Hello there.
Thank you so much for joining me for this reading of another couple of the Grimm's Fairy Tales.
These ones are Mother Hollow and the Dog and the Sparrow.
As perhaps you know,
There were originally more than 200 of the different Grimm's fairy tales that were gathered up by the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and published together in a book in the early 1800s so these stories are more than 200 years old at this point and yet they are still so popular and so many of the themes in them are familiar,
The storylines,
The characters,
The settings.
Although indeed a lot of them can seem quite grim to modern audiences.
If you enjoy these kind of Grimm's Fairy Tale stories,
You can certainly also look for the playlist for Grimm's Fairy Tales.
I have at this point recorded more than 50 of the different stories and you can find them all there.
But for now,
Before we get into these stories,
Let's just take a moment here.
To have a nice deep curve.
Exhale.
Letting go of the day.
Letting go of whichever baggage you might be bringing along with us into this moment.
For right now,
There's nowhere else we have to go,
Nothing else we have to be doing.
So we can just relax.
Get ourselves comfortable.
And enjoy!
This installment of Another Couple.
Of the Grimm's Fairy Tales.
Mata Halla.
Once upon a time there was a widow who had two daughters.
One of them was beautiful and industrious.
The other ugly and lazy.
The mother,
However,
Loved the ugly and lazy one best,
Because she was her own daughter.
And so the other,
Who was only her stepdaughter,
Was made to do all the work of the house and was quite the Cinderella of the family.
Her stepmother sent her out every day to sit by the well in the high road,
There to spin until she made her fingers bleed.
Now,
It chanced one day that some blood fell onto the spindle,
And as the girl stopped over the well to wash it off,
The spindle suddenly sprang out of her hand and fell into the well.
She ran home crying.
To tell of her misfortune,
But her stepmother spoke harshly to her.
And after giving her a violent scolding,
Said unkindly,
As you have let the spindle fall into the well.
You may go yourself and fetch it out.
The girl went back to the well,
Not knowing what to do.
And at last,
In her distress,
She jumped into the water after the spindle.
She remembered.
Nothing more.
Until she awoke and found herself in a beautiful meadow full of sunshine.
And with countless flowers blooming in every direction.
She walked over the meadow,
And presently she came upon a baker's oven.
Full of bread.
And the loaves cried out to her,
Take us out,
Take us out or alas we shall be burnt to a cinder.
We were baked through long ago!
So,
She took the bread shovel and drew them all out.
She went on a little farther,
Till she came to a tree full of apples.
Shake me!
Shake me I pray!
Tried the tree.
My apples!
One and all!
All right!
So she shook the tree and the apples came falling down upon her like rain.
But she continued shaking until there was not a single apple left upon it.
Then she carefully gathered the apples together in a heap and walked on again.
The next thing she came to was a little house.
And there she saw an old woman looking out,
With Such large teeth.
That she was terrified and turned to run away,
But the old woman called after her.
What are you afraid of dear child?
Stay with me.
If you will do the work of my house properly for me.
I will make you very happy.
You must be very careful,
However,
To make my bed in the right way.
I wish you always to shake it thoroughly.
So that the feathers fly about.
Then they say down there in the world that it is snowing.
For I.
And mother Holla!
The old woman spoke so eloquently.
Kindly.
That the girl summoned up courage and courage.
Agreed to enter into her service.
She took care to do everything according to the old woman's bidding.
And every time she made the bed,
She shook it with all her might,
So that the feathers flew about like so many snowflakes.
The old woman was as good as her word.
She never spoke angrily to her.
And gave her roast and boiled meats every day.
So,
She stayed on with Mother Holler for some time.
And thin.
She began to grow unhappy.
She could not at first tell why she felt sad.
But she became conscious at last of this.
Great longing to go home.
She knew she was homesick.
Although she was a thousand times better off with Mother Hollow than with her mother and sister.
After waiting a while,
She went to Mother Holler and said,
I.
.
.
I'm so homesick.
I cannot stay with you any longer.
For although I am so happy here.
I must return to my own people.
Then Mother Holla said,
I am pleased that you should want to go back to your own people.
And as you have served me so well and faithfully.
I will take you home.
Myself.
Thereupon she led the girl by the hand up to a broad gateway.
The gate was opened,
And as the girl passed through,
A shower of gold fell upon her.
And the gold clung to her so that she was covered with it from head to foot.
That is a reward for your industry.
