Each kept watch in turn, sitting upon the highest oak-tree, and looking towards the tower. When eleven days had passed by, and it came to Benjamin’s turn, he perceived a flag hung out; but it was not the white but the red flag, which announced that they must all die. As the brothers heard this, they became very angry, and said, “Shall we suffer death on account of a maiden? Let us swear that we will avenge ourselves; wherever we find a maiden, her red blood shall flow.”
Thereupon they went deeper into the forest, and in the middle, where it was most gloomy, they found a little charmed cottage standing empty, and they said, “Here we will dwell, and you, Benjamin, as you are the youngest and the weakest, shall stop here, and keep house, while we go out to fetch meat.” So they set forth into the forest, and shot hares, wild fawns, birds, and pigeons, and what else they could find. These they brought home to Benjamin, who cooked them for them to appease their hunger. In this little cottage they lived ten years together, and the time passed very quickly.
The little daughter, whom their mother, the Queen, had borne, was now grown up; she had a kind heart, was very beautiful, and always wore a golden star upon her brow. Once, when there was a great wash, she saw twelve boys’ shirts hanging up, and she asked her mother, “To whom do these twelve shirts belong, for they are much too small for my father?” Then she answered with a heavy heart, “My dear child, they belong to your twelve brothers.” The maiden replied, “Where are my twelve brothers? I have never yet heard of them.” The Queen answered, “God only knows where they are; they have wandered into the wide world.” Then she took the maiden, and unlocking the room, showed her twelve coffins with the shavings and pillows. “These coffins,” said she, “were ordered for your brothers, but they went away secretly, before you were born;” and she told her how every thing had happened. Then the maiden said, “Do not cry, dear mother; I will go forth, and seek my brothers;” and taking the twelve shirts, she set out at once straight into the great forest. All day long she walked on and on, and in the evening she came to the charmed house, into which she stepped. There she found a young lad, who asked her, “Whence dost thou come, and whither goest thou?” and he stood astonished to see how beautiful she was, and at the queenly robes she wore, and the star upon her brow. Then she answered, “I am a King’s daughter, and am seeking my twelve brothers, and will go as far as heaven is blue until I find them;” and she showed him the twelve shirts which belonged to them. Benjamin perceived at once that it was his sister, and he said, “I am Benjamin, thy youngest brother.” At his words she began to weep for joy, and Benjamin wept also, and they kissed and embraced one another with the greatest affection. Presently he said, “Dear sister, there is one terrible condition we have agreed together, that every maiden whom we meet shall die, because we were obliged to leave our kingdom on account of a maiden.”
Then the maiden replied, “I will willingly die, if I can by that means release my twelve brothers.”
“No,” answered he, “thou shalt not die; hide thyself under this tub until our eleven brothers come home, with whom I shall then be united.” She did so; and, when night came, the others returned from hunting, and their dinner was made ready, and as they sat at the table, eating, they asked, “What is the news?” Benjamin said, “Do you not know?”
“No,” they answered. Then he spoke again. “You have been in the forest and I have stopped at home, yet I know more than you.”
“Tell us directly,” they exclaimed. He answered, “First promise me that you will not kill the first maiden who shall meet us.”
“Yes, we promise,” they exclaimed, “she shall have pardon; now tell us at once.” Then he said, “Our sister is here,” and, lifting up the tub, the King’s daughter came from beneath, looking most beautiful, delicate, and gentle in her royal robes, and with the golden star upon her brow. The sight gladdened them all, and, falling upon her neck, they kissed her, and loved her with all their hearts.
Now she stopped at home with Benjamin, and helped him in his work, while the eleven others went into the wood and caught wild animals, deer, birds, and pigeons, for their eating, which their sister and brother took care to make ready. The sister sought for wood for the fire, and for the vegetables which she dressed, and put the pots on the fire, so that their dinner was always ready when the eleven came home. She also kept order in the cottage, and covered the beds with beautiful white and clean sheets, and the brothers were always contented, and they all lived in great unity.
One day when the brother and sister had made ready a most excellent meal, and they were all assembled, they sat down and ate and drank, and were full of happiness. But there was a little garden belonging to the charmed house, in which stood twelve lilies (which are also called “student-lilies”) and the sister, thinking to give her twelve brothers a pleasure, broke off the twelve flowers, intending to give each of them one. But as she broke off the flowers at the same moment the twelve brothers were changed into twelve crows, and flew off into the forest, and at the same moment the house and garden both disappeared.
Thus the poor maiden was alone in the wild forest, and as she looked round an old woman stood near her, who said, “My child, what has thou done? Why didst thou not leave the twelve white flowers? They were thy brothers, who are now changed into crows.” Then the maiden asked with tears, “Is there no means of saving them?” “There is but one way in the whole world,” said the old woman, “but that is so difficult that thou canst not free them. Thou must be dumb for seven years, thou mayest not speak, nor laugh, and if thou speakest but a single word, even if it wants but one hour of the seven years, all will be in vain, and thy brothers will die at that single word.”
Then the maiden said in her heart, “I know for certain that I shall free my brothers;” and she went and sought a lofty tree, and, sitting upon it, she spun, and neither spoke nor laughed.
Now it happened once that a King was hunting in the forest, who had a large greyhound, which ran to the tree on which the maiden sat, and, springing round, barked furiously. So the King came up and saw the beautiful girl with the golden star upon her brow, and was so enchanted with her beauty, that he asked her if she would become his bride. To this she gave no answer, but slightly nodded with her head; so the King, mounting the tree himself, brought her down, and, placing her upon his horse, carried her home.
Then the wedding was celebrated with great pomp and joy, but the bride neither spoke nor laughed.
After they had lived contentedly together two years, the King’s mother, who was a wicked woman, began to slander the young Queen, and said to the King, “This is a common beggar girl whom you have brought home with you: who knows what impish tricks she practised at home? If she be dumb and not able to speak, she might still laugh once, but they who do not laugh have a bad conscience.” The King would not at first believe it, but the old woman persisted in it so long, and accused the Queen of so many wicked things, that the King at last let himself be persuaded, and she was condemned to die.
Now, a great fire was kindled in the courtyard, in which she was to be burnt; and the King, standing above at a window, looked on with tearful eyes, because he still loved her so much. And now she was bound to the stake, and the fire began to lick her clothing with its red tongues;—and just at that time the last moment of the seven years expired. Then a whirring was heard in the air, and twelve crows came flying by, and sank down to the earth, and as they alighted on the ground they became her twelve brothers whom she had freed. They tore away the fire from around her, and extinguishing the flames, set their sister free, and kissed and embraced her. And now, as she could open her mouth and speak, she told the King why she was dumb, and why she never laughed.
And the King was highly pleased when he heard she was innocent, and they all lived together in great happiness to the end of their lives.
The Little Brother and Sister
There was once a little Brother who took his Sister by the hand, and said, “Since our own dear mother’s death we have not had one happy hour; our stepmother beats us every day, and, if we come near her, kicks us away with her foot. Our food is the hard crusts of bread which are left, and even the dog under the table fares better than we, for he often gets a nice morsel. Come, let us wander forth into the wide world.” So the whole day long they travelled over meadows, fields, and stones, and when it rained the Sister said, “It is Heaven crying with our hearts.” By evening they came into a large forest, and were so wearied with grief, hunger, and their long walk, that they laid themselves down in a hollow tree, and went to sleep.
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