The Girl Without Hands
A miller's daughter is forced to make a deal with the devil after her father betrays him. She must chop off her own hands and flee into the forest where she meets a king who marries her despite her disability. However, their happiness is short-lived as the devil returns to claim his due.
By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1812 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore · 2,751 words
First lines
A certain miller had little by little fallen into poverty, and had nothing left but his mill and a large apple-tree behind it. Once when he had gone into the forest to fetch wood, an old man stepped up to him whom he had never seen before, and said, "Why dost thou plague thyself with cutting wood, I will make thee rich, if thou wilt promise me what is standing behind thy mill? " "What can that be but my apple-tree? " thought the miller, and said, "Yes," and gave a written promise to the stranger. He, however, laughed mockingly and said, "When three years have passed, I will come and carry away what belongs to me," and then he went. When the miller got home, his wife came to meet him and said, "Tell me, miller, from whence comes this sudden wealth into our house? All at once every box and chest was filled; no one brought it in, and I know not how it happened. " He answered, "It comes from a stranger who met me in the forest, and promised me great treasure. I, in return, have promised him what stands behind the mill; we can very well give him the big apple-tree for it. " "Ah, husband," said the terrified wife, "that must have been the devil! He did not mean the apple-tree, but our daughter, who was standing behind the mill sweeping the yard."
What this Textopian page supports
The Girl Without Hands is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, dated 1812 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
- Date: 1812 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore, Moral Story, Mythology
- Length: 2,751 words
- Structure: 1 section, 10 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Girl Without Hands by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Fairy Tale — The narrative follows a traditional fairy tale structure with magical elements, moral lessons, and a focus on good versus evil.
- Fantasy — The story includes fantastical elements such as angels, the devil, and magical transformations.
- Folklore — The tale is rooted in cultural folklore, featuring archetypal characters and moral themes common in folklore traditions.
- Moral Story — The narrative imparts moral lessons about faith, perseverance, and the triumph of good over evil.
Tags
Fairy Tale · German Folklore · Magic Realism · Fantasy · Adventure · Coming of Age · Self-Discovery · Good vs Evil · Moral Lesson · Transformation · Growth · Isolation