This Fairy tale story is from Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (The Brothers Grimm), Household Tales, translated by - Margaret Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884)
The Wonderful Musician
Then he took his violin from his back and played so that it echoed through the trees. It was not long before a wolf came running through the bush towards him. "Ah, here is a wolf coming! I have no desire for him!" said the musician.
But the wolf came nearer and said to him, "Ah, dear musician, how beautifully you played the music! I should like to learn that, too."
"It is soon learnt," the musician replied, "you have only to do all that I bid you."
"Oh, musician," said the wolf, "I will obey you as a scholar obeys his master."
The musician bade him follow, and when they had gone part of the way together, they came to an old oak-tree which was hollow inside, and cleft in the middle.
"Look," said the musician, "if you want learn to violin, put your fore paws into this crevice." The wolf obeyed, but the musician quickly picked up a stone and with one blow wedged his two paws so fast that he was forced to stay there like a prisoner.
"Stay there until I come back again," said the musician, and went his way.
After a while he again said to himself, "Time is beginning to pass heavily with me here in the forest, I will fetch here another companion," and took his violin and again played in the forest.
It was not long before a fox came creeping through the trees towards him. "Ah, there is a fox coming! I have no desire for him.” said the musician.
The fox came up to the musician and said, "Oh, dear musician, how beautifully you did play! I should like to learn that too."
"That is soon learnt," said the musician. "You have only to do everything that I bid you."
"Oh, musician," then said the fox, "I will obey you as a scholar obeys his master."
"Follow me," said the musician; and when they had walked a part of the way, they came to a footpath, with high bushes on both sides of it. There the musician stood still, and from one side bent a young hazel-bush down to the ground, and put his foot on the top of it, then he bent down a young tree from the other side as well, and said, "Now, little fox, if you want to learn something, give me your left front paw."
The fox obeyed, and the musician fastened his paw to the left branch. "Little fox," said he, "now reach me your right paw," and he tied it to the right branch. Then he had examined whether they were firm enough, he let go, and the bushes sprang up again, and jerked up the little fox, so that it hung struggling in the air. "Wait there till I come back again," said the musician, and went his way.
"Ah, dear musician," said the rabbit, "how beautifully you played your violin; I, too, should like to learn that."
"That is soon learnt," said the musician, "you have only to do everything that I bid you."
"Oh, musician," replied the little rabbit, "I will obey thee as a scholar obeys his master."
They went a part of the way together until they came to an open space in the forest, where stood an aspen-tree. The musician tied a long string round the little rabbit's neck, the other end of which he fixed to the tree. "Now the little rabbit, run twenty times round the tree!" cried the musician, and the little rabbit obeyed. When the little rabbit had run round twenty times, it had twisted the string twenty times round the stem of the tree, and the little rabbit was caught, and let it pull it liked, it only made the string cut into its soft neck. "Wait there till I come back," said the musician, and went onwards.
The wolf drew down the little tree, bit the cord in two, and freed the fox. Then they went with him to take revenge on the musician. They found the tied-up rabbit, whom likewise they delivered, and then they all sought the enemy together.
The musician had once more played his violin as he went on his way, and this time he had been more fortunate. The sound reached the ears of a poor wood-cutter, who instantly gave up his work and came with his axe under his arm to listen to the music.
"At last comes the right friend," said the musician, "for I was seeking a human being, and no wild beast." And he began and played so beautifully and pleasantly that the poor man stood there as if enamored, and his heart bounded with gladness. And as he thus stood, the wolf, the fox, and the rabbit came up. The wood-cutter saw them well and that they had some evil plan. So he raised his glittering axe and placed himself before the musician, as if to say, "Whoso wishes to touch him let him beware, for he will have to do with me!" Then the beasts were terrified and ran back into the forest. The musician then played once more to the man out of gratitude and then went onwards.
The Wonderful Musician
Fairy tale by The Brothers Grimm
Once there was a wonderful musician, who went quite alone through a forest. He thought of all manner of things, and when nothing was left for him to think about, he said to himself, "Time is beginning to pass heavily with me here in the forest, I will fetch here good companion for myself."
