The Buckwheat
by Hans Christian Andersen · from Collected Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Have you seen black buckwheat fields? After a storm, they look burned. Do you know why? A Little Sparrow told me. It heard it from the Wise Willow.
The Wise Willow stood by a field. Humble Corn grew there. The corn bent low.
The Proud Buckwheat stood tall. It did not bend its head. "I am beautiful," it said. "My flowers are like apple blooms. Everyone likes to see me."
The Proud Buckwheat looked at the willow. "You are old and silly," it said. "You are not pretty."
A big storm came. The sky turned dark. All flowers bowed their heads. Humble Corn bent down low.
"Bend your head!" said the flowers. "Bend down!" cried Humble Corn. But Proud Buckwheat stood tall. "I will not bend," it said.
The Wise Willow spoke. "Close your flowers," it said. "Bend your leaves. Lightning is very bright. It can hurt your eyes. Do not look at the sky."
Proud Buckwheat did not listen. "I am not weak!" it said. It looked up at the sky. Lightning flashed very brightly.
The lightning hit Proud Buckwheat. It burned it black. Proud Buckwheat fell down.
The storm went away. The sun came out. Flowers stood up. Humble Corn stood up. Proud Buckwheat lay black.
The Wise Willow moved its branches. Drops fell like tears. Little Sparrow flew near. "Why are you sad?" it asked.
The Wise Willow told the story. "Proud Buckwheat was too proud. It did not listen. It did not bend its head. So, it was punished."
Little Sparrow told me this story. It is good to listen. It is good to be humble. Do not be too proud.
Original Story
The buckwheat
A fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen
Very often, after a violent thunder-storm, a field of buckwheat appears blackened and singed, as if a flame of fir had passed over it. The country people say that this appearance is caused by lightning; but I will tell you what th sparrow says, and the sparrow heard it from an old willow-tree which grew near a field of buckwheat, and is ther still. It is a large venerable tree, though a little crippled by age. The trunk has been split, and out of the crevic grass and brambles grow. The tree bends for-ward slightly, and the branches hang quite down to the ground jus like green hair
Corn grows in the surrounding fields, not only rye and barley, but oats,– pretty oats that, when ripe, look like a number of little golden canary-birds sitting on a bough. The corn has a smiling look and the heaviest and richest ears bend their heads low as if in pious humility.
Once there was also a field of buckwheat, and this field was exactly opposite to old willow-tree. The buckwheat did not bend like the other grain, but erected its head proudly and stiffly on the stem.
"I am as valuable as any other corn," said he, "and I am much handsomer; my flowers are as beautiful as the bloom of the apple blossom, and it is a pleasure to look at us. Do you know of anything prettier than we are, you old willow-tree?"
And the willow-tree nodded his head, as if he would say, "Indeed I do." But the buckwheat spread itself out with pride, and said, "Stupid tree; he is so old that grass grows out of his body."
There arose a very terrible storm. All the field-flowers folded their leaves together, or bowed their little heads, while the storm passed over them, but the buckwheat stood erect in its pride.
"Bend your head as we do," said the flowers.
"I have no occasion to do so," replied the buckwheat.
"Bend your head as we do," cried the ears of corn; "the angel of the storm is coming; his wings spread from the sky above to the earth beneath. He will strike you down before you can cry for mercy."
"But I will not bend my head," said the buckwheat.
"Close your flowers and bend your leaves," said the old willow-tree. "Do not look at the lightning when the cloud bursts; even men cannot do that. In a flash of lightning heaven opens, and we can look in; but the sight will strike even human beings blind. What then must happen to us, who only grow out of the earth, and are so inferior to them, if we venture to do so?"
"Inferior, indeed!" said the buckwheat. "Now I intend to have a peep into heaven." Proudly and boldly he looked up, while the lightning flashed across the sky as if the whole world were in flames.
