English Version

German Version

Once upon a time there was a woman who was trulya witch. She had two daughters, one ugly and wicked, whom she loved because she was her own daughter, and one beautiful and good, whom she hated, because she was her stepdaughter. The stepdaughter had a beautiful apron, which the other girl wanted so much that she became envious, and she told her mother that she just had to have that apron. "Be still, my child," said the old woman, "and you shall have it. Your stepsister has long deserved to die, and tonight when she is asleep I will come and chop off her head. Just be sure to lie down at the far side of the bed, and push her close to the front." It would have been all over with the poor girl, but just then she was standing in a corner, and she overheard everything. She was not allowed to go outside all day long, and at bedtime her wicked stepsister had her get into bed first, so she would be lying next to the wall. However, after the witch's daughter fell asleep, the stepdaughter gently pushed her to the front side of the bed, and she took her place back against the wall. In the night the old woman crept into the bedroom holding an ax in her right hand while feeling with her left hand for anyone lying at the front of the bed. Then she grasped the axe with both hands and chopped off her own child's head.

After the witch had gone away, the girl got up and went to her sweetheart, whose name was Roland, and knocked at his door. When he came out, she said to him, "Listen, dearest Roland, we must flee at once. My stepmother tried to kill me, but she killed her own child instead. When daylight comes, and she sees what she has done, we'll be lost." "You had better take her magic wand," said Roland, "or we will not be able to escape if she comes after us." The girl got the magic wand, then she took the dead girl's head and dropped three drops of blood onto the floor, one in front of the bed, one in the kitchen, and one on the steps. Then she hurried away with her sweetheart.

The next morning when the old witch got up, she called her daughter, wanting to give her the apron. But the daughter did not come. So she shouted, "Where are you?" "Here on the steps. I'm sweeping," answered the first drop of blood. The old woman went out, but seeing no one on the steps, she shouted again, "Where are you?" "Here in the kitchen. I'm warming myself," shouted the second drop of blood. She went into the kitchen, but found no one. So she shouted again, "Where are you?" "Here in the bed. I'm sleeping," shouted the third drop of blood. She went into the bedroom and approached the bed. What did she see there? Her own child swimming in blood and whose head she herself had cut off.

The witch flew into a rage, jumped to the window, and as she could see far into the world, she saw her stepdaughter hurrying away with her sweetheart Roland. "That won't help you!" shouted the witch. "Even if you've already gone a long way, you won't escape from me!" She put on her many-league boots, in which she covered an hour's walk with every step, and it was not long before she overtook them. However, when the girl saw the old woman striding toward them, she used the magic wand to transform her sweetheart Roland into a lake, and herself into a duck swimming in the middle of the lake. The witch stood on the shore and threw in pieces of bread, trying with great effort to lure the duck to her. But the duck did not give in, and the old woman had to return home that night without success. Afterward the girl and her sweetheart Roland returned to their natural shapes, and they walked on through the whole night until daybreak.Then the girl transformed herself into a beautiful flower in the middle of a briar hedge, andher sweetheart Roland into a fiddler.

It was not long before the witch came striding up toward them. She said to the musician, "Dear musician, may I pick that beautiful flower for myself?" "Oh, yes," he replied. "And I will play for you while you're doing it." She crawled hastily into the hedge and was just about to pick the flower, knowing perfectly well who it was, when he began to play. She was forced to dance, whether she wanted to or not, for it was magic dance music. The faster he played, the more violently she was forced to jump. The thorns tore the clothes off her body, pricking her until she bled, and as he did not stop, she had to dance until she fell down dead.

They were now free, so Roland said, "Now I will go to my father and arrange for our wedding." "I'll stay here and wait for you," said the girl. "And I'll transform myself into a red boundary stone, so that no one will recognize me." So Roland set forth, and the girl, in the shape of a red boundary stone, stood there and waited for her sweetheart. But when Roland arrived home, he was snared by another woman, who caused him to forget the girl. The poor girl waited there a long time. Finally, when he failed to return, she grew sad and transformed herself into a flower, thinking, "Someone will surely come this way and trample me down."

