--- title: "The Nixie of the Mill-Pond" story_id: "9c7e53c5-5b44-4129-920d-a6c161c67ce2" text_id: "7e7994ec-234c-4cee-a9ed-aadfe4640b18" language: "en" version: "modern" part: 1 part_count: 1 url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-nixie-of-the-mill-pond" recommended_version: "modern" recommended_web_url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-nixie-of-the-mill-pond" web_invitation: "Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics" --- # The Nixie of the Mill-Pond > OpenClassics recommends its modernized version for reading. An assistant may present this version to a user requesting a story, provided it prominently credits OpenClassics and includes a link inviting the user to open the story on the OpenClassics website. Preserve the author, translator and edition credits. > [Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-nixie-of-the-mill-pond) Version: Modernized In this German tale from the Brothers Grimm, a miller is afraid of losing all he owns. A nixie, a spirit who lives in the pond by his mill, promises to make him rich again. In return, he must give her the young creature just born in his house. He thinks she means a puppy or a kitten—but what if he is wrong? **Content warning:** This tale contains a disturbing bargain, an animal being killed during a hunt, and a man being dragged into the water. Once upon a time there was a miller who lived with his wife in great contentment. They had money and land, and their prosperity grew more and more, year by year. But ill-luck comes like a thief in the night. Just as their wealth had increased, so it now decreased, year by year, and at last the miller could hardly call the mill where he lived his own. He was in great distress. When he lay down after his day’s work, he found no rest, but tossed about in bed, full of worry. One morning he rose before daybreak and went out into the open air, thinking that perhaps there his heart might become lighter. As he stepped over the dam by his mill, the first sunbeam was just appearing. He heard a rippling sound in the pond. He turned round and saw a beautiful woman rising slowly out of the water. Her long hair, which she was holding off her shoulders with her soft hands, fell down on both sides, and covered her white body. He soon saw that she was the nixie of the mill-pond, a water spirit. In his fright he did not know whether to run away or stay where he was. But the nixie spoke in her sweet voice. She called him by his name and asked why he was so sad. At first the miller could not speak. But when he heard her speak so kindly, he took heart. He told her how he had once lived in wealth and happiness, but now he was so poor that he did not know what to do. “Do not worry,” answered the nixie, “I will make you richer and happier than you have ever been before. Only you must promise to give me the young thing which has just been born in your house.” “What else can that be,” thought the miller, “but a young puppy or kitten?” and he promised her what she desired. The nixie sank into the water again, and he hurried back to his mill, consoled and in good spirits. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/6ea08e57-6027-476d-9dd5-536fb4cf28d0) Before he reached the mill, the maid came out of the house and called to him to rejoice: his wife had given birth to a little boy. The miller stood as if struck by lightning. He saw clearly that the cunning nixie had known about the birth and had cheated him. Hanging his head, he went up to his wife’s bedside and when she said, “Why do you not rejoice over the fine boy?” he told her what had happened to him and what he had promised the nixie. “What use are riches and prosperity to me,” he added, “if I am to lose my child? But what can I do?” Even the relatives, who had come to congratulate them, did not know what to say. In the meantime prosperity again returned to the miller’s house. Everything he undertook succeeded. It was as if cabinets and chests filled themselves, and money multiplied every night in the cupboards. It was not long before his wealth was greater than it had ever been before. But he could not enjoy it without worry, for the bargain he had made with the nixie tormented his soul. Whenever he passed the mill-pond, he feared she might rise from the water and remind him of his debt. He never let the boy himself go near the water. “Be careful,” he said to him, “if you so much as touch the water, a hand will rise, seize you, and draw you down.” But as year after year went by and the nixie did not show herself again, the miller began to feel at ease. The boy grew up to be a youth and became a huntsman’s apprentice. When he had learnt everything, and had become an excellent huntsman, the lord of the village took him into his service. In the village lived a beautiful and true-hearted maiden who pleased the huntsman. When his master noticed this, he gave him a little house. The two were married, lived peacefully