TOM TOTHERHOUSE
by Asbjornsen and Moe · from Norwegian Folk Tales
Original Story
TOM TOTHERHOUSE
Once on a time there was a Goody who had a deaf husband. A good, easy man he
was, but that was just why she thought more of the lad next door, whom they
called “Tom Totherhouse”. Now the lad that served the deaf man saw
very well that the two had something between them, and one day he said to the
Goody:
“Dare you wager ten dollars, mother, that I don’t make you lay bare
your own shame?”
“Yes I dare”, said she; and so they wagered ten dollars. So one
day, while the lad and the deaf man stood thrashing in the barn, the lad saw
that Tom Totherhouse came to see the Goody. He said nothing, but a good while
before dinnertime he turned toward the barn-door, and bawled out
“Halloa!”
“What! are we to go home already?” said the man, who hadn’t
given any heed to what the lad did.
“Yes, we must, since mother calls”, said the lad.
So when they got into the passage, the lad began to hem and cough, that the
Goody might get Tom Totherhouse out of the way. But when they came into the
room, there stood a whole bowl of custards on the table.
“Nay, nay, mother”, cried out the man; “shall we have
custards to-day?”
“Yes, that you shall, dear”, said the Goody; but she was as sour as
verjuice, and as cross as two sticks.
So when they had eaten and drank all the good cheer up, off they went again to
their work, and the Goody said to Tom:
“Deil take that lad’s sharp nose, this was all his fault; but now
you must be off as fast as you can, and I’ll come down to you in the mead
with a snack between meals.”
This the lad stood outside in the passage and listened to.
“Do you know, father”, he said, “I think we’d best go
down into the hollow and put our fence to rights, which is blown down, before
the neighbours’ swine get in and root up our meadow.”
“Aye, aye, let’s go and do it”, said the man; for he did all
he was told, good, easy man.
So when the afternoon was half spent, down came the Goody sneaking along into
the mead, with something under her apron.
“Nay, nay, mother”, said the man, “it can’t be you any
longer; are we to have a snack between meals too?”
“Yes, yes, that you shall”, she said; but she was sourer and wilder
than ever.
So they made merry, and crammed themselves with bannocks and butter, and had a
drop of brandy into the bargain.
“I’ll go off to Tom Totherhouse with a snack—shan’t I,
mother?” said the lad. “He’s had nothing between meals,
I’ll be bound.”
“Ah! do; there’s a good fellow”, said the Goody, who all at
once got as mild as milk.
As he went along the lad broke a bannock to bits, and dropped the crumbs here
and there as he walked. But when he got to Tom Totherhouse he said:
“Now, just you take care, for our old cock has found out that you come
too often to see our Goody. He won’t stand it any longer, and has sworn
to drive his axe into you as soon as ever he can set eyes on you.”
As for Tom, he was so frightened he scarce knew which way to turn, and the lad
went back again to his master.
“There’s something wrong”, he said, “with Tom’s
plough, and he begs you to be so good as to take your axe, and go and see if
you can’t set it right.”
Yes, the man set off with his axe, but Tom Totherhouse had scarce caught sight
of him before he took to his heels as fast as he could. The man turned and
twisted the plough round and round, and looked at it on every side, and when he
couldn’t see anything wrong with it he went off home again; but on the
way he picked up the bits of broken bannock which the lad had let fall. His old
dame stood in the meadow and looked at him as he did this for a while, and
wondered and wondered what it could be her husband was gathering up.
“Oh, I know”, said the lad, “master’s picking up
stones, I’ll be bound; for he has marked how often this Tom Totherhouse
runs over here; and the old fellow won’t stand it any longer; and now he
has sworn to stone mother to death.”
Off went the Goody as fast as her legs could carry her.
“What in the world is it that mother is running after now?” asked
the man, when he reached the spot where she had stood.
“Oh”, said the lad, “maybe the house at home is on
fire!”
So there ran the husband behind and the Goody before; and as she ran she
screeched out:
“Ah! ah! don’t stone me to death; don’t stone me to death!
and I’ll give you my word never to let Tom Totherhouse come near me
again.”
“Now the ten dollars are mine”, bawled out the lad; and so they
were.
