第 八 章 · The Twelve Brothers

. The Twelve Brothers

There were once on a time a king and a queen who lived happily together

and had twelve children, but they were all boys. Then said the King to

his wife, “If the thirteenth child which thou art about to bring into

the world, is a girl, the twelve boys shall die, in order that her

possessions may be great, and that the kingdom may fall to her alone.”

He caused likewise twelve coffins to be made, which were already filled

with shavings, and in each lay the little pillow for the dead, and he

had them taken into a locked-up room, and then he gave the Queen the

key of it, and bade her not to speak of this to any one.

The mother, however, now sat and lamented all day long, until the

youngest son, who was always with her, and whom she had named Benjamin,

from the Bible, said to her, “Dear mother, why art thou so sad?”

“Dearest child,” she answered, “I may not tell thee.” But he let her

have no rest until she went and unlocked the room, and showed him the

twelve coffins ready filled with shavings. Then she said, “my dearest

Benjamin, thy father has had these coffins made for thee and for thy

eleven brothers, for if I bring a little girl into the world, you are

all to be killed and buried in them.” And as she wept while she was

saying this, the son comforted her and said, “Weep not, dear mother, we

will save ourselves, and go hence.” But she said, “Go forth into the

forest with thy eleven brothers, and let one sit constantly on the

highest tree which can be found, and keep watch, looking towards the

tower here in the castle. If I give birth to a little son, I will put

up a white flag, and then you may venture to come back, but if I bear a

daughter, I will hoist a red flag, and then fly hence as quickly as you

are able, and may the good God protect you. And every night I will rise

up and pray for you—in winter that you may be able to warm yourself at

a fire, and in summer that you may not faint away in the heat.”

After she had blessed her sons therefore, they went forth into the

forest. They each kept watch in turn, and sat on the highest oak and

looked towards the tower. When eleven days had passed and the turn came

to Benjamin, he saw that a flag was being raised. It was, however, not

the white, but the blood-red flag which announced that they were all to

die. When the brothers heard that, they were very angry and said, “Are

we all to suffer death for the sake of a girl? We swear that we will

avenge ourselves!—wheresoever we find a girl, her red blood shall

flow.”

Thereupon they went deeper into the forest, and in the midst of it,

where it was the darkest, they found a little bewitched hut, which was

standing empty. Then said they, “Here we will dwell, and thou Benjamin,

who art the youngest and weakest, thou shalt stay at home and keep

house, we others will go out and get food.” Then they went into the

forest and shot hares, wild deer, birds and pigeons, and whatsoever

there was to eat; this they took to Benjamin, who had to dress it for

them in order that they might appease their hunger. They lived together

ten years in the little hut, and the time did not appear long to them.

The little daughter which their mother the Queen had given birth to,

was now grown up; she was good of heart, and fair of face, and had a

golden star on her forehead. Once, when it was the great washing, she

saw twelve men’s shirts among the things, and asked her mother, “To

whom do these twelve shirts belong, for they are far too small for

father?” Then the Queen answered with a heavy heart, “Dear child, these

belong to thy twelve brothers.” Said the maiden, “Where are my twelve

brothers, I have never yet heard of them?” She replied, “God knows

where they are, they are wandering about the world.” Then she took the

maiden and opened the chamber for her, and showed her the twelve

coffins with the shavings, and pillows for the head. “These coffins,”

said she, “were destined for thy brothers, but they went away secretly

before thou wert born,” and she related to her how everything had

happened; then said the maiden, “Dear mother, weep not, I will go and

seek my brothers.”

So she took the twelve shirts and went forth, and straight into the

great forest. She walked the whole day, and in the evening she came to

the bewitched hut. Then she entered it and found a young boy, who

asked, “From whence comest thou, and whither art thou bound?” and was

astonished that she was so beautiful, and wore royal garments, and had

a star on her forehead. And she answered, “I am a king’s daughter, and

am seeking my twelve brothers, and I will walk as far as the sky is

blue until I find them.” She likewise showed him the twelve shirts

which belonged to them. Then Benjamin saw that she was his sister, and

said, “I am Benjamin, thy youngest brother.” And she began to weep for

joy, and Benjamin wept also, and they kissed and embraced each other

with the greatest love. But after this he said, “Dear sister, there is

still one difficulty. We have agreed that every maiden whom we meet

shall die, because we have been obliged to leave our kingdom on account

of a girl.” Then said she, “I will willingly die, if by so doing I can

deliver my twelve brothers.”

