Seven Ravens

Once upon a time there was, far away amid high mountains, a green valley. The
valley was crossed by a clear stream and an ordinary woodsman had built his stone house
on its shore. The woodsman often had to travel from home to work come rain or shine. He
had seven sons, and still he had no daughter, however much he wished for one. At length
his wife again gave him hope of a child, and when it came into the world it was a girl. 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 in 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 it, 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 have certainly forgotten it for some game, the wicked boys!" He became afraid that
the girl would have to die without being baptized, and in his anger cried, "I wish the boys
were all turned into ravens." Hardly was the word spoken before he heard a whirring of
wings over his head in the air, looked up and saw seven coal-black ravens flying away.
The parents could not recall the curse, and however sad they were at the loss of
their seven sons, 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
before her, but one day 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." Then 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 become of them?
The parents now dared keep the secret no longer, but said that what had befallen her
brothers was the will of Heaven, and that her birth had only been the innocent cause. But
the maiden took it to heart daily, and thought she must deliver her brothers. She had no
rest or peace until she set out secretly, and went forth into the wide world to trace out her
brothers and set them free, let it cost what it might. She took nothing with her but a little
ring belonging to her parents as a keepsake, a loaf of bread against hunger, a little pitcher of
water against thirst, and a little chair as a provision against weariness.
And now she 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, and also awful and malicious, and
when it saw the child, it said, "I smell, I smell the flesh of men." On 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
particular little chair. But the morning star arose, and gave her the drumstick of a chicken,
and said, "If you thou hast not that drumstick thou canst not open the Glass mountain, and
in the Glass mountain are thy brothers."
The maiden took the drumstick, wrapped it carefully in a cloth, and went onwards
again until she came to the Glass mountain. The door was shut, and she thought she would
take out the drumstick; 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 took a knife, cut off one of her little fingers,
put it in the door, and succeeded in opening it. When she had gone inside, a 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." Thereupon 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. Then 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 grant that our sister may be here, and then we shall be free." When the
maiden, who was standing behind the door watching, heard that wish, she came forth, and
on this all the ravens were restored to their human form again. And they embraced and
hugged each other, and went joyfully home.