[Note: this is not a tale as ever actually found anywhere in German oral tradition; it is, rather, a merger of two separate tales, one of unspecified Hessian provenance and the other from the vicinity of Paderborn. The second was not even recorded in writing except as a synopsis after-the-fact of a story that Wilhelm Grimm had heard told orally by a narrator of unknown identity at Bökendorf on 25 July 1813. First published as no. 11 in the edition of 1815, this composite tale was renumbered 97 in the 1819 edition. About the Grimm Collection.]
There was once a king who fell ill, and no one thought that he would survive. His three sons, however, were greatly distressed by this, went down into the palace garden, and wept. There they met an old man who asked what was troubling them. They told him that their father was so ill that he’d probably die, because nothing was doing him any good. “I know one remedy,” said the old man, “it’s the Water of Life; if he drinks some of it, he’ll get well again, but it’s hard to find.” “I’ll surely find it,” said the eldest son. He went to the sick king and begged him to let him set out in search of the Water of Life, for it alone could cure him. “No,” said the king, “it’s too dangerous a task, I’d rather die.” But the son begged so long that the king finally assented. In his heart the prince thought, “If I bring the Water, I’ll be my father’s favorite and inherit the kingdom.”
So he set out, and when he’d been riding for a time, there was a dwarf standing by the road who called out to him, saying, “Where are you going in such a hurry?” “Stupid little shrimp,” said the prince quite arrogantly, “that’s none of your business!” and rode on. The little dwarf had, however, got angry and had made a bad wish. Soon after, the prince got into a mountain gorge and the farther he rode, the more the mountains closed in, and finally the way got so narrow that he couldn’t go on another step. It was impossible to turn the horse about or to get out of the saddle, and he sat there as if imprisoned. The sick king waited a long time for him, but he didn’t come. Then the second son said, “Father, let me set out and search for the Water,” thinking to himself, “If my brother’s dead, the kingdom will fall to me.” At first the king was unwilling to let him go either but finally gave in. Accordingly, the prince set out on the same route his brother had taken and likewise met the dwarf, who stopped him and asked where he was going in such a hurry. “Little shrimp,” said the prince, “that’s none of your business!” and without further ado rode on. However, the dwarf put a curse on him, and like his brother, he got into a mountain gorge and could go neither forward nor back. But that’s what happens to arrogant people!
When the second son also failed to come back, the youngest offered to set out and fetch the Water, and in the end the king had to let him go. When he met the dwarf and the latter asked where he was going in such a hurry, he stopped, talked to him, and answering his question, said, “I’m looking for the Water of Life, for my father is mortally ill.” “Do you happen to know where it’s to be found?” “No,” said the prince. “Because you’ve behaved properly, not arrogantly like your brothers, I’ll give you the information and tell you how you can get the Water of Life. It gushes from a spring in the courtyard of an enchanted castle, but you won’t make your way inside unless I give you an iron rod and two little loaves of bread. Strike three times with the rod on the iron gate of the castle, then it will fly open; inside will be lying two lions with wide open jaws. If, however, you toss a loaf to each, they’ll quiet down. Then hurry and fetch some of the Water of Life before it strikes twelve, otherwise the gate will slam to again and you’ll be shut in.”
The prince thanked him, took the rod and the bread, and set out. When he got there, everything was as the dwarf had said. The gate flew open at the third blow of the rod, and when he had pacified the lions with the bread, he entered the castle and came into a large and handsome hall. In this hall were sitting enchanted princes, from whose fingers he drew the rings. A sword and a loaf of bread were also lying there; these he took with him. Then he got into a room where a beautiful maiden was standing. She rejoiced when she saw him, kissed him, and said he’d disenchanted her and that he should have her whole kingdom, and if he’d come back in a year, they would celebrate their wedding. Then she further told him where the spring with the Water of Life was, but he’d have to hurry and draw the Water before it struck twelve. Then he went farther and at last came to a room where there was a beautiful freshly made bed, and because he was tired, he thought he’d first take a little rest. So he lay down and fell asleep. When he awoke, it was striking quarter to twelve. Then quite frightened he jumped up, ran to the spring, drew water from it with a tumbler that was beside it, and hurried out. Just as he was going out the iron gate, it struck twelve and the gate slammed so hard that it even took off a bit of his heel.
He was happy, however, to have got the Water of Life, set out toward home and again passed the dwarf. When the latter saw the sword and the bread, he said, “With these objects you’ve acquired something very valuable: with the sword you can slay whole armies, while the bread will never be used up.” The prince didn’t want to go home to his father without his brothers and said, “Dear dwarf, can’t you tell me where my two brothers are? They set out for the Water of Life ahead of me and haven’t come back.” “They’re shut in between two mountains,” said the dwarf; “I cast a spell on them and set them there because they were so arrogant.” Then the prince entreated the dwarf until he released them, but the latter warned him, saying, “Be on your guard against them, they’re evil-hearted.”