When the dreadful storm had passed, the flowers and the corn raised their drooping heads in the pure still air, refreshed by the rain, but the buckwheat lay like a weed in the field, burnt to blackness by the lightning.
The branches of the old willow-tree rustled in the wind, and large water-drops fell from his green leaves as if the old willow were weeping. Then the sparrows asked why he was weeping, when all around him seemed so cheerful. "See," they said, "how the sun shines, and the clouds float in the blue sky. Do you not smell the sweet perfume from flower and bush? Wherefore do you weep, old willow-tree?"
Then the willow told them of the haughty pride of the buckwheat, and of the punishment which followed in consequence. This is the story told me by the sparrows one evening when I begged them to relate some tale to me.
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Story DNA
Moral
Excessive pride and refusal to heed warnings can lead to destruction.
Plot Summary
A proud buckwheat plant refuses to bow its head during a violent thunderstorm, unlike the humble corn and flowers. Despite warnings from an old, wise willow tree about the dangers of looking at lightning and the power of the storm, the buckwheat defiantly looks up. Consequently, it is struck by lightning and burned to blackness, while the other plants recover. The old willow weeps for the buckwheat's fate and later recounts the tale of its arrogance and destruction to sparrows, who then share the moral with the narrator.
Themes
Emotional Arc
arrogance to destruction
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Hans Christian Andersen's tales often drew on European folklore and moral traditions, frequently personifying natural elements to convey ethical lessons.
Plot Beats (13)
- The narrator introduces the common sight of blackened buckwheat fields after storms and promises a true explanation from a sparrow, who heard it from an old willow tree.
- The old willow tree, ancient and wise, stands near a field of buckwheat, surrounded by humble, bending corn.
- The buckwheat stands stiffly and proudly, boasting of its beauty and value, comparing itself favorably to apple blossoms.
- The buckwheat dismisses the old willow as 'stupid' and decrepit for having grass growing from its trunk.
- A terrible storm arises, causing all other field-flowers and corn to fold their leaves and bow their heads.
- The flowers and corn warn the buckwheat to bend, but it refuses, asserting it has no need to.
- The old willow tree advises the buckwheat to close its flowers and bend its leaves, explaining that even humans cannot look at lightning without harm, and that looking into heaven during a flash is dangerous.
- The buckwheat scoffs at being 'inferior' and defiantly looks up at the sky, intending to 'peep into heaven' as lightning flashes.
- The lightning strikes the buckwheat, burning it black.
- After the storm, the other plants revive, refreshed by the rain, but the buckwheat lies destroyed.
- The old willow tree rustles, appearing to weep, and sparrows ask why it is sad amidst the renewed cheer.
- The willow explains to the sparrows the story of the buckwheat's haughty pride and its subsequent punishment.
- The narrator concludes by stating this is the story the sparrows told them.
Characters
The Buckwheat
Tall, stiff stalks with beautiful flowers
Proud, arrogant, stubborn
Old Willow-Tree
Large, venerable, crippled, split trunk with grass growing out of it
Wise, gentle, sorrowful
Sparrow
Small bird
Curious, observant
Ears of Corn
Heavy, rich ears
Humble, pious, cautionary
Locations
Buckwheat Field
A field of buckwheat standing stiff and erect, flowers as beautiful as apple blossoms
Mood: Initially proud and defiant, later desolate and destroyed
The buckwheat is struck by lightning and destroyed due to its pride.
Old Willow Tree's Location
A large, venerable willow tree, crippled by age, with a split trunk, grass and brambles growing out of the crevices, branches hanging down like green hair
Mood: Wise, sorrowful, ancient
The willow tree witnesses the buckwheat's pride and its subsequent destruction, and later weeps for it.
Surrounding Cornfields
Fields of rye, barley, and oats, with the oats resembling golden canary-birds on a bough when ripe. The heaviest ears of corn bend low.
Mood: Humble, pious, fertile
The corn warns the buckwheat to bend before the storm.