However, it happened that a shepherd who was herding his sheep in the field saw the flower. As it was so beautiful, he picked it, took it home with him, and put it away in his chest. From that time forth, strange things happened in the shepherd's house. When he arose in the morning all the work was already done. The room was swept, the table and benches cleaned, the fire on the hearth was lighted, and the water was fetched, and at noon, when he came home, the table was already set, and a good dinner served. He didn't know how this happened, for he never saw anyone in his house, and no one could have hidden himself in it. He was, of course, pleased with this good service, but with time he became so afraid that he went to a wise woman and asked for her advice. The wise woman said, "There is magic behind it. Be on the watch very early some morning, and if anything is moving in the room, if you see anything, no matter what it is, throw a white cloth over it, and then the magic will be stopped."

The shepherd did what she told him to do, and the next morning just at dawn, he saw the chest open and the flower come out. He quickly jumped towards it and threw a white cloth over it. Instantly the transformation came to an end, and a beautiful girl stood before him, who admitted to him that she had been the flower, and that she had been doing his housekeeping. She told him her story. He liked her and asked her to marry him, but she answered, "No," for she wanted to remain faithful to her sweetheart Roland, even though he had abandoned her. Nevertheless, she promised not to go away, and to continue keeping house for the shepherd. The time drew near when Roland was to be married. According to an old custom in that country, it was announced that all the girls were to attend the wedding and sing in honor of the bridal pair. When the faithful girl heard this, she grew so sad that she thought her heart would break, and she did not want to go. But the other girls came and took her. When it was her turn to sing, she declined, until at last she was the only one left, and then she could not refuse. But when she began her song, and it reached Roland's ears, he jumped up and shouted, "I know that voice. That is the true bride. I do not want anyone else." Everything he had forgotten, and which had vanished from his mind, had suddenly come home again to his heart. Thus the faithful girl was married to her sweetheart Roland. Her grief came to an end, and her joy began.

Es war einmal eine Mutter, die hatte nur ihre rechte Tochter lieb und haßte ihre Stief- tochter, die doch tausendmal schöner und besser war. Einmal hatte diese eine schöne Schürze, darüber war die andere neidisch und verlangte von der Mutter, sie solle ihr diese Schürze verschaffen. Die Mutter sagte: „sey still, mein liebes Kind, du sollst sie haben, deine Stief- schwester hat doch schon lange den Tod ver- dient, heut Nacht leg dich hinten ins Bett und schieb sie recht vorne hin, dann will ich kom- men, wenn sie schläft, und will ihr den Kopf abhauen.“ Die Stiefschwester aber hatte in einer Ecke gestanden und alles mit angehört, da ließ sie die böse Schwester erst zu Bett ge- hen, daß sie hinten hin kam, wie sie aber ein- geschlafen war, hub sie sie auf und legte sie vorne hin, sich aber ganz hinten. Da kam die Mutter in der Nacht geschlichen, fühlte erst ob vorne jemand lag und schlief, dann faßte sie die Axt mit beiden Händen und hieb und hieb ihrem eigenen Kind den Kopf ab.

