The Three Feathers
A young man is tasked with retrieving three feathers from a bird's nest on the top of a high mountain. He fails to complete this task and returns home empty-handed. The next day, he sets out again but is unable to retrieve the feathers due to various obstacles. On his third attempt, he successfully retrieves one feather, then two, and finally all three.
By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1819 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore · 1,216 words
First lines
There was once on a time a King who had three sons, of whom two were clever and wise, but the third did not speak much, and was simple, and was called the Simpleton. When the King had become old and weak, and was thinking of his end, he did not know which of his sons should inherit the kingdom after him. Then he said to them, "Go forth, and he who brings me the most beautiful carpet shall be King after my death. " And that there should be no dispute amongst them, he took them outside his castle, blew three feathers in the air, and said, "You shall go as they fly. " One feather flew to the east, the other to the west, but the third flew straight up and did not fly far, but soon fell to the ground. And now one brother went to the right, and the other to the left, and they mocked Simpleton, who was forced to stay where the third feather had fallen. He sat down and was sad, then all at once he saw that there was a trap-door close by the feather. He raised it up, found some steps, and went down them, and then he came to another door, knocked at it, and heard somebody inside calling,
What this Textopian page supports
The Three Feathers 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, Fantasy, Folklore, Adventure, Children's Literature
- Length: 1,216 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Three Feathers by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Three Feathers?
- How does this fable by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fairy Tale first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Drummer by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Four Skilful Brothers by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Foundling Prince by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev
- The Good Bargain by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- A Lesson For Kings by Joseph Jacobs
- The Shoes Of Fortune by Hans Christian Andersen
Genres
- Fairy Tale — The story features magical elements, a moral lesson, and a simpleton protagonist who succeeds against the odds, typical of fairy tales.
- Fantasy — The narrative includes fantastical creatures like talking toads and magical transformations, characteristic of the fantasy genre.
- Folklore — The tale is rooted in traditional folklore, with themes of inheritance and cleverness, common in folk stories.
- Adventure — The plot involves a quest with challenges and journeys, aligning with the adventure genre.
Tags
Fairy Tale · German Folklore · Magic · Fantasy · Adventure · Moral Lesson · Coming of Age · Self-Discovery · Courage · Perseverance · Good vs Evil · Friendship