The Three Little Men in the Wood
Three brothers take refuge with a woodcutter after their father's death. The first brother is lazy and sleeps all day, the second is a glutton who eats everything in sight, and the third is hardworking but foolish. A witch tries to eat them, but they outsmart her by pretending to be dead.
By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1819 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Folklore · 2,449 words
First lines
Once upon a time there lived a man, whose wife had died; and a woman, also, who had lost her husband: and this man and this woman had each a daughter. These two maidens were friendly with each other, and used to walk together, and one day they came by the widow's house. Then the widow said to the man's daughter, "Do you hear, tell your father I wish to marry him, and you shall every morning wash in milk and drink wine, but my daughter shall wash in water and drink water. " So the girl went home and told her father what the woman had said, and he replied, "What shall I do? Marriage is a comfort, but it is also a torment. " At last, as he could come to no conclusion, he drew off his boot and said: "Take this boot, which has a hole in the sole, and go with it out of doors and hang it on the great nail and then pour water into it. If it holds the water, I will again take a wife; but if it runs through, I will not have her. " The girl did as he bid her, but the water drew the hole together and the boot became full to overflowing. So she told her father how it had happened, and he, getting up, saw it was quite true; and going to the widow he settled the matter, and the wedding was celebrated.
What this Textopian page supports
The Three Little Men in the Wood 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, Children's Literature, Moral Tale
- Length: 2,449 words
- Structure: 1 section, 25 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Three Little Men in the Wood 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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Genres
- Fairy Tale — The story features magical elements, moral lessons, and fantastical characters such as dwarfs, typical of fairy tales.
- Fantasy — Incorporates fantastical elements like magical transformations and enchanted objects, common in fantasy literature.
- Folklore — The narrative structure and themes are rooted in traditional folklore, with archetypal characters and moral lessons.
- Children's Literature — The simple narrative style and moral lessons are designed to appeal to and educate children.
Tags
FairyTale · GermanLiterature · ChildrensStory · ClassicFiction · Fantasy · Adventure · Magic · WoodlandSetting · ThreeBrothers · MischievousPigs · Bravery · Kindness