The Peasant's Wise Daughter

Name: The Peasant's Wise Daughter
Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

A young woman marries a peasant who has been deceived into thinking she is beautiful. She is actually ugly and cruel. The husband discovers her true nature after their wedding night. He tries to leave her, but she tricks him into staying with her by pretending to be pregnant. Eventually, the husband's brothers come to visit and are also deceived by the wife's beauty. They try to take her away from their brother, but she kills them in a fit of rage. The husband is forced to flee for his life.

By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1819 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy · 1,647 words

First lines

There was once a poor peasant who had no land, but only a small house, and one daughter. Then said the daughter, "We ought to ask our lord the King for a bit of newly-cleared land. " When the King heard of their poverty, he presented them with a piece of land, which she and her father dug up, and intended to sow with a little corn and grain of that kind. When they had dug nearly the whole of the field, they found in the earth a mortar made of pure gold. "Listen," said the father to the girl, "as our lord the King has been so gracious and presented us with the field, we ought to give him this mortar in return for it. " The daughter, however, would not consent to this, and said, "Father, if we have the mortar without having the pestle as well, we shall have to get the pestle, so you had much better say nothing about it. " He would, however, not obey her, but took the mortar and carried it to the King, said that he had found it in the cleared land, and asked if he would accept it as a present. The King took the mortar, and asked if he had found nothing besides that? "No," answered the countryman. Then the King said that he must now bring him the pestle. The peasant said they had not found that, but he might just as well have spoken to the wind; he was put in prison, and was to stay there until he produced the pestle. The servants had daily to carry him bread and water, which is what people get in prison, and they heard how the man cried out continually, "Ah! if I had but listened to my daughter! Alas, alas, if I had but listened to my daughter! " and would neither eat nor drink.

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The Peasant's Wise Daughter 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, Moral Story, Romance
Length: 1,647 words
Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Fairy Tale — The story features traditional fairy tale elements such as a wise protagonist, a royal figure, and a moral lesson.
Folklore — The narrative is rooted in cultural folklore, with themes of wisdom, justice, and cleverness.
Fantasy — The plot includes fantastical elements like riddles and improbable events typical of fantasy stories.
Moral Story — The tale imparts moral lessons about wisdom, cleverness, and justice.