Brides on their trial
by Brothers Grimm
The Clever Shepherd
Tom is a shepherd. He has many sheep. He is happy. But he wants a good friend. He wants a friend to share his home. He knows three kind girls. Their names are Anna, Bella, and Clara. They are all pretty and kind. Tom cannot pick one. "Who is the best friend for me?" he asks.
Tom goes to his Mother. "Mother, I need help," he says. "I know three good girls. But I cannot pick one." His Mother smiles. She is very wise. "I have an idea," she says.
"Ask all three girls to come," says Mother. "Put cheese on the table. Give each girl some cheese. Then watch how they eat it. You will see who is careful. You will see who is not."
Tom likes this idea. He asks Anna, Bella, and Clara to come. They all come to his home. He puts cheese on the table. He puts bread on the table too. "Please eat!" he says.
Anna picks up her cheese. She eats it very fast. She eats all of it. She eats the hard part too! The hard part is not good. But Anna does not care. She eats it all up.
Bella picks up her cheese. She cuts off the hard part. But she cuts too fast. She cuts off big pieces. Good cheese falls on the floor. She throws it all away. So much good cheese is gone!
Clara picks up her cheese. She looks at it first. She peels off the hard part. She is slow and careful. She does not cut too much. She does not cut too little. She eats all the good cheese. She wastes nothing.
Tom goes back to his Mother. "I saw how they eat," he says. "Anna ate too fast. She ate the hard part too. Bella cut off too much. She threw good cheese away. But Clara was very careful. She wasted nothing."
Mother nods her head. She smiles at Tom. "Clara is careful and kind," she says. "She does not waste. A careful girl is a good friend. Pick Clara."
Tom goes to Clara. "Will you be my friend?" he asks. "Will you share my home?" Clara smiles. "Yes," she says. "I will." And so Tom and Clara share his little home. They take care of the sheep. They eat bread and cheese. They are happy every day. A careful friend is a good friend. And they lived happily ever after.
Original Story
Brides on their trial A fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm There was once a young shepherd who wished much to marry, and was acquainted with three sisters who were all equally pretty, so that it was difficult to him to make a choice, and he could not decide to give the preference to any one of them. Then he asked his mother for advice, and she said, "Invite all three, and set some cheese before them, and watch how they eat it." The youth did so; the first, however, swallowed the cheese with the rind on; the second hastily cut the rind off the cheese, but she cut it so quickly that she left much good cheese with it, and threw that away also; the third peeled the rind off carefully, and cut neither too much nor too little. The shepherd told all this to his mother, who said, "Take the third for thy wife." This he did, and lived contentedly and happily with her. * * * * *
Moral of the Story
Careful observation and practical wisdom are essential for making important life decisions, especially in choosing a partner.
Characters
The Shepherd ★ protagonist
Strong and healthy, accustomed to outdoor work.
Attire: Simple shepherd's clothing: woolen tunic, leather breeches, sturdy boots, and a wide-brimmed hat.
Indecisive, respectful, and values practical advice.
The Mother ◆ supporting
Wise and experienced, with a knowing gaze.
Attire: Plain, practical clothing suitable for a rural setting: a long, dark dress with an apron.
Wise, observant, and pragmatic.
First Sister ○ minor
Pretty, but lacking refinement.
Attire: Simple peasant dress, perhaps slightly more colorful than average.
Crude, unrefined, and wasteful.
Second Sister ○ minor
Pretty, but careless.
Attire: Simple peasant dress, slightly better quality than the first sister's.
Hasty, wasteful, and lacking attention to detail.
Third Sister ◆ supporting
Pretty and refined.
Attire: Neat and well-maintained peasant dress, with a clean apron.
Careful, efficient, and considerate.
Locations
Shepherd's Home
A simple dwelling where the shepherd lives with his mother.
Mood: homely, simple
The shepherd invites the three sisters to eat cheese to test them.
Story DNA
Moral
Careful observation and practical wisdom are essential for making important life decisions, especially in choosing a partner.
Plot Summary
A young shepherd struggles to choose a wife from three equally pretty sisters. His mother advises him to observe how each sister eats cheese. The first eats it with the rind, the second wastes much cheese cutting the rind, but the third carefully peels it, wasting nothing. Based on this, the mother advises him to marry the third sister, and he does, living happily ever after.
Themes
Emotional Arc
uncertainty to contentment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects traditional European values where a woman's domestic competence and carefulness were highly prized qualities for a wife.
Plot Beats (10)
- A young shepherd wants to marry but is undecided between three equally pretty sisters.
- He asks his mother for advice on how to choose.
- His mother suggests inviting all three sisters and observing how they eat cheese.
- The shepherd follows his mother's advice.
- The first sister eats the cheese, rind and all.
- The second sister hastily cuts off the rind, wasting much good cheese in the process.
- The third sister carefully peels the rind, taking neither too much nor too little.
- The shepherd reports his observations to his mother.
- His mother advises him to choose the third sister.
- The shepherd marries the third sister and lives contentedly with her.
