Selected Tales

Introduction by David Luke
Translated by David Luke
Selected Tales contains some of the most timeless and enchanting folk and fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, translated with an introduction by David Luke

These folktales collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are among the most memorable stories in European culture - conjuring up a world of spells and bewitchment, outwitted villains and cruel stepmothers, animal bridegrooms and enchanted princesses. Tales such as 'Hansel and Gretel', 'Little Red Cape' and 'The Robber Bridegroom' depict the dangers lurking in dark forests, and others, including 'Briar-Rose' and 'Snow White' show young beauties punished by unforgiving sorceresses. Other tales include 'Thickasathumb', which portrays a childless young couple whose wish for a baby is granted in an unexpected way, while 'The Frog King' tells of a rash promise made by a haughty princess to share her bed with a frog, and a fortune is won in 'The Blue Lamp', when a soldier gains a kingdom with the help of a magic lamp. David Luke's vibrant translation is accompanied by an introduction discussing the key themes of the tales and the literary background of the Brothers Grimm. 

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
Translated with an Introduction and Notes by David Luke

Introduction
1. The Fisher an His Gweedwife
2. Rumplestiltskin
3. Hansel and Gretel
4. Little Redcape
5. Rapunzel
6. Briar Rose
7. Snowwhite
8. The Jeniper Tree
9. Little Brother and Little Sister
10. The Three Little Men in the Forest
11. Mother Snowbed
12. The Three Birdies
13. The Twelve Brothers
14. The Seven Ravens
15. The Six Swans
16. The Two Brothers
17. The Master Huntsman
18. The Water of Life
19. The Golden Bird
20. The Dwarfie
21. Jack the Strong Man
22. The Six Who Went Far in the World
23. The Six Servants
24. The Sea-Rabbit
25. The Worn-out Dancing-shoes
26. The Devil's Three Golden Hairs
27. The Griffin
28. The Three Snake-leaves
29. Faithful John
30. One-eye, Two-eyes and Three-eyes
31. Ashiepattle
32. Manypelts
33. The Rightful Bride
34. The Iron Stove
35. The Twa Royal Bairnies
36. The Goosegirl
37. Jack of Iron
38. The Frog King, or Iron Harry
39. The Young Donkey
40. Jack My Hedgehog
41. The Magic Table, the Gold-donkey, and the Cudgel in the Sack
42. The Knapsack, the Hat and the Horn
43. The Blue Lamp
44. The Salad-donkey
45. The Three Brothers
46. The Four Skilful Brothers
47. The Young Giant
48. Thickasathumb
49. Bearskin
50. The Devil and His Grandmother
51. The King of the Golden Mountain
52. The Prince Afraid of Nothing
53. The Crystal Ball
54. Auld Rinkie
55. Jorinda and Joringle
56. The Nixie in the Pond
57. Fetcher's Fowl
58. The Robber Bridegroom
59. The Bremen Town Band
60. Clever Elsie
61. Lazy Harry
62. The Three Army-surgeons
63. The Clever Little Tailor
64. Bumpkin
65. Owld Peadair

Notes
Glossary of Scots Words

Jacob Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859) were born in Hanau, Germany. They both studied at Marburg, and from 1808 to 1829 mainly worked in Kassel as state-appointed librarians. Both brothers had been professors at Göttingen for several years when, in 1837, they became two of the seven leading Göttingen academics dismissed from their posts by the new king of Hanover for their liberal political views. In 1840, they were invited by King Frederick William IV of Prussia to settle in Berlin as members of the Academy of Sciences, and here they remained until their deaths. Jacob, one of Germany’s greatest scholars, is justly regarded as the founder of the scientific study of the German language and medieval German literature. His most monumental achievements were the Deutsche Grammatik (1819–1837) and, with his brother's assistance, the initiation of the great Deutsches Wörterbuch, the many volumes of which were not completed by later scholars until 1961, and which has become the equivalent of the Oxford English Dictionary. Between them, and often in collaboration, the Grimms were reponsible for pioneering work on medieval texts, the heroic epic, legends, and mythology; as well as for many other contributions to the study of ancient German culture. One of their most remarkable publications was the Kinder- und Hausmärchen (1812, with many subsequent editions), which remains to this day the most famous collection of folktales in the world. View titles by Brothers Grimm
Jacob (Ludwig Carl) Grimm was born in Hanau, Germany in 1785. His father, who was educated in law and served as a town clerk, died when Jacob was young. His mother Dorothea struggled to pay the education of the children. With financial help of Dorothea's sister, Jacob and his brother Wilhelm were sent to Kasel to attend the Lyzeum. Jacob then studied law at Marburg. He worked from 1816 to 1829 as a librarian at Kasel, where his brother served as a secretary. Between 1821 and 1822 the brothers raised extra money by collecting three volumes of folktales, which became the well-known Grimm's Fairy Tales. The Grimms made major contributions in many fields, notably in the studies of heroic myth and the ancient religion and law. They worked very closely, even after Wilhelm married in 1825. Jacob remained unmarried and died four years after Wilhelm, on September 20, 1863. View titles by Jacob Grimm