Said Mother Holler.
And as she spoke she handed her the spindle which she had dropped into the well.
The gate was then closed and the girl found herself alone.
Back in the old world,
Close to her mother's house.
As she entered the courtyard,
The cockerel who was perched on the well called out,
Cock-a-doodle-do,
Your golden daughters come back to you.
Then she went in to her mother and sister.
And as she was so richly covered with gold,
They gave her a warm welcome.
She related to them all that had happened.
And when the mother heard how she had come by her great riches,
She thought she should like her ugly,
Lazy daughter to go and try her fortune.
So she made the sister go and sit by the well and spin,
And the girl pricked her finger and thrust her hand into a thorn bush so that she might drop some blood onto the spindle.
Then she threw it into the well and jumped in herself.
Like her sister,
She awoke in the beautiful meadow.
And walked over it till she came to the oven.
Take us out!
Take us out!
Or alas,
We shall be burnt to a cinder!
We were baked through long ago!
Fried the loaves as before.
But the lazy girl answered,
Do you think I'm going to dirty my hands for you?
And walked on.
Presently she came to the apple tree.
Shake me shake me i pray my apples one and all are ripe it cried.
But she only answered,
A nice thing to ask me to do.
One of the apples might fall on my head!
And passed on.
At last she came to Mother Holla's house.
And as she had heard all about the large teeth from her sister,
She was not afraid of them and engaged herself without delay to the old woman.
The first day she was very obedient and industrious.
And exerted herself to please Mother Holla.
What she thought of the gold she should get in return.
The next day,
However,
She began to dawdle over her work.
And the third day she was more idle still.
Then she began to lie in bed in the mornings and refused to get up.
Worse still,
She neglected to make the old woman's bed properly and forgot to shake it so that the feathers might fly about.
So.
.
.
Mother Holler very soon got tired of her.
And told her she might go.
The lazy girl was delighted at this and thought to herself,
The gold will soon be mine!
Mother Holler led her,
As she had led her sister,
To the broad gateway But.
.
.
As she was passing through,
Instead of the shower of gold.
A great day.
Bucketful!
Of pitch.
Pouring over her.
That is in return for your services said the old woman and she shut the gate.
So.
.
.
The lazy girl had to go home covered with pitch.
And the cockerel on the well called out as he saw her.
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
You're.
.
.
Dirty daughters!
Come back to you!
Try what she would,
She could not get the pitch off and it stuck to her as long as she lived.
The dog and the sparrow.
A shepherd's dog had a master who took no care of him.
But often let him suffer the greatest hunger.
At last,
He could bear it no longer.
So he took to his heels and off he ran in a very sad and sorrowful mood.
On the road he met a sparrow that said to him,
Why are you so sad,
My friend?
Because,
Said the dog.
I am very Very.
Hungry.
And have nothing.
To eat.
If that be all,
Answered the sparrow,
Come with me.
Into the next town and I will soon find you plenty of food.
So on they went together into the town.
And as they passed by a butcher's shop,
The sparrow said to the dog,
Stand there a little while till I peck you down a piece of meat.
So,
The sparrow perched upon the shelf.
And having first looked carefully about her to see if anyone was watching her,
She pecked and scratched at a stake that lay upon the edge of the shelf,
Till at last,
Down it fell.
Then the dog snapped it up and scrambled away with it into a corner where he soon ate it all up.
Well,
Said the sparrow.
You shall have some more if you will.
Come with me to the next shop and I will pack you down another steak.
When the dog had eaten this too,
The sparrow said to him,
Wow.
My good friend.
Have you had enough now?
I.
.
.
I've had plenty of meat,
Answered he.
But I should like to have a piece of bread to eat after it.
Come with me then,
Said the sparrow,
And you shall soon have that too.
So she took him to a baker's shop and pecked at two rolls that lay in the window till they fell down.
And as the dog still wished for more,
She took him to another shop and packed down some more for him.
When that was eaten,
The sparrow asked him whether he had had enough now.
Yes,
Said he.
And now.
.
.
Let us take a walk,
A little way out of the town.
So they both went out upon the high road.
But as the weather was warm,
They had not gone far before the dog said,
I am very much tired.
I should like to take a nap.
Very well,
Answered the sparrow,
Do so.
And in the meantime,
I will perch upon that bush.
The dog stretched himself out on the road and fell fast asleep.