LITTLE ANNIE THE GOOSE-GIRL Once on a time there was a King who had so many geese he was forced to have a
lassie to tend them and watch them; her name was Annie, and so they called her
“Annie the Goose-girl”. Now you must know there was a King’s
son from England who went out to woo; and as he came along Ann sat herself down
in his way. “Sitting all alone there, you little Annie?” said the King’s
son. “Yes”, said little Annie, “here I sit and put stitch to
stitch and patch on patch. I’m waiting to-day for the King’s son
from England.” “Him you mustn’t look to have”, said the Prince. “Nay, but if I’m to have him”, said little Annie, “have
him I shall, after all.” And now limners were sent out into all lands and realms to take the likenesses
of the fairest Princesses, and the Prince was to chose between them. So he
thought so much of one of them, that he set out to seek her, and wanted to wed
her, and he was glad and happy when he got her for his sweetheart. But now I must tell you this Prince had a stone with him which he laid by his
bedside, and that stone knew everything, and when the Princess came little
Annie told her, if so be she’d had a sweetheart before, or didn’t
feel herself quite free from anything which she didn’t wish the Prince to
know, she’d better not step on that stone which lay by the bedside. “If you do, it will tell him all about you”, said little Annie. So when the Princess heard that she was dreadfully downcast, and she fell upon
the thought to ask Annie if she would get into bed that night in her stead and
lie down by the Prince’s side; and then when he was sound asleep, Annie
should get out and the Princess should get in, and so when he woke up in the
morning he would find the right bride by his side. So they did that, and when Annie the goose-girl came and stepped upon the stone
the Prince asked: “Who is this that steps into my bed?” “A maid pure and bright”, said the stone, and so they lay down to
sleep; but when the night wore on the Princess came and lay down in
Annie’s stead. But next morning, when they were to get up, the Prince asked the stone again: “Who is this that steps out of my bed?” “One that has had three bairns”, said the stone. When the Prince
heard that he wouldn’t have her, you may know very well; and so he packed
her off home again, and took another sweetheart. But as he went to see her, little Annie went and sat down in his way again. “Sitting all alone there, little Annie, the goose-girl”, said the
Prince. “Yes, here I sit, and put stitch to stitch, and patch on patch; for
I’m waiting to-day for the king’s son from England”, said
Annie. “Oh! you mustn’t look to have him”, said the king’s
son. “Nay, but if I’m to have him, have him I shall, after all”;
that was what Annie thought. Well, it was the same story over again with the Prince; only this time, when
his bride got up in the morning, the stone said she’d had six bairns. So the Prince wouldn’t have her either, but sent her about her business;
but still he thought he’d try once more if he couldn’t find one who
was pure and spotless; and he sought far and wide in many lands, till at last
he found one he thought he might trust. But when he went to see her, little
Annie the goose-girl had put herself in his way again. “Sitting all alone there, you little Annie, the goose-girl”, said
the Prince. “Yes, here I sit, and put stitch to stitch, and patch on patch; for
I’m waiting to-day for the king’s son from England”, said
Annie. “Him you mustn’t look to have”, said the Prince. “Nay, but if I’m to have him, have him I shall, after all”,
said little Annie. So when the Princess came, little Annie the goose-girl told her the same as she
had told the other two, if she’d had any sweetheart before, or if there
was anything else she didn’t wish the Prince to know, she mustn’t
tread on the stone that the Prince had put at his bedside; for, said she: “It tells him everything.” The Princess got very red and downcast when she heard that, for she was just as
naughty as the others, and asked Annie if she would go in her stead and lie
down with the Prince that night; and when he was sound asleep, she would come
and take her place, and then he would have the right bride by his side when it
was light next morning. Yes! they did that. And when little Annie the goose-girl came and stepped upon
the stone, the Prince asked: “Who is this that steps into my bed.” “A maid pure and bright”, said the stone; and so they lay down to
rest. Farther on in the night the Prince put a ring on Annie’s finger, and it
fitted so tight she couldn’t get it off again; for the Prince saw well
enough there was something wrong, and so he wished to have a mark by which he
might know the right woman again. Well, when the Prince had gone off to sleep, the Princess came and drove Annie
away to the pigsty, and lay down in her place. Next morning, when they were to
get up, the Prince asked: “Who is this that steps out of my bed?” “One that’s had nine bairns”, said the stone. When the Prince heard that he drove her away at once, for he was in an awful
rage; and then he asked the stone how it all was with these Princesses who had
stepped on it, for he couldn’t understand it at all, he said. So the stone told him how they had cheated him, and sent little Annie the
goose-girl to him in their stead. But as the Prince wished to have no mistake about it, he went down to her where
she sat tending her geese, for he wanted to see if she had the ring too, and he
thought, “if she has it, ’twere best to take her at once for my
queen”. So when he got down he saw in a moment that she had tied a bit of rag round one
of her fingers, and so he asked her why it was tied up. “Oh! I’ve cut myself so badly”, said little Annie the
goose-girl. So he must and would see the finger, but Annie wouldn’t take the rag off.