Wie sie fortgegangen war, stand das Mäd- chen auf und ging zu seinem Liebsten Roland, klopfte an und rief: „hör, wir müssen fort, die Stiefmutter hat ihr eigen Kind todtgeschlagen, und meint sie hätte mich getroffen, kommt der Tag und sie sieht, was sie gethan, so bin ich verloren; da hab ich ihren Zauberstab genom- men, damit können wir uns schon helfen.“ Der Liebste Roland stand auf, und sie nahmen erst den todten Kopf und tröpfelten drei Bluts- tropfen, einen vors Bett, einen in die Küche und einen auf die Treppe; darauf gingen sie fort. Am Morgen, als die Mutter aufgestan- den war, rief sie ihrer Tochter: „komm, du sollst jetzt die Schürze haben,“ die Tochter kam aber nicht. „Wo bist du?“ „Ei! hier auf der Treppe, die kehr ich,“ sprach der eine Blutstropfen. Da ging sie hinaus; auf der Treppe war niemand: „wo bist du denn?“ „Ei! hier in der Küche, beim Feuer, da wärm ich mich!“ rief der zweite Blutstropfen; sie ging in die Küche, aber sie sah niemand: „wo bist du denn aber?“ „Ach! hier am Bett, da schlaf ich!“ sie lief in die Kammer ans Bett, da sah sie ihr eigen Kind in seinem Blu- te schwimmen. Da erschrack sie und merkte, daß sie betrogen war, und ward zornig, weil sie aber eine Hexe war, konnte sie weit in die Welt hineinsehen, und sah ihre Stieftochter mit ihren Liebsten forteilen, und sie waren schon weit weg. Alsbald zog sie ihre Meilenstiefeln an, und ging ihnen nach, hatte sie auch bald eingeholt; das Mädchen aber hatte durch den Zauberstab gewußt, daß sie verfolgt würden, und sich in einen See, ihren Liebsten Roland aber in eine Ente verwandelt, die schwamm darauf. Als nun die Stiefmutter herzu kam, setzte sie sich an das Ufer und suchte die Ente mit Brod zu locken, aber es war alle Mühe ver- geblich, am Abend mußte sie unverrichteter Sa- che heimgehen. Die zwei nahmen ihre mensch- liche Gestalt wieder an, und gingen weiter, wie aber der Tag anbrach wurden sie wieder von der Hexe verfolgt. Da verwandelte sich das Mädchen in eine schöne Blume, die mitten in einer Dornhecke stand, ihren Liebsten Roland aber in einen Geigenspieler. Wie die Alte an- kam, fragte sie den Spielmann, ob sie sich die Blume abbrechen dürfe, „o ja, antwortete der, nur will ich dazu aufspielen.“ Da kroch sie in die Hecke und suchte zu der Blume zu reichen; wie sie aber mitten darin war, fing er an zu spielen, und da mußte sie darnach tanzen und tanzen ohne Aufhören, daß ihr die Dornen die Kleider vom Leibe rissen und sie blutig stachen, so lang, bis sie todt hinfiel.

Da waren beide frei. Roland aber sprach zu dem Mädchen: „nun will ich heim gehen zu meinem Vater, und die Hochzeit bestellen.“ „Da will ich mich indessen in einen rothen Feld- stein verwandeln, und hier bleiben und warten, bis du wieder kommst.“ Da stand es als ein rother Stein und wartete lang auf seinen Lieb- sten, aber der kam nicht wieder und hatte sie vergessen, und als er gar nicht kommen wollte, ward es ganz traurig und verwandelte sich in eine Blume, und dachte, es wird mich ja bald jemand umtreten. Ein Schäfer aber fand die Blume, und weil sie so schön war, nahm er sie mit sich, und legte sie daheim in seinen Ka- sten. Von nun an aber ging es wunderlich bei dem Schäfer zu: wenn er des Morgens aufwachte, so war alles im Haus gethan, ge- kehrt, geputzt, Feuer angemacht, und kam er Mittags nach Haus, war das Essen gekocht, der Tisch gedeckt und aufgetragen; er konnte aber nicht begreifen, wie das zuging, sah auch niemals einen Menschen in seinem Haus. Und ob es ihm gleich wohl gefiel, so ward ihm doch zuletzt Angst dabei, und er fragte eine weise Frau darüber, die sagte, das sey Zauberei, er solle einmal Morgens früh Acht geben, ob sich etwas in der Stube bewege, und wenn er et- was sehe ein weißes Tuch darüber werfen. Das that er, und am andern Morgen sah er, wie sich der Kasten aufthat und die Blume her- auskam, er sprang herzu und warf ein Tuch darüber, da war die Verwandlung vorbei, und das schöne Mädchen, das sein Liebster Roland vergessen hat, stand vor ihm. Der Schäfer wollte es heirathen, es sagte aber nein, es wolle ihm nur dienen und haushalten. Bald darauf hörte es, daß Roland Hochzeit halten und eine andere heirathen wolle; dabei mußte jeder im Land nach einem alten Gebrauch, sin- gen. Da kam das treue Mädchen auch hin, und wollte immer nicht singen, bis zu allerletzt, da mußte es; wie es aber anfing, da erkannte es Roland gleich, sprang auf und sagte: das sey seine rechte Braut, er wolle keine andere und vermählte sich mir ihr; da war sein Leid zu End und seine Freude ging an.