Whilst he slept,
There came by a carter with a cart drawn by three horses and loaded with two casks of wine.
The sparrow seeing that the carter did not turn out of the way but would go on in the track in which the dog lay so as to drive over him called out Stop!
Stop,
Mr.
Carter,
Or it shall be the worst for you!
But the carter,
Grumbling to himself,
You make it the worst for me indeed!
What can YOU do?
Cracked his wit.
And drove his cart over the poor dog so that the wheels crushed him to death.
Cried the sparrow.
Thou cruel villain!
Has killed my friend the dog.
Now mind what I say.
This deed of thine.
Shall cost thee all thou art worth.
Do your worst and welcome said the brute what harm can you do me and passed on.
But the sparrow.
Crept under the tilt of the cart.
And pecked at the bung of one of the casks till she loosened it and then All the wine ran out,
Without the carter seeing it.
At last he looked round and saw that The cart was dripping and the cask quite empty.
What an unlucky wretch I am,
Cried he.
Not wretch enough yet,
" said the sparrow.
As she alighted upon the head of one of the horses and at him till he reared up and kicked.
When the Carter saw this.
He drew out his hatchet and aimed a blow at the sparrow,
Meaning to kill her.
But she flew away.
And the blow fell upon the poor horse's head with such force that he fell down dead.
Unlucky wretch that I am cried he.
Not rich enough yet,
Said the sparrow.
And as the carter went on with the other two horses,
She again crept under the tilt of the cart and pecked out the bung of the second cask so that all the wine ran out.
When the carter saw this he again cried out,
Miserable wretch that I am!
But the sparrow answered,
Not wretch enough yet!
And perched on the head of the second horse and pecked at him too.
The carter ran up and struck at her again with his hatchet but Away she flew and the blow fell upon the second horse and killed him on the spot.
Unlucky wretch that i am said he Not rich enough yet.
Said the sparrow.
And perching upon the third horse,
She began to peck him too.
The Carter was mad with fury.
And without looking about him or caring what he was about,
Struck again at the sparrow.
But killed his third horse.
As he did the other two.
Ah,
Last!
Miserable wretch that I am!
" cried he.
Not rich enough yet!
Answered the sparrow as she flew away.
NOW!
Will I plague and punish thee at thy own house?
The carter was forced at last to leave his cart behind him.
And to go home overflowing.
With rage and vexation.
Alas,
Said he to his wife,
What ill luck has befallen me!
My wine is all spilt!
And my horses.
All three.
Dead.
"'Alas,
Husband,
' replied she,
"'and a wicked bird has come into the house and has brought with her—' all the birds in the world,
I'm sure,
And they have fallen upon our corn in the loft and are eating it up at such a rate!
Away ran the husband upstairs and saw Thousands of birds sitting upon the floor eating up his corn.
With the sparrow in the midst of them.
Unlucky wretch that I am!
Cried the carter,
For he saw that the corn was almost all gone.
Not rich enough yet.
Said the sparrow.
Thy cruelty shall cost thee thy life yet.
And Away she flew!
The carter seeing that he had thus lost all that he had went down into his kitchen.
And was still not sorry for what he had done.
But sat himself angrily and sulkily in the chimney corner.
With the sparrow.
Sat on the outside of the window and cried.
Carter,
Thy cruelty shall cost thee thy life.
With that.
He jumped up in a rage.
Seized his hatchet and threw it at the sparrow.
But it missed her.
And only broke the window.
The sparrow now hopped in,
Perched upon the window seat and cried,
Carter.
It shall cost thee thy life!
Then he became mad!
And blind with rage.
And struck the window seat with such force that he cleft it in two.
And as the sparrow flew from place to place the carter and his wife was so Urious!
That they broke.
All their furniture?
Glasses,
Chairs,
Benches,
The table and at last the walls without touching the bird at all.
In the end,
However,
They caught her.
And the wife said,
Shall I kill her?
At once.
No,
Cried he,
That is letting her off too easily.
She shall die a much more cruel death.
I will eat her!
But the sparrow began to flutter about and stretched out her neck and cried,
Carter.
It shall cost thee thy life yet.
With that.
He could wait no longer.
So he gave his wife the hatchet and cried,
WIFE!
Strike at the bird and kill her in my hand.
And the wife?
Struck?
But she missed her aim and hit her husband on the head!
So that he fell down?
Dead?
And the sparrow flew quietly home.
To her nest.