“No,” answered he, “thou shalt not die, seat thyself beneath this tub

until our eleven brothers come, and then I will soon come to an

agreement with them.”

She did so, and when it was night the others came from hunting, and

their dinner was ready. And as they were sitting at table, and eating,

they asked, “What news is there?” Said Benjamin, “Don’t you know

anything?” “No,” they answered. He continued, “You have been in the

forest and I have stayed at home, and yet I know more than you do.”

“Tell us then,” they cried. He answered, “But promise me that the first

maiden who meets us shall not be killed.” “Yes,” they all cried, “she

shall have mercy, only do tell us.”

Then said he, “Our sister is here,” and he lifted up the tub, and the

King’s daughter came forth in her royal garments with the golden star

on her forehead, and she was beautiful, delicate and fair. Then they

were all rejoiced, and fell on her neck, and kissed and loved her with

all their hearts.

Now she stayed at home with Benjamin and helped him with the work. The

eleven went into the forest and caught game, and deer, and birds, and

wood-pigeons that they might have food, and the little sister and

Benjamin took care to make it ready for them. She sought for the wood

for cooking and herbs for vegetables, and put the pans on the fire so

that the dinner was always ready when the eleven came. She likewise

kept order in the little house, and put beautifully white clean

coverings on the little beds, and the brothers were always contented

and lived in great harmony with her.

Once on a time the two at home had prepared a beautiful entertainment,

and when they were all together, they sat down and ate and drank and

were full of gladness. There was, however, a little garden belonging to

the bewitched house wherein stood twelve lily flowers, which are

likewise called students. She wished to give her brothers pleasure, and

plucked the twelve flowers, and thought she would present each brother

with one while at dinner. But at the self-same moment that she plucked

the flowers the twelve brothers were changed into twelve ravens, and

flew away over the forest, and the house and garden vanished likewise.

And now the poor maiden was alone in the wild forest, and when she

looked around, an old woman was standing near her who said, “My child,

what hast thou done? Why didst thou not leave the twelve white flowers

growing? They were thy brothers, who are now for evermore changed into

ravens.” The maiden said, weeping, “Is there no way of delivering

them?”

“No,” said the woman, “there is but one in the whole world, and that is

so hard that thou wilt not deliver them by it, for thou must be dumb

for seven years, and mayst not speak or laugh, and if thou speakest one

single word, and only an hour of the seven years is wanting, all is in

vain, and thy brothers will be killed by the one word.”

Then said the maiden in her heart, “I know with certainty that I shall

set my brothers free,” and went and sought a high tree and seated

herself in it and span, and neither spoke nor laughed. Now it so

happened that a king was hunting in the forest, who had a great

greyhound which ran to the tree on which the maiden was sitting, and

sprang about it, whining, and barking at her. Then the King came by and

saw the beautiful King’s daughter with the golden star on her brow, and

was so charmed with her beauty that he called to ask her if she would

be his wife. She made no answer, but nodded a little with her head. So

he climbed up the tree himself, carried her down, placed her on his

horse, and bore her home. Then the wedding was solemnized with great

magnificence and rejoicing, but the bride neither spoke nor smiled.

When they had lived happily together for a few years, the King’s

mother, who was a wicked woman, began to slander the young Queen, and

said to the King, “This is a common beggar girl whom thou hast brought

back with thee. Who knows what impious tricks she practises secretly!

Even if she be dumb, and not able to speak, she still might laugh for

once; but those who do not laugh have bad consciences.” At first the

King would not believe it, but the old woman urged this so long, and

accused her of so many evil things, that at last the King let himself

be persuaded and sentenced her to death.

And now a great fire was lighted in the courtyard in which she was to

be burnt, and the King stood above at the window and looked on with

tearful eyes, because he still loved her so much. And when she was

bound fast to the stake, and the fire was licking at her clothes with

its red tongue, the last instant of the seven years expired. Then a

whirring sound was heard in the air, and twelve ravens came flying

towards the place, and sank downwards, and when they touched the earth

they were her twelve brothers, whom she had delivered. They tore the

fire asunder, extinguished the flames, set their dear sister free, and

kissed and embraced her. And now as she dared to open her mouth and

speak, she told the King why she had been dumb, and had never laughed.

The King rejoiced when he heard that she was innocent, and they all

lived in great unity until their death. The wicked step-mother was

taken before the judge, and put into a barrel filled with boiling oil

and venomous snakes, and died an evil death.