Then he took his violin from his back and played so that it echoed through the trees. It was not long before a wolf came running through the bush towards him. "Ah, here is a wolf coming! I have no desire for him!" said the musician.
But the wolf came nearer and said to him, "Ah, dear musician, how beautifully you played the music! I should like to learn that, too."
"It is soon learnt," the musician replied, "you have only to do all that I bid you."
"Oh, musician," said the wolf, "I will obey you as a scholar obeys his master."
The musician bade him follow, and when they had gone part of the way together, they came to an old oak-tree which was hollow inside, and cleft in the middle.
"Look," said the musician, "if you want learn to violin, put your fore paws into this crevice." The wolf obeyed, but the musician quickly picked up a stone and with one blow wedged his two paws so fast that he was forced to stay there like a prisoner.
"Stay there until I come back again," said the musician, and went his way.
After a while he again said to himself, "Time is beginning to pass heavily with me here in the forest, I will fetch here another companion," and took his violin and again played in the forest.
It was not long before a fox came creeping through the trees towards him. "Ah, there is a fox coming! I have no desire for him.” said the musician.
The fox came up to the musician and said, "Oh, dear musician, how beautifully you did play! I should like to learn that too."
"That is soon learnt," said the musician. "You have only to do everything that I bid you."
"Oh, musician," then said the fox, "I will obey you as a scholar obeys his master."
The fox obeyed, and the musician fastened his paw to the left branch. "Little fox," said he, "now reach me your right paw," and he tied it to the right branch. Then he had examined whether they were firm enough, he let go, and the bushes sprang up again, and jerked up the little fox, so that it hung struggling in the air. "Wait there till I come back again," said the musician, and went his way.
Again he said to himself, "Time is beginning to pass heavily with me here in the forest, I will fetch here another companion," so he took his violin, and the sound echoed through the forest. Then a little rabbit came springing towards him. "Why, a rabbit is coming," said the musician, "I do not want him."
"Ah, dear musician," said the rabbit, "how beautifully you played your violin; I, too, should like to learn that."
"That is soon learnt," said the musician, "you have only to do everything that I bid you."
"Oh, musician," replied the little rabbit, "I will obey thee as a scholar obeys his master."
They went a part of the way together until they came to an open space in the forest, where stood an aspen-tree. The musician tied a long string round the little rabbit's neck, the other end of which he fixed to the tree. "Now the little rabbit, run twenty times round the tree!" cried the musician, and the little rabbit obeyed. When the little rabbit had run round twenty times, it had twisted the string twenty times round the stem of the tree, and the little rabbit was caught, and let it pull it liked, it only made the string cut into its soft neck. "Wait there till I come back," said the musician, and went onwards.
In the meantime, the wolf had pushed and pulled and bitten at the stone, and had worked so long that he had set his feet at liberty and had drawn them once more out of the cleft. Full of anger and rage he hurried after the musician and wanted to split him to pieces. When the fox saw the wolf running, he began to express grief and cried with all his might, "Brother wolf, come to my help, the musician has betrayed me!"
The wolf drew down the little tree, bit the cord in two, and freed the fox. Then they went with him to take revenge on the musician. They found the tied-up rabbit, whom likewise they delivered, and then they all sought the enemy together.
The musician had once more played his violin as he went on his way, and this time he had been more fortunate. The sound reached the ears of a poor wood-cutter, who instantly gave up his work and came with his axe under his arm to listen to the music.
"At last comes the right friend," said the musician, "for I was seeking a human being, and no wild beast." And he began and played so beautifully and pleasantly that the poor man stood there as if enamored, and his heart bounded with gladness. And as he thus stood, the wolf, the fox, and the rabbit came up. The wood-cutter saw them well and that they had some evil plan. So he raised his glittering axe and placed himself before the musician, as if to say, "Whoso wishes to touch him let him beware, for he will have to do with me!" Then the beasts were terrified and ran back into the forest. The musician then played once more to the man out of gratitude and then went onwards.
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