Then he caught hold of the finger; but Annie, she tried to pull it from him,
and so between them the rag came off, and then he knew his ring. So he took her up to the palace, and gave her much fine clothes and attire, and
after that they held their wedding feast; and so little Annie the goose-girl
came to have the king of England’s son for her husband after all, just
because it was written that she should have him.
Story DNA
Moral
Cleverness can expose hidden truths and bring about justice, even against powerful deceptions.
Plot Summary
A clever servant lad wagers ten dollars with his mistress, the Goody, that he can expose her affair with Tom Totherhouse to her deaf husband. Through a series of cunning deceptions, including orchestrating unexpected meals and rendezvous, and using false warnings and misinterpretations, the lad manipulates both the Goody and her husband. The climax occurs when the lad convinces the Goody that her husband is gathering stones to kill her, causing her to confess her infidelity while fleeing, thus winning the wager and exposing her shame.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suspense to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This tale reflects a common folk motif of a clever servant outsmarting their master or mistress, often to expose wrongdoing or gain advantage. The 'deaf husband' is a classic trope to facilitate the deception.
Plot Beats (12)
- A Goody has an affair with Tom Totherhouse, unbeknownst to her deaf, easy-going husband.
- Their servant lad notices the affair and wagers ten dollars with the Goody that he can expose her shame.
- The lad sees Tom Totherhouse arrive and calls the deaf husband home early, forcing the Goody to quickly hide Tom and serve an unexpected custard meal.
- The lad overhears the Goody planning a second rendezvous with Tom in the meadow.
- The lad convinces the husband to go to the meadow to fix a fence, interrupting the Goody's plans for a snack with Tom.
- The Goody and husband share a snack, and the lad offers to take a snack to Tom Totherhouse.
- On his way, the lad breaks a bannock, scattering crumbs, and warns Tom that the husband is angry and will attack him with an axe.
- The lad returns and tells the husband that Tom needs his plow fixed with an axe, causing Tom to flee when he sees the husband approaching.
- The husband, finding nothing wrong with the plow, returns home, picking up the bannock crumbs the lad had scattered.
- The lad tells the Goody that her husband is picking up stones to stone her to death for her affair.
- The Goody flees, confessing her infidelity and promising to end it, while the husband chases her, confused.
- The lad declares he has won the ten dollars.
Characters
Goody ⚔ antagonist
Not described, but likely a peasant woman
Attire: Simple, practical peasant dress of the time
Deceitful, adulterous
Image Prompt & Upload
A pale, gaunt woman in her late fifties with a sharp, narrow face and deep-set, cunning eyes. Her stringy, iron-gray hair is pulled back tightly under a faded, black mob cap. She wears a drab, floor-length dress of coarse, dark wool, with a patched, gray shawl wrapped tightly around her thin shoulders. Her posture is slightly hunched, and her long, bony fingers are curled like claws. A thin, knowing, and deeply unpleasant smile plays on her thin lips. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Deaf Husband ◆ supporting
Strong, hardworking
Attire: Work clothes, simple and functional
Gullible, hardworking
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged man with kind eyes and a gentle, attentive expression, wearing simple peasant clothes—a rough linen tunic and worn trousers. His hair is short and brown with streaks of grey. He stands in a relaxed but upright posture, his head slightly tilted as if listening intently, one hand raised in a soft, open gesture near his ear. He is in a modest cottage interior with a wooden table and chair in the background. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Tom Totherhouse ○ minor
Not described
Attire: Simple, rural clothing
Cowardly, adulterous
Image Prompt & Upload
A young boy around eight years old with a round, curious face and bright, inquisitive eyes. He has a tousled mop of chestnut brown hair and a smudge of dirt on his cheek. He is wearing a simple, slightly oversized tunic of undyed linen, belted at the waist, with patched brown trousers and scuffed leather boots. He stands with a slight, energetic lean to one side, one hand resting on his hip, the other holding a smooth wooden stick. His expression is one of cheerful mischief. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Lad ★ protagonist
Observant, quick-witted
Attire: Simple work clothes
Clever, mischievous
Image Prompt & Upload
A young man in his late teens with a determined expression, wearing a simple brown tunic over dark trousers and sturdy leather boots. He has messy chestnut hair and stands tall, holding a wooden walking stick in one hand. His posture is confident, ready for adventure. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Little Annie the Goose-Girl ★ protagonist
Plainly dressed, but with an air of determination
Attire: Goose-girl attire, patched and practical
Persistent, clever
Image Prompt & Upload
A young girl, around ten years old, with rosy cheeks and bright, determined eyes. She wears a simple, slightly faded blue linen dress with a white apron, and a straw bonnet tied under her chin with a ribbon. Her long, honey-blonde hair is in a single braid over her shoulder. She stands tall, holding a wooden shepherd's crook in one hand, her posture confident and ready. At her feet, three fluffy white geese with orange beaks look up at her attentively. The scene is a sun-dappled meadow with a few wildflowers. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
