Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm | Page 4

feel ashamed of itself, and creep
out of the way."
So he set his hat straight on his head, and immediately there came such
a frost that all the heat passed away and the food froze in the dishes.
After an hour or two had passed, and the king thought they must have
all perished in the heat, he caused the door to be opened, and went
himself to see how they fared. And when the door flew back, there they
were all six quite safe and sound, and they said they were quite ready to
come out, so that they might warm themselves, for the great cold of
that room had caused the food to freeze in the dishes. Full of wrath, the
king went to the cook and scolded him, and asked why he had not done
as he was ordered.
"It is hot enough there: you may see for yourself," answered the cook.
And the king looked and saw an immense fire burning underneath the
room of iron, and he began to think that the six men were not to be got
rid of in that way. And he thought of a new plan by which it might be
managed, so he sent for the leader and said to him,
"If you will give up your right to my daughter, and take gold instead,
you may have as much as you like."
"Certainly, my lord king," answered the man; "let me have as much
gold as my servant can carry, and I give up all claim to your daughter."

And the king agreed that he should come again in a fortnight to fetch
the gold. The man then called together all the tailors in the kingdom,
and set them to work to make a sack, and it took them a fortnight. And
when it was ready, the strong man who had been found rooting up trees
took it on his shoulder, and went to the king.
"Who is this immense fellow carrying on his shoulder a bundle of stuff
as big as a house?" cried the king, terrified to think how much gold he
would carry off. And a ton of gold was dragged in by sixteen strong
men, but he put it all into the sack with one hand, saying,
"Why don't you bring some more? this hardly covers the bottom!" So
the king bade them fetch by degrees the whole of his treasure, and even
then the sack was not half full.
"Bring more!" cried the man; "these few scraps go no way at all!" Then
at last seven thousand waggons laden with gold collected through the
whole kingdom were driven up; and he threw them in his sack, oxen
and all.
"I will not look too closely," said he, "but take what I can get, so long
as the sack is full." And when all was put in there was still plenty of
room.
"I must make an end of this," he said; "if it is not full, it is so much the
easier to tie up." And he hoisted it on his back, and went off with his
comrades.
When the king saw all the wealth of his realm carried off by a single
man he was full of wrath, and he bade his cavalry mount, and follow
after the six men, and take the sack away from the strong man.
Two regiments were soon up to them, and called them to consider
themselves prisoners, and to deliver up the sack, or be cut in pieces.
"Prisoners, say you?" said the man who could blow, "suppose you first
have a little dance together in the air," and holding one nostril, and
blowing through the other, he sent the regiments flying head over heels,

over the hills and far away. But a sergeant who had nine wounds and
was a brave fellow, begged not to be put to so much shame. And the
blower let him down easily, so that he came to no harm, and he bade
him go to the king and tell him that whatever regiments he liked to send
more should be blown away just the same. And the king, when he got
the message, said,
"Let the fellows be; they have some right on their side." So the six
comrades carried home their treasure, divided it among them, and lived
contented till they died.

CLEVER GRETHEL
THERE was once a cook called Grethel, who wore shoes with red heels,
and when she went out in them she gave herself great airs, and thought
herself very fine indeed. When she came home again, she would take a
drink of wine to refresh herself, and as that gave her an appetite, she
would take some of the best of whatever she was