When his brothers arrived, he was happy and told them how he had fared, that he’d found the Water of Life and had brought along a tumbler full and he’d disenchanted a beautiful princess; she was willing to wait a whole year for him, and then their wedding would take place and he’d get the kingdom. After that they rode on together and came to a country where there was famine and war, and the king really believed he was doomed to die, so dire was the distress. Then the prince went to him and gave him the bread with which he fed and satisfied his whole kingdom. Then the prince gave him the sword, too, and with that he defeated the armies of his foes and was at last able to live in peace and quiet. Then the prince took back his bread and sword, and the three brothers rode on. They came to two more countries where famine and war prevailed, and each time the prince gave the king his bread and sword, and by now had saved three kingdoms. After that they boarded a ship and journeyed overseas. On the voyage the two eldest said to one another, “It’s the youngest who found the Water of Life, not we; in return for this our father will give him the kingdom that’s ours by right, and he’ll deprive us of our good fortune.” Then they plotted vengeance and between them planned to ruin him. They waited till once when he was fast asleep; then they poured the Water of Life out of the tumbler, took that water for themselves, and poured bitter salt water into his tumbler.
When at last they reached home, the youngest brought the sick king his tumbler so that he might drink and get well, but no sooner had he drunk a little of the bitter salt water than he got sicker than ever. When he complained of this, the two eldest sons came and accused the youngest of wanting to poison him, saying that they’d brought him the true Water of Life and handed it to him. No sooner had he drunk some of it than he felt his illness vanish and he became as strong and well as in the days of his youth. Then the two went to the youngest and mocked him, saying, “To be sure, you found the Water of Life, but you had the trouble and we the reward. You ought to have been smarter and kept your eyes open; we took it from you while you were asleep at sea, and when the year is up one of us will fetch the beautiful king’s daughter for himself. But watch out that you don’t betray us. Father won’t believe you anyway, and if you breathe a single word, you’ll lose your life in the bargain. If, however, you keep quiet, we’ll let you live.”
The old king was angry at his youngest son and believed that he had designs on his life. Accordingly, he had the court assembled to pass a verdict against him that he should be secretly shot. Sometime when the prince went out hunting and suspected no harm, the king’s huntsman was to accompany him. So it happened that when the two of them were all alone out there in the forest and the huntsman was looking very sad, the prince said to him, “Dear huntsman, what’s the matter with you?” “I can’t tell you,” said the huntsman, “and yet I ought to.” Then the prince said, “Speak up and say what it is; I’ll pardon you for it.” “Alas!” said the huntsman, “I’m to shoot you; the king ordered me to.” Then the prince was frightened and said, “Dear huntsman, let me live. I’ll give you my royal clothes, you give me your poor ones in exchange.” “I’ll do that gladly,” said the huntsman, “I couldn’t have shot at you anyway.” Then they changed clothes, and the huntsman went home. The prince, however, went deeper into the forest.
After a time three carriages came to the old king, laden with gold and jewels for his youngest son. They’d been sent by the three kings who had defeated their foes with the prince’s sword and had fed their countries with his bread and now wanted to show their gratitude. Then the old king thought, “Could my son have been innocent?” and said to his retainers, “If only he were still alive! It grieves me so that I had him killed.” “He is still alive,” said the huntsman, “I didn’t have the heart to carry out your command,” and told the king how it had gone. Then a great weight fell from the king’s heart, and in every kingdom he had it proclaimed that his son might return and that he would be received into favor.
Before her palace the king’s daughter had built a driveway that was all gold and glittering and told her people that whoever came riding to her straight up the road would be the right man and that they were to admit him. But whoever rode up off to the side of the road would not be the right man and that they were not to admit him. When the time was nearly up, the eldest son thought he’d hurry and go to the king’s daughter and present himself as her redeemer: then he’d get her as his wife and the kingdom as well. Accordingly, he rode off, and when he got near the palace and saw the beautiful gold driveway, he thought, “It would be a crying shame to ride on it,” turned off the road to the side on the right. But when he got outside the gate, the people told him he wasn’t the right man and to go away again. Shortly thereafter the second prince set out, and when he came to the gold driveway and the horse had set one foot down on it, he thought, “It would be a crying shame, it might wear some of it away,” turned off it and rode to the side on the left. But when he got outside the gate, the people said he wasn’t the right man and to go away again.
When the year was quite up, the third prince wanted to ride out of the forest and away to his beloved and forget his grief in her company. Accordingly, he set out and kept thinking of her and wishing he was already with her and didn’t notice the gold driveway at all. Then his horse went right up the middle of it, and when he got outside the gate, it was opened, and the king’s daughter received him joyfully and said he was her redeemer and lord of the kingdom. And the wedding was celebrated with great happiness. When it was over, she told him that his father had summoned him to him and had pardoned him. Then he rode home and told the old king everything, how his brothers had deceived him and that he had nonetheless kept quiet about it. The old king was going to punish them, but they’d put to sea and sailed away and didn’t come back as long as they lived.