Knoist and His Three Sons
by Brothers Grimm · from Household Tales
Original Story
Knoist and his three sons
A fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm
Between Werrel and Soist there lived a man whose name was Knoist, and he had three sons. One was blind, the other lame, and the third stark-naked. Once on a time they went into a field, and there they saw a hare. The blind one shot it, the lame one caught it, the naked one put it in his pocket. Then they came to a mighty big lake, on which there were three boats, one sailed, one sank, the third had no bottom to it. They all three got into the one with no bottom to it. Then they came to a mighty big forest in which there was a mighty big tree; in the tree was a mighty big chapel in the chapel was a sexton made of beech-wood and a box-wood parson, who dealt out holy-water with cudgels.
"How truly happy is that one
Who can from holy water run!"
- * * * *
Story DNA
Plot Summary
Knoist has three sons, one blind, one lame, and one naked. They go hunting, and the blind son shoots a hare, the lame son catches it, and the naked son puts it in his pocket. They then cross a lake in a bottomless boat and find a chapel inside a tree, where wooden clergy dispense holy water with cudgels, prompting a verse about the happiness of escaping.
Themes
Emotional Arc
curiosity to bewilderment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This tale is a short, almost riddle-like narrative, typical of some very early folk tales collected by the Grimms, often characterized by nonsense or paradoxical elements rather than a clear moral.
Plot Beats (12)
- Knoist, a man, lives between Werrel and Soist and has three sons: one blind, one lame, one naked.
- The three sons go into a field and see a hare.
- The blind son shoots the hare.
- The lame son catches the shot hare.
- The naked son puts the hare into his pocket.
- They arrive at a large lake with three boats: one sails, one sinks, one has no bottom.
- They all get into the boat with no bottom.
- They reach a large forest containing a large tree.
- Inside the tree is a large chapel.
- Inside the chapel is a sexton made of beech-wood and a parson made of box-wood.
- The wooden clergy deal out holy-water using cudgels.
- A verse concludes the story, stating that one is truly happy if they can run from the holy water.
Characters
Knoist
No specific details given.
Attire: Simple peasant clothing appropriate for the time and region.
Presumably a father figure, though his personality is not explicitly shown.
The Blind Son
Blind.
Attire: Simple peasant clothing.
Determined, resourceful despite his disability.
The Lame Son
Lame.
Attire: Simple peasant clothing.
Persistent, able to overcome his physical limitations.
The Naked Son
Naked.
Attire: None.
Unashamed, practical.
The Hare
A hare.
Attire: None.
Innocent prey.
The Beech-Wood Sexton
Made of beech-wood.
Attire: Clerical robes carved from wood.
Silent, inanimate.
The Box-Wood Parson
Made of box-wood.
Attire: Clerical robes carved from wood.
Silent, inanimate.
Locations
Field between Werrel and Soist
A field located between the towns of Werrel and Soist.
Mood: ordinary
The three sons encounter and capture a hare.
Mighty Big Lake
A large lake with three boats: one that sails, one that sinks, and one with no bottom.
Mood: perilous
The three sons attempt to cross the lake in a bottomless boat.
Mighty Big Forest
A large forest containing a very large tree.
Mood: mysterious
The sons travel through the forest to reach the chapel.
Chapel in a Tree
A chapel located inside a very large tree, containing a beech-wood sexton and a box-wood parson.
Mood: absurd
The sons encounