The story of the youth who went forth to learn what fear was – Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
Once there was a father who had two sons. The elder son was clever and capable of doing anything, while the younger one was not very bright and couldn’t comprehend anything. People who saw him thought, “He will surely be a burden to his father.” Whenever something needed to be done, if the way led through a spooky place like a churchyard, the younger son would say, “Oh, no, father, I’ll not go there, it makes me shudder!” because he was afraid. Sometimes, when spooky stories were told by the fire at night, the younger son would listen with the others, not understanding what they meant. He thought to himself, “They keep saying ‘it makes me shudder, it makes me shudder!’ but it doesn’t make me shudder. That must be a skill that I do not understand.”
One day, the father said to the younger son, “Listen to me, you fellow in the corner there. You are growing tall and strong, and you too must learn something by which you can earn your living. Look how your brother works hard, but you don’t even earn your salt.” The younger son replied, “Well, father, I am quite willing to learn something – indeed, if it could but be managed, I should like to learn how to shudder. I don’t understand that at all yet.” The elder brother smiled when he heard that, and thought to himself, “Good God, what a blockhead that brother of mine is! He will never be good for anything as long as he lives. He who wants to be a sickle must bend himself betimes.” The father sighed and answered him, “You shall soon learn what it is to shudder, but you will not earn your bread by that.”
Not long after, the sexton came to visit the father, and the father lamented his troubles, telling him about his younger son, who was so backward in every way that he knew nothing and learned nothing.
“Imagine,” he said, “when I asked him how he was going to earn his bread, he actually wanted to learn to shudder!”
“If that’s all,” replied the sexton, “he can learn that with me. Send him to me, and I will soon teach him.”
The father was happy to do it, thinking, “At least it will teach the boy something.”
So, the sexton took him into his house, and he had to ring the bell. After a day or two, the sexton woke him up at midnight and told him to go up into the church tower and ring the bell.
“You shall soon learn what shuddering is,” thought the sexton, who had secretly gone up before him and was waiting on the stairs dressed in a white sheet. When the boy reached the top of the tower and turned around, he saw the white figure standing on the stairs opposite the sounding hole.
“Who is there?” he cried, but the figure made no reply and did not move.
“Answer me or leave, you have no business here at night,” the boy demanded.
But the sexton remained motionless, hoping to scare the boy. The boy called out a second time, “What do you want here? Speak if you are an honest fellow, or I will throw you down the steps!”
The sexton thought, “He can’t mean to be as bad as his words,” so he remained silent, but the boy pushed him down the steps anyway.
He rang the bell, went home and went straight to bed without saying a word. The sexton’s wife waited a long time for her husband, but he did not return. She woke up the boy and asked, “Do you know where my husband is?
He went up the tower before you did.” “No, I don’t know,” replied the boy. “But someone was standing by the sounding hole on the other side of the steps and when he wouldn’t answer, I took him for a rascal and pushed him down the stairs. Just go there and see if it was him. I would be sorry if it were.” The woman went to the tower and found her husband lying in a corner, moaning and with a broken leg.
She carried her husband down and then, with loud screams, rushed to the boy’s father. “Your boy,” she cried, “has caused a great misfortune! He threw my husband down the stairs and broke his leg. Take this good-for-nothing fellow away from our house!” The father was terrified and scolded the boy, saying, “What wicked tricks are these? The devil must have put this into your head.” “Father,” he replied, “do listen to me. I am completely innocent. He was standing there at night like someone intending to do evil. I did not know who he was, and I asked him three times to speak or go away.” “Ah,” said the father, “I have nothing but unhappiness with you. Get out of my sight. I will never see you again.” “Yes, father, willingly. Wait until daylight, then I will go out and learn how to shudder, and at least understand one art that will support me.” “Learn what you will,” said the father, “it’s all the same to me. Here are fifty thalers for you. Take them and go into the wide world, and tell no one where you come from, or who your father is, for I have reason to be ashamed of you.” “Yes, father, it shall be as you wish. If you desire nothing more than that, I can easily keep it in mind.”
When the day dawned, the boy put his fifty thalers into his pocket and set out on the great highway, continually saying to himself, “If I could but shudder! If I could but shudder!” Soon, a man approached and heard the conversation the boy was having with himself. When they walked a little farther and could see the gallows, the man said to him, “Look, there is the tree where seven men married the ropemaker’s daughter and are now learning how to fly. Sit down below it and wait until night comes, and you will soon learn how to shudder.” “If that’s all that’s needed,” answered the youth, “it’s easily done. But if I learn how to shudder as fast as that, you shall have my fifty thalers. Just come back to me early in the morning.” The youth went to the gallows, sat down below it, and waited until evening. As he was cold, he lit a fire, but at midnight, the wind blew so sharply that he could not get warm despite the fire. As the wind knocked the hanged men against each other and they moved back and forth, he thought to himself, “You shiver below by the fire, but how those up above must freeze and suffer!” Feeling pity for them, he raised the ladder, climbed up, unbound one after the other, and brought down all seven. He stirred the fire, blew it, and sat them all around it to warm themselves. But they sat there and did not move, and the fire caught their clothes. He warned them, “Take care, or I will hang you up again.” The dead men did not hear and let their rags burn. Angry, he said, “If you will not take care, I cannot help you. I will not be burnt with you,” and he hung them up again one by one. He sat down by his fire, fell asleep, and the next morning the man came to him and wanted the fifty thalers. “Well, do you know how to shudder?” asked the man. “No,” answered he, “how was I to know? Those fellows up there did not open their mouths and were so stupid that they let the few old rags on their bodies burn.” The man realized he would not get the fifty thalers that day and went away, saying, “One of this kind has never come my way before.”
The youth continued on his way, muttering to himself, “Ah, if I could but shudder! Ah, if I could but shudder!” A waggoner who was walking behind him heard this and asked, “Who are you?” “I don’t know,” answered the youth. The waggoner asked, “Where do you come from?” “I don’t know.” “Who is your father?” “I cannot tell you.” “What is it that you are always muttering between your teeth?” “Ah,” replied the youth, “I so wish I could shudder, but no one can teach me how to do it.” “Stop your foolish chatter,” said the waggoner. “Come with me, and I will find a place for you.” The youth went with the waggoner, and in the evening they arrived at an inn where they planned to spend the night. As they entered the room, the youth once again said quite loudly, “If I could but shudder! If I could but shudder!” The host who overheard this laughed and said, “If that’s what you want, you have come to the right place.” “Ah, be quiet,” said the hostess. “So many curious people have lost their lives already. It would be a pity and a shame if such beautiful eyes as these never saw the light of day again.” But the youth said, “No matter how difficult it may be, I will learn it, and that’s why I have traveled so far.” He pestered the host until he was told that not far from there stood a haunted castle where anyone could easily learn what shuddering was by watching in it for three nights. The King had promised that whoever dared to venture into the castle would have his daughter’s hand in marriage, and she was the most beautiful maiden under the sun. Great treasures were also guarded by evil spirits in the castle, and these treasures would be released, making a poor man rich enough. Many men had gone into the castle, but none had come out. The next morning, the youth went to the King and asked if he could watch for three nights in the haunted castle. The King looked at him, and as the youth pleased him, he said, “You may ask for three things to take into the castle with you, but they must be inanimate objects.” Then he answered, “I ask for a fire, a turning lathe, and a cutting-board with a knife.”
The King had the requested items carried into the castle for him during the day. As night drew near, the youth made a bright fire in one of the rooms, placed the cutting-board and knife beside it, and sat down by the turning-lathe. “Ah, if I could but shudder!” he said. “But I shall not learn it here either.” Around midnight, as he was about to poke his fire, something suddenly cried from one corner, “Au, miau! How cold we are!” “You simpletons!” he cried. “What are you crying about? If you are cold, come and take a seat by the fire and warm yourselves.” Two great black cats then leaped at him and sat down on each side, looking savagely at him with their fiery eyes. After warming themselves, they asked, “Comrade, shall we have a game of cards?” “Why not?” he replied. “But just show me your paws.” They stretched out their claws, and he said, “Oh, what long nails you have! Wait, I must first cut them for you.” He seized them by the throats, put them on the cutting-board, and screwed their feet fast. “I have looked at your fingers,” he said. “My fancy for card-playing is gone.” He struck them dead and threw them into the water. But as he sat down again by his fire, black cats and dogs with red-hot chains came out from every hole and corner. They yelled horribly, got on his fire, pulled it apart, and tried to put it out. He watched them for a while quietly, but when they went too far, he seized his cutting-knife and cried, “Away with ye, vermin!” He began to cut them down, and part of them ran away while he killed the rest and threw them into the fish-pond. When he came back, he fanned the embers of his fire and warmed himself. As he sat there, his eyes grew heavy and he felt a desire to sleep. He looked around and saw a great bed in the corner. “That is the very thing for me,” he said and got into it. But as he was about to shut his eyes, the bed began to move of its own accord and went over the whole castle. “That’s right,” he said. “But go faster.” The bed rolled on as if six horses were harnessed to it, up and down, over thresholds and steps. Suddenly, hop, hop, it turned over upside down and lay on him like a mountain.
But he threw quilts and pillows up in the air, got out and said, “Now, anyone who likes, may drive,” and lay down by his fire, sleeping until it was day. In the morning, the King arrived and, upon seeing him lying on the ground, thought that the evil spirits had killed him and he was dead. “After all, it is a pity; he is a handsome man,” the King said. The youth heard it, got up, and said, “It has not come to that yet.” The King was astonished but very glad and asked how he had fared. “Very well indeed,” he answered. “One night is past, and the two others will go by likewise.” Then he went to the innkeeper, who opened his eyes very wide and said, “I never expected to see thee alive again! Hast thou learnt how to shudder yet?” – “No,” said he, “it is all in vain. If someone would but tell me.”