King's Son from England ◆ supporting
Princely bearing, handsome
Attire: Fine clothes, befitting his station
Gullible, persistent
Image Prompt & Upload
A young man in his late teens with a kind, earnest expression and short, neatly combed chestnut brown hair. He wears a royal blue doublet with gold embroidery over a white shirt, dark trousers, and polished black boots. He stands confidently on a castle balcony, one hand resting on the stone parapet, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Stone ◆ supporting
A stone that knows everything
Truthful, impartial
Image Prompt & Upload
An ancient golem carved from rough, mossy granite, kneeling on one knee with one hand planted firmly on the ground for support. Its body is massive and blocky, composed of uneven stone slabs, with faint cracks and patches of green lichen across its surface. It wears only a simple, weathered loincloth of brown leather. Its face is a carved, stoic mask with deep-set eyes that glow with a soft, steady amber light. Its posture is solid and unwavering, a living monument of endurance. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Princesses ⚔ antagonist
Beautiful, but deceitful
Attire: Richly adorned gowns
Deceitful, promiscuous
Image Prompt & Upload
A regal young woman with sharp, pale features and cold, calculating eyes. Her platinum blonde hair is intricately braided into a severe, high crown, adorned with dark sapphires. She wears a structured, midnight-blue velvet gown with a high collar and sharp shoulders, its sleeves tight to the elbows before flaring into dramatic, pointed cuffs. The bodice is encrusted with black diamonds. She stands with perfect, rigid posture, one hand resting on the hilt of a slender, jeweled dagger at her waist, the other holding a single black rose. Her expression is one of serene, disdainful authority. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Barn
A barn where the deaf man and the lad are thrashing grain.
Mood: busy, working
The lad first notices Tom Totherhouse visiting the Goody.
Image Prompt & Upload
Late afternoon golden light streams through the high, dusty windows of a vast wooden barn, illuminating swirling motes of chaff and dust. The interior is a cathedral of weathered oak beams and rough-hewn planks, with a high hayloft visible in the shadows above. The earthen floor is scattered with loose straw and golden grain. Sturdy wooden threshing tools, a large woven basket, and half-filled burlap sacks of wheat sit near the center. Sunbeams cut through the hazy air, casting long, dramatic shadows and highlighting the rich textures of the wood and the warm, golden piles of grain. The atmosphere is quiet, rustic, and steeped in the warmth of a hard day's work. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
Room with table
A room with a table set with a bowl of custards and other good cheer.
Mood: tense, awkward
The husband, the Goody, and the lad eat the custards, creating a moment of forced conviviality.
Image Prompt & Upload
A cozy, enchanted cottage interior at dusk, warm firelight glowing from a stone hearth. A sturdy oak table sits center, draped in a linen cloth, holding a ceramic bowl filled with shimmering golden custards, a wheel of cheese, and a loaf of crusty bread. Soft candlelight illuminates the scene from wrought-iron holders. Weathered wooden beams cross the low ceiling, and shelves with jars of preserves line the plaster walls. A rain-streaked window shows a misty, twilight forest outside. The atmosphere is inviting and magical, with floating dust motes catching the light. Rich colors of amber, cream, and deep wood tones dominate. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Meadow with broken fence
A hollow meadow with a fence that has blown down.
Mood: deceptive, secretive
The Goody meets Tom Totherhouse for a snack, while the lad and the husband repair the fence.
Image Prompt & Upload
A hollow, windswept meadow at golden hour, bathed in warm, low-angle sunlight. An old, weathered wooden fence lies partially collapsed, its rails broken and scattered among tall, swaying grasses and clusters of white and purple wildflowers. The remaining fence posts stand at odd angles, casting long shadows across the uneven ground. The atmosphere is melancholic and quiet, with a soft breeze rustling the vegetation. The sky is a gradient of peach and lavender with a few wispy clouds, hinting at a recent storm. The color palette features muted greens, golden yellows, and the silvered grey of aged wood. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Tom Totherhouse's plough field
A field where Tom Totherhouse is ploughing.
Mood: isolated, vulnerable
The husband comes to 'fix' the plough, scaring Tom Totherhouse away.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, freshly ploughed field stretches under a soft golden hour sky, with long, neat furrows of rich, dark earth creating rhythmic patterns. Rolling hills dotted with ancient, twisted oaks form a gentle backdrop. The air is clear and still, with a few wisps of cloud catching the warm, low sunlight. A weathered wooden fence lines one edge, and wildflowers in purple and yellow peek from the grassy verges. The scene feels serene and deeply rooted, bathed in a magical, painterly light. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
