, which were carefully edited for young readers. The illustrations (7 engravings on copper) were created by the painter brother Ludwig Emil Grimm. This children's version of the book went through ten editions between 1825 and 1858.

Preparatory work

The brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm started collecting fairy tales in 1807. In search of fairy tales, they traveled through the land of Hesse (in the center of Germany), and then through Westphalia (a historical region in the north-west of Germany). The storytellers were the most different people: shepherds, peasants, artisans, innkeepers, etc.

Ludwig Emil Grimm. Portrait of Dorothea Viemann, folk storyteller, from whose stories the Brothers Grimm wrote down more than 70 fairy tales
According to the peasant woman Dorothea Fimann (1755-1815), the daughter of an innkeeper from the village of Zweren (near Kassel), 21 tales were written down for the second volume and numerous additions. She was the mother of six children. She owns the fairy tales "The Goose Girl", "The Lazy Spinner", "The Devil and His Grandmother", "Doctor Know-It-All".

Fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood"

Many of the tales in the collection are common plots of European folklore and therefore are included in the collections. different writers. For example, the fairy tale "Little Red Riding Hood". It was literary processed by Charles Perrault, and was later recorded by the Brothers Grimm. The story of a girl deceived by a wolf has been common in France and Italy since the Middle Ages. In the Alpine foothills and in Tyrol, the tale has been known since the 14th century. and was very popular.
In the tales of different countries and localities, the contents of the basket varied: in northern Italy, the granddaughter carried fresh fish to her grandmother, in Switzerland - a head of young cheese, in the south of France - a pie and a pot of butter, etc. Charles Perrault's wolf eats Little Red Riding Hood and grandmother. The tale concludes with a moral that instructs the maidens to be wary of seducers.

Illustration for the German version of the fairy tale

At the Brothers Grimm, woodcutters passing by, hearing a noise, kill a wolf, cut open his stomach and save Grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood. The moral of the fairy tale is also present in the Brothers Grimm, but it is of a different plan: it is a warning to naughty children: “Well, now I will never run away from high road I won't disobey my mother's command anymore."
In Russia, there is a version by P. N. Polevoy - a complete translation of the brothers Grimm's version, but the retelling of I. S. Turgenev (1866), which removed the motive for violating the ban and some details of the descriptions, was more common.

Meaning of "Tales of the Brothers Grimm"

Ludwig Emil Grimm. Portrait of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (1843)

The influence of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm was enormous, they won the love of readers from the very first edition, despite criticism. Their work inspired to collect fairy tales and writers from other countries: in Russia it was Alexander Nikolaevich Afanasiev, in Norway - Peter Christen Asbjornsen and Jørgen Mu, in England - Joseph Jacobs.
V. A. Zhukovsky in 1826 he translated two fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm into Russian for the magazine "Children's Interlocutor" ("Dear Roland and the Clear Flower Girl" and "The Briar Princess").
The influence of the plots of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm can be traced in three fairy tales A. S. Pushkin: “The Tale of dead princess and the Seven Heroes (Snow White by the Brothers Grimm), The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish (the fairy tale The Fisherman and His Wife by the Brothers Grimm) and The Bridegroom (the fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm The Robber Bridegroom).

Franz Hüttner. Illustration "The Stepmother and the Poisoned Apple" (from the fairy tale "Snow White" by the Brothers Grimm)

Fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm "About the Fisherman and his Wife"

One fisherman lives with his wife Ilsebil in a poor shack. Once he catches a flounder in the sea, which turns out to be an enchanted prince, she asks to let her go into the sea, which the fisherman does.
Ilsebil asks her husband if he asked for anything in exchange for the fish's freedom, and makes him call the flounder again to wish himself a better home. The magic fish grants this wish.
Soon, Ilsebil again sends her husband to demand a stone castle from the flounder, then wants to become queen, kaiser (emperor) and pope. With each request of the fisherman to the flounder, the sea becomes more and more gloomy and rages.
The fish fulfills all her desires, but when Ilsebil wants to become the Lord God, the flounder returns everything to its previous state - to a miserable shack.
The tale was written down by the Grimm brothers in the dialect of Vorpommern (a historical region in the south Baltic Sea, which was in different eras as part of various states) based on the fairy tale by Philip Otto Runge (German romantic artist).
Apparently, in ancient times the flounder had the functions of a sea deity in Pomerania, so the tale is an echo of mythology. The moral of the tale is presented in the form of a parable: gluttony and excessive demands are punished by the loss of everything.

Illustration by Anna Anderson "A fisherman speaks to a flounder"

The collection "Tales of the Brothers Grimm" also includes legends.
Legend- a written tradition about any historical events or personalities. Legends explain the origin of natural and cultural phenomena and give their moral assessment. In a broad sense, a legend is an unreliable narrative about the facts of reality.
For example, the legend “Glasses of the Mother of God” is the only work from the collection that has never been published in Russian.

The legend of the "Goblets of Our Lady"

This legend is placed in the second German edition of the book of fairy tales in 1819 as a children's legend. According to the Grimm brothers, it is recorded from the Westphalian Haxthausen family from Paderborn (a city in Germany, located in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia).
Contents of the legend. One day the driver got stuck on the road. There was wine in his wagon. Despite his best efforts, he could not move the wagon.
At this time, the Mother of God passed by. Seeing the poor man's vain attempts, she turned to him with the words: "I'm tired and thirsty, pour me a glass of wine, and then I will help free your wagon." The driver readily agreed, but he did not have a glass to pour wine into. Then the Mother of God plucked a white flower with pink stripes (field bindweed), which looked a little like a glass, and gave it to the cab driver. He filled the flower with wine. The Mother of God took a sip - and at the same moment the wagon was freed. The poor man moved on.

bindweed flower

Since then, these flowers have been called "glasses of Our Lady".