The Juniper-Tree by Dinah Mulock
A wealthy man and his pious wife long for a child. After years of prayer, the wife, while peeling an apple under a Juniper tree, wishes for a child as red as blood and as white as snow. Soon after, she gives birth to a son but dies from joy. The father remarries, and the new wife bears a daughter but despises the boy, mistreating him. In a fit of rage, she kills him and cooks his remains, which are unknowingly consumed by the father. The boy's sister, Margery, mourns and buries his bones under the Juniper tree. From the tree, a magical bird emerges, singing of his tragic fate. The bird trades its song for gifts from various townsfolk, ultimately returning to the father’s house. The mother, overwhelmed by guilt, collapses as the bird reveals the truth. In a final act of vengeance, the bird drops a millstone on her, killing her. The boy is resurrected, and the family reunites, finding happiness once more.
By Dinah Mulock · First published 1857 · Genre: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Children's Literature · 3,775 words
First lines
One or two thousand years ago, there was a rich man, who had a beautiful and pious wife; they loved one another dearly, but they had no children. They wished and prayed for some night and day, but still they had none. In front of their house was a yard, where stood a Juniper-tree, and under it the wife stood once in winter, and peeled an apple, and as she peeled the apple she cut her finger, and the blood fell on the snow.
"Oh," said she, sighing deeply and looking sorrowfully at the blood, "if I only had a child as red as blood, and as white as snow!"
What this Textopian page supports
The Juniper-Tree is listed on Textopian as a short story by Dinah Mulock, dated 1857 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Dinah Mulock
- Date: 1857 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Children's Literature
- Length: 3,775 words
- Structure: 1 section, 105 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Juniper-Tree by Dinah Mulock
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Juniper-Tree?
- How does this short story by Dinah Mulock fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fairy Tales first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Fairy Tales — The story is drawn from the Brothers Grimm collection, which includes magical and fantastical elements typical of fairy tales.
- Fantasy — The plot contains supernatural, magical elements, and unreal scenarios which are characteristics of the fantasy genre.
- Children's Literature — Considering the narrative and structure, the book is simple and accessible to a younger audience, which is typical in children's literature.
Tags
fairy tale · folklore · morality · family · revenge · transformation · magic · loss · grief · redemption · nature · childhood