The second night, he went up into the old castle again, sat down by the fire, and once more began his old song, “If I could but shudder.” When midnight came, an uproar and noise of tumbling about was heard. At first, it was low, but it grew louder and louder. Then it was quiet for a while, and at length with a loud scream, half a man came down the chimney and fell before him. “Hollo!” he cried. “Another half belongs to this. This is too little!” Then the uproar began again, there was a roaring and howling, and the other half fell down likewise. “Wait,” he said. “I will just blow up the fire a little for thee.” When he had done that and looked around again, the two pieces were joined together, and a frightful man was sitting in his place. “That is no part of our bargain,” said the youth. “The bench is mine.” The man wanted to push him away; the youth, however, would not allow that, but thrust him off with all his strength and seated himself again in his own place. Then still more men fell down, one after the other; they brought nine dead men’s legs and two skulls, and set them up and played nine-pins with them. The youth also wanted to play and said, “Hark you, can I join you?” – “Yes, if thou hast any money.” – “Money enough,” he replied, “but your balls are not quite round.” Then he took the skulls and put them in the lathe and turned them until they were round. “There, now they will roll better!” he said. “Hurrah! Now it goes merrily!” He played with them and lost some of his money, but when it struck twelve, everything vanished from his sight. He lay down and quietly fell asleep. The next morning, the King came to inquire after him. “How has it fared with you this time?” asked he. “I have been playing at nine-pins,” he answered, “and have lost a couple of farthings.” – “Hast thou not shuddered then?” – “Eh, what?” said he. “I have made merry. If I did but know what it was to shudder!”
The third night, he sat down on his bench again and said quite sadly, “If I could but shudder.” When it grew late, six tall men came in and brought a coffin. Then he said, “Ha, ha, that is certainly my little cousin who died only a few days ago,” and he beckoned with his finger, crying “Come, little cousin, come.” They placed the coffin on the ground, but he went to it, took the lid off, and found a dead man inside. He felt his face, but it was cold as ice. “Stop,” he said, “I will warm thee a little,” and he went to the fire, warmed his hand, and laid it on the dead man’s face, but he remained cold. Then he took him out, sat down by the fire, laid him on his breast, and rubbed his arms so that the blood might circulate again. As this also did no good, he thought to himself, “When two people lie in bed together, they warm each other,” and carried him to the bed, covered him over, and lay down by him. After a short time, the dead man became warm too and began to move. Then the youth said, “See, little cousin, have I not warmed thee?” The dead man, however, got up and cried, “Now will I strangle thee.” – “What!” said he, “Is that the way thou thankest me? Thou shalt at once go into thy coffin again.” He took him up, threw him into it, and shut the lid. Then the six men came and carried him away again. “I cannot manage to shudder,” he said. “I shall never learn it here as long as I live.”
Then, a man entered who was taller than all the rest and looked terrible. He was old, however, and had a long white beard. “Thou wretch,” he cried. “Thou shalt soon learn what it is to shudder, for thou shalt die.” – “Not so fast,” replied the youth. “If I am to die, I shall have a say in it.” – “I will soon seize thee,” said the fiend. “Softly, softly, do not talk so big. I am as strong as thou art, and perhaps even stronger,” said the youth. – “We shall see,” said the old man. “If thou art stronger, I will let thee go – come, we will try.” Then he led him by dark passages to a smith’s forge, took an axe, and with one blow struck an anvil into the ground. “I can do better than that,” said the youth, and went to the other anvil. The old man placed himself near and wanted to look on, and his white beard hung down. Then the youth seized the axe, split the anvil with one blow, and struck the old man’s beard in with it. “Now I have thee,” said the youth. “Now it is thou who will have to die.” Then he seized an iron bar and beat the old man until he moaned and entreated him to stop, promising to give him great riches. The youth drew out the axe and let him go. The old man led him back into the castle and in a cellar showed him three chests full of gold. “Of these,” said he, “one part is for the poor, the other for the king, the third is thine.” In the meantime, it struck twelve, and the spirit disappeared; the youth was left in darkness. “I shall still be able to find my way out,” he said and felt about, found the way into the room, and slept there by his fire. The next morning, the King arrived and said, “Now thou must have learnt what shuddering is?” – “No,” he answered. “What can it be? My dead cousin was here, and a bearded man came and showed me a great deal of money down below, but no one told me what it was to shudder.” – “Then,” said the King, “thou hast delivered the castle and shall marry my daughter.” – “That is all very well,” said he, “but still, I do not know what it is to shudder.”
Then the gold was brought up, and the wedding celebrated. But no matter how much the young king loved his wife or how happy he was, he still said, “If I could but shudder – if I could but shudder.” And at last, she became angry. Her waiting-maid said, “I will find a cure for him; he shall soon learn what it is to shudder.” She went out to the stream that flowed through the garden and had a whole bucketful of gudgeons brought to her. At night, when the young king was sleeping, his wife was to draw the clothes off him and empty the bucketful of cold water with the gudgeons in it over him so that the little fishes would sprawl about him. When this was done, he woke up and cried, “Oh, what makes me shudder so? What makes me shudder so, dear wife? Ah! Now I know what it is to shudder!”
