The Old Man Made Young Again

Name: The Old Man Made Young Again
Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

A young man marries an old woman who has been made young again through magic. She is cruel and abusive to him, forcing him to do all the household chores. He eventually discovers her true nature and flees.

By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1819 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy · 626 words

First lines

In the time when our Lord still walked this earth, he and St. Peter stopped one evening at a smith's and received free quarters. Then it came to pass that a poor beggar, hardly pressed by age and infirmity, came to this house and begged alms of the smith. St. Peter had compassion on him and said, "Lord and master, if it please thee, cure his torments that he may be able to win his own bread. " The Lord said kindly, "Smith, lend me thy forge, and put on some coals for me, and then I will make this ailing old man young again. " The smith was quite willing, and St. Peter blew the bellows, and when the coal fire sparkled up large and high our Lord took the little old man, pushed him in the forge in the midst of the red-hot fire, so that he glowed like a rose-bush, and praised God with a loud voice. After that the Lord went to the quenching tub, put the glowing little man into it so that the water closed over him, and after he had carefully cooled him, gave him his blessing, when behold the little man sprang nimbly out, looking fresh, straight, healthy, and as if he were but twenty. The smith, who had watched everything closely and attentively, invited them all to supper. He, however, had an old half-blind crooked, mother-in-law who went to the youth, and with great earnestness asked if the fire had burnt him much. He answered that he had never felt more comfortable, and that he had sat in the red heat as if he had been in cool dew. The youth's words echoed in the ears of the old woman all night long, and early next morning, when the Lord had gone on his way again and had heartily thanked the smith, the latter thought he might make his old mother-in-law young again likewise, as he had watched everything so carefully, and it lay in the province of his trade. So he called to ask her if she, too, would like to go bounding about like a girl of eighteen.

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Similar titles

Genres

Fairy Tale — The narrative features fantastical elements, moral lessons, and a transformation, typical of fairy tales.
Folklore — The story is rooted in traditional beliefs and cultural narratives, characteristic of folklore.
Fantasy — The plot involves magical transformations and divine intervention, aligning with fantasy genre conventions.
Religious Fiction — The presence of religious figures and themes of divine power categorize it as religious fiction.

What this Textopian page supports

The Old Man Made Young Again is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, dated 1819 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: 1819 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy, Religious Fiction, Mythology
Length: 626 words
Structure: 1 section, 2 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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