The Seven Ravens

Once upon a time there wasThere was once a man who had seven sons, and still he had no daughter, however much he wished for one. At lastlength his wife was expecting anotheragain gave him hope of a child, and when it came into the world it was a girl. They were overjoyed, but the child was small and very weak. She had to be baptized at home, a Christian ceremony for which they needed water.The joy was great, but the child was sickly and small, and had to be privately baptized on account of its weakness. The father sent one of the boys quicklyin haste to the spring to fetch water for the baptism. The other six went with him, and as each of them wanted to be first to fill the jugit, the jug fell into the well. There they stood and did not know what to do, and none of them dared to go home. As they still did not return, the father grew impatient, and said, “They must have forgotten all about it while playingThey have certainly forgotten it for some game, the wicked boys!” He became afraid that the girl would diethat the girl would have to die without being baptized, and in his anger cried, “I wish the boys were all turned into ravens.” The words were hardly out of his mouth whenHardly was the word spoken before he heard wingsa whirring overhead. Heof wings over his head in the air, looked up and saw seven coal-black ravens flying away. The parents could not take backrecall the curse, and however sad they were at the loss of their seven sons, their dear little daughter still gave them some comfort. She soon grew strong and became more beautiful every day.they still to some extent comforted themselves with their dear little daughter, who soon grew strong and every day became more beautiful. For a long time she did not know that she had had brothers, for her parents were careful not to mention them in front of herbefore her, but one day she happened to hear some people talking about her. They said she was certainly beautiful, but she was to blame for her seven brothers’ misfortune.she accidentally heard some people saying of herself, “that the girl was certainly beautiful, but that in reality she was to blame for the misfortune which had befallen her seven brothers.” This upset her deeply, and she went to her father and motherThen she was much troubled, and went to her father and mother and asked if it was true that she had had brothers, and what had happened to them.what had become of them? The parents no longer dared tonow dared keep the secret  no longer, but said that what had happened tobefallen her brothers was the will of Heaven, and that although her birth had led to it, she was not to blameand that her birth had only been the innocent cause. But the girl worried aboutmaiden took it every dayto heart daily, and feltthought she must rescuedeliver her brothers. She had no rest or peace until she set out secretly, and went outforth into the wide world to findtrace out her brothers and set them free, whateverlet it cost what it might cost hermight. She took nothing with her but a little ring belonging to her parents as a keepsake, a loaf of bread for when she was hungryagainst hunger, a little pitcher of water for when she was thirstyagainst thirst, and a little chair for when she was tiredas a provision against weariness.

And now she kept on travellingshe went continually onwards, far, far to the very end of the world. Then she came to the sun, but it was too hot and terrible, and devoured little children. Hastily she ran away, and ran to the moon, but it was far too cold, frightening and cruelfar too cold, and also awful and malicious, and when it saw the child, it said, “I smell, I smell the flesh of men.” AtOn this she ran swiftly away, and came to the stars, which were kind and good to her, and each of them sat on its own little chairits own particular little chair. But the morning star stood upthe morning star arose, and gave her a chicken’s leg bonethe drumstick of a chicken, and said, “Without that leg bone you cannot open the Glass mountainIf thou hast not that drumstick thou canst not open the Glass mountain, and in the Glass mountain are yourthy brothers.”

The girlmaiden took the leg bonedrumstick, wrapped it carefully in a cloth, and set off againwent onwards again until she came to the Glass mountain. The door was shut, and she thought she would take out the leg bonedrumstick; but when she undid the cloth, it was empty, and she had lost the good star’s present. What was she now to do? She wished to rescue her brothers, and had no key to the Glass mountain. The good sister hurttook a knife, cut offExplanation: The original describes cutting off a finger with a knife. This reading keeps her injury and the finger used as a key, while leaving out the method and graphic detail. one of her little fingers and used, put it as a key to openin the door , and succeeded in opening it. When she had gone inside, a little dwarf came to meet her and saida little dwarf came to meet her, who said, “My child, what are you looking for?” “I am looking for my brothers, the seven ravens,” she replied. The dwarf said, “The lord ravens are not at home, but if you will wait here until they come, step in.” Then the little dwarf brought in the ravens’ dinner on seven little plates and in seven little glasses. The little sister ate a little from each plate and took a sip from each little glass. Into the last little glass she dropped the ring she had broughtThereupon the little dwarf carried the ravens’ dinner in, on seven little plates, and in seven little glasses, and the little sister ate a morsel from each plate, and from each little glass she took a sip, but in the last little glass she dropped the ring which she had brought away with her.

Suddenly she heard a whirring of wings and a rushing through the air, and then the little dwarf said, “Now the lord ravens are flying home.” Then they came, and wanted to eat and drink, and looked for their little plates and glasses. One after another, they saidThen said one after the other, “Who has eaten something from my plate? Who has drunk out of my little glass? It was a human mouth.” And when the seventh came to the bottom of the glass, the ring rolled against his mouth. Then he looked at it, and saw that it was a ring belonging to his father and mother, and said, “God, if only our sister were here! Then we would be free.God grant that our sister may be here, and then we shall be free.” When the girl, who was standingWhen the maiden, who was standing behind the door watching, heard that wish, she came outforth, and at onceon this all the ravens became human againall the ravens were restored to their human form again. And they embraced and kissed each other, and went joyfully home.