About

Selected Tales contains some of the most timeless and enchanting folk and fairy tales collected by the Brothers Grimm, translated with an introduction by David Luke

These folktales collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are among the most memorable stories in European culture - conjuring up a world of spells and bewitchment, outwitted villains and cruel stepmothers, animal bridegrooms and enchanted princesses. Tales such as 'Hansel and Gretel', 'Little Red Cape' and 'The Robber Bridegroom' depict the dangers lurking in dark forests, and others, including 'Briar-Rose' and 'Snow White' show young beauties punished by unforgiving sorceresses. Other tales include 'Thickasathumb', which portrays a childless young couple whose wish for a baby is granted in an unexpected way, while 'The Frog King' tells of a rash promise made by a haughty princess to share her bed with a frog, and a fortune is won in 'The Blue Lamp', when a soldier gains a kingdom with the help of a magic lamp. David Luke's vibrant translation is accompanied by an introduction discussing the key themes of the tales and the literary background of the Brothers Grimm. 

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Table of Contents

Translated with an Introduction and Notes by David Luke

Introduction
1. The Fisher an His Gweedwife
2. Rumplestiltskin
3. Hansel and Gretel
4. Little Redcape
5. Rapunzel
6. Briar Rose
7. Snowwhite
8. The Jeniper Tree
9. Little Brother and Little Sister
10. The Three Little Men in the Forest
11. Mother Snowbed
12. The Three Birdies
13. The Twelve Brothers
14. The Seven Ravens
15. The Six Swans
16. The Two Brothers
17. The Master Huntsman
18. The Water of Life
19. The Golden Bird
20. The Dwarfie
21. Jack the Strong Man
22. The Six Who Went Far in the World
23. The Six Servants
24. The Sea-Rabbit
25. The Worn-out Dancing-shoes
26. The Devil's Three Golden Hairs
27. The Griffin
28. The Three Snake-leaves
29. Faithful John
30. One-eye, Two-eyes and Three-eyes
31. Ashiepattle
32. Manypelts
33. The Rightful Bride
34. The Iron Stove
35. The Twa Royal Bairnies
36. The Goosegirl
37. Jack of Iron
38. The Frog King, or Iron Harry
39. The Young Donkey
40. Jack My Hedgehog
41. The Magic Table, the Gold-donkey, and the Cudgel in the Sack
42. The Knapsack, the Hat and the Horn
43. The Blue Lamp
44. The Salad-donkey
45. The Three Brothers
46. The Four Skilful Brothers
47. The Young Giant
48. Thickasathumb
49. Bearskin
50. The Devil and His Grandmother
51. The King of the Golden Mountain
52. The Prince Afraid of Nothing
53. The Crystal Ball
54. Auld Rinkie
55. Jorinda and Joringle
56. The Nixie in the Pond
57. Fetcher's Fowl
58. The Robber Bridegroom
59. The Bremen Town Band
60. Clever Elsie
61. Lazy Harry
62. The Three Army-surgeons
63. The Clever Little Tailor
64. Bumpkin
65. Owld Peadair

Notes
Glossary of Scots Words

Author

Jacob Grimm (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859) were born in Hanau, Germany. They both studied at Marburg, and from 1808 to 1829 mainly worked in Kassel as state-appointed librarians. Both brothers had been professors at Göttingen for several years when, in 1837, they became two of the seven leading Göttingen academics dismissed from their posts by the new king of Hanover for their liberal political views. In 1840, they were invited by King Frederick William IV of Prussia to settle in Berlin as members of the Academy of Sciences, and here they remained until their deaths. Jacob, one of Germany’s greatest scholars, is justly regarded as the founder of the scientific study of the German language and medieval German literature. His most monumental achievements were the Deutsche Grammatik (1819–1837) and, with his brother's assistance, the initiation of the great Deutsches Wörterbuch, the many volumes of which were not completed by later scholars until 1961, and which has become the equivalent of the Oxford English Dictionary. Between them, and often in collaboration, the Grimms were reponsible for pioneering work on medieval texts, the heroic epic, legends, and mythology; as well as for many other contributions to the study of ancient German culture. One of their most remarkable publications was the Kinder- und Hausmärchen (1812, with many subsequent editions), which remains to this day the most famous collection of folktales in the world. View titles by Brothers Grimm
Jacob (Ludwig Carl) Grimm was born in Hanau, Germany in 1785. His father, who was educated in law and served as a town clerk, died when Jacob was young. His mother Dorothea struggled to pay the education of the children. With financial help of Dorothea's sister, Jacob and his brother Wilhelm were sent to Kasel to attend the Lyzeum. Jacob then studied law at Marburg. He worked from 1816 to 1829 as a librarian at Kasel, where his brother served as a secretary. Between 1821 and 1822 the brothers raised extra money by collecting three volumes of folktales, which became the well-known Grimm's Fairy Tales. The Grimms made major contributions in many fields, notably in the studies of heroic myth and the ancient religion and law. They worked very closely, even after Wilhelm married in 1825. Jacob remained unmarried and died four years after Wilhelm, on September 20, 1863. View titles by Jacob Grimm

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