Children's stories, German -- Translations into English; Fairy tales; Fairy tales -- Germany
As soon as they were assembled, the miller bade them make way, spread
out his cloth, and brought the ass into the room. “Now watch,” said he,
and cried:
“_Bricklebrit!_”
but no gold pieces fell, and it was clear that the animal knew nothing
of the art, for every ass does not attain such perfection.
Then the poor miller pulled a long face, saw that he was betrayed, and
begged pardon of the relatives, who went home as poor as they came.
There was no help for it, the old man had to betake him to his needle
once more, and the youth hired himself to a miller.
The third brother had apprenticed himself to a turner, and as that is
skilled labor, he was the longest in learning. His brothers, however,
told him in a letter how badly things had gone with them, and how the
innkeeper had cheated them of their beautiful wishing-gifts on the last
evening before they reached home.
When the turner had served his time, and had to set out on his travels,
as he had conducted himself so well, his master presented him with a
sack, and said, “There is a Cudgel in it.”
“I can put on the sack,” said he, “and it may be of good service to me,
but why should the Cudgel be in it? It only makes it heavy.”
“I will tell you why,” replied the master; “if any one has done
anything to injure you, do but say:
“‘_Cudgel!
Out of the sack!_’
and the Cudgel will leap forth among the people, and play such a dance
on their backs, that they will not be able to stir or move for a week,
and it will not leave off until you say:
“‘_Cudgel!
Into the sack!_’”
The apprentice thanked him, put the sack on his back, and when any one
came too near him, and wished to attack him, he said:
“_Cudgel!
Out of the sack!_”
and instantly the Cudgel sprang out, and dusted the coat or jacket of
one after the other on their backs, and never stopped until it had
stripped it off them. And it was done so quickly, that before any one
was aware, it was already his own turn.
In the evening, the young turner reached the inn where his brothers
had been cheated. He laid his sack on the table before him, and began
to talk of all the wonderful things which he had seen in the world.
“Yes,” said he, “people may easily find a Little Table which will cover
itself, a Gold-Ass, and things of that kind--extremely good things
which I by no means despise--but these are nothing in comparison with
the treasure which I have won for myself, and am carrying about with me
in my sack there.”
The innkeeper pricked up his ears. “What in the world can that be?”
thought he. “The sack must be filled with nothing but jewels. I ought
to get them cheap too, for all good things go in threes.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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