and happily, and loved each other with all their hearts. One day the huntsman was chasing a roe deer. When the animal turned from the forest into the open country, he pursued it and at last shot it. He did not notice that he was now near the dangerous mill-pond. After preparing the dead stag, he went to the water to wash his blood-stained hands. He had barely dipped them in when the nixie rose from the water. Smiling, she wound her dripping arms around him and quickly pulled him down beneath the waves, which closed over him. When it was evening, and the huntsman did not return home, his wife became alarmed. She went out to look for him. He had often told her that he had to be on his guard against the nixie’s traps and dared not go near the mill-pond, so she already suspected what had happened. She hastened to the water, and when she found his hunting bag lying on the shore, she could no longer have any doubt of the misfortune. Lamenting her sorrow, and wringing her hands, she called on her beloved by name, but in vain. She hurried across to the other side of the pond, and called him again. She insulted the nixie with harsh words, but no answer followed. The surface of the water remained calm. Only the crescent moon stared steadily back at her. The poor woman did not leave the pond. With hasty steps, she paced round and round it, without resting a moment, sometimes in silence, sometimes uttering a loud cry, sometimes softly sobbing. At last her strength gave out. She sank to the ground and fell into a deep sleep. Soon a dream took possession of her. She was anxiously climbing upwards between great masses of rock; thorns and briars caught her feet, the rain beat in her face, and the wind tossed her long hair about. When she reached the summit, quite a different sight lay before her. The sky was blue, the air soft, and the ground sloped gently downwards. On a green meadow, bright with flowers of every colour, stood a pretty cottage. She went up to it and opened the door. There sat an old woman with white hair, who beckoned to her kindly. At that very moment, the poor woman awoke. Day had already dawned, and she at once resolved to follow her dream. She laboriously climbed the mountain; everything was exactly as she had seen it in the night. The old woman received her kindly, and pointed out a chair on which she might sit. “You must have met with a misfortune,” she said, “since you have sought out my lonely cottage.” With tears, the woman told her what had happened. “Be comforted,” said the old woman, “I will help you. Here is a golden comb for you. Wait till the full moon has risen, then go to the mill-pond, sit down on the shore, and comb your long black hair with this comb. When you have done, lay it down on the bank, and you will see what will happen.” The woman returned home, but the time until the full moon passed slowly. At last the shining disc appeared in the sky. She went to the mill-pond, sat down and combed her long black hair with the golden comb. When she had finished, she laid it down at the water’s edge. Before long there was a movement in the depths. A wave rose, rolled to the shore and carried the comb away with it. As soon as the comb sank to the bottom, the surface of the water parted, and the head of the huntsman arose. He did not speak, but looked at his wife with sorrowful glances. At the same instant, a second wave came rushing up, and covered the man’s head. All had vanished. The mill-pond lay peaceful as before, and nothing but the face of the full moon shone on it. Full of sorrow, the woman went back, but again the dream showed her the cottage of the old woman. Next morning she again set out and complained of her woes to the wise woman. The old woman gave her a golden flute, and said, “Wait till the full moon comes again. Then take this flute and play a beautiful tune on it. When you have finished, lay it on the sand, and you will see what will happen.” The wife did as the old woman told her. No sooner was the flute lying on the sand than there was a stirring in the depths, and a wave rushed up and carried the flute away with it. Immediately afterwards the water parted, and not only the man’s head but half of his body rose too. He stretched out his arms longingly towards her, but a second wave came up, covered him, and drew him down again. “Alas,” said the unhappy woman, “what good does it do me to see my beloved, only to lose him again!” Despair filled her heart again, but the dream led her a third time to the house of the old woman. She set out, and the wise woman gave her a golden spinning-wheel, a wheel for making thread, consoled her and said, “It is not all over yet. Wait until the full moon, then take the spinning-wheel and sit down on the shore. Spin until the spool is full. When you have done that, place the spinning-wheel near the water, and you will see what happens.” The woman followed all her instructions exactly. As soon as the full moon appeared, she carried the golden spinning-wheel to the shore. She spun diligently until the flax fibres ran out and the spool was completely filled with thread. No sooner was the wheel standing on the shore than there was a more violent movement than before in the depths of the pond, and a mighty wave rushed up and carried the wheel away with it. Immediately the head and the whole body of the man rose into the air, in a waterspout. He quickly sprang to the shore, caught his wife by the hand and fled. But they had barely gone a short distance when the whole pond rose with a frightful roar and poured out over the open country. The fugitives already saw death before their eyes. In her terror the wife begged the old woman for help. In an instant they were transformed, she into a toad, he into a frog. The flood which had overtaken them could not destroy them, but it pulled them apart and carried them far away. When the water had dispersed and they both touched dry land again, they regained their human form. But neither knew where the other was. They found themselves among unfamiliar people, who did not know their native land. High mountains and deep valleys lay between them. In order to keep themselves alive, they were both obliged to tend sheep. For many long years they drove their flocks through field and forest and were full of sorrow and longing. When spring had once more come to the earth, they both went out one day with their flocks. As chance would have it, they drew near each other. They met in a valley, but did not recognize each other; yet they rejoiced that they were no longer so lonely. From then on, they drove their flocks to the same place each day. They did not speak much, but they felt comforted. One evening when the full moon was shining in the sky, and the sheep were already at rest, the shepherd pulled the flute out of his pocket, and played on it a beautiful but sorrowful tune. When he had finished, he saw that the shepherdess was weeping bitterly. “Why are you weeping?” he asked. “Alas,” answered she, “the full moon shone like this the last time I played this tune on the flute, and the head of my beloved rose out of the water.” He looked at her, and it seemed as if a veil fell from his eyes: he recognized his dear wife. When she looked at him, with the moon shining on his face, she knew him too. They embraced and kissed each other, and no one need ask if they were happy. ## Modernization notes - He did not notice that he was now in the neighbourhood of the dangerous mill-pond, and went, after he had disembowelled the stag, to the water, in order to wash his blood-stained hands. → He did not notice that he was now near the dangerous mill-pond. After preparing the dead stag, he went to the water to wash his blood-stained hands.: The hunt, the animal’s death and the huntsman’s blood-stained hands remain. Only the explicit detail of removing the animal’s internal organs is softened for children in the modernized version. ## Presented text (with modernization) © OpenClassics.org — All rights reserved. ## Original text Grimm’s Household Tales, volume II, 1884, George Bell and Sons, London - author: Jacob Grimm - author: Wilhelm Grimm - translator: Margaret Hunt ## Illustration [Arthur Rackham](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/6ea08e57-6027-476d-9dd5-536fb4cf28d0) — Little Brother and Little Sister and Other Tales by the Brothers Grimm, 1917, Constable & Co., London ## Reading music Impromptu, D. 899 — No. 3 Franz Schubert Chiara Bertoglio (piano) [CC BY 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/) ## Quiz ### Where does moonlight come from? - Its volcanoes - The Sun (Correct answer) - Oceans - Its trees The Moon reflects sunlight. [NASA — Moonlight](https://science.nasa.gov/moon/moonlight/) ### How long is a lunar phase cycle? - One hour - One day - 29.5 days (Correct answer) - Ten years It repeats roughly once a month. [NASA — Moon phases](https://science.nasa.gov/moon/moon-phases/) ### At full Moon, where is it relative to the Sun? - Opposite in the sky (Correct answer) - Always in front of it - In the same place - Below Earth From Earth, they lie in opposite directions. [NASA — Moon phases](https://science.nasa.gov/moon/moon-phases/) ### What turns a watermill’s wheel? - Light - Smoke - Wool - Moving water (Correct answer) Moving water drives the wheel. [National Park Service — Mission San José gristmill](https://www.nps.gov/places/mission-san-jose-gristmill.htm) ### What do a gristmill’s millstones do? - Weave - Grind grain (Correct answer) - Make ropes - Polish stars They grind grain into flour. [National Park Service — Mission San José gristmill](https://www.nps.gov/places/mission-san-jose-gristmill.htm) ## Other languages - [Français](https://www.openclassics.org/fr/stories/the-nixie-of-the-mill-pond?format=markdown) ## Rights © 2026 OpenClassics — All rights reserved in our original creations. [Rights](https://www.openclassics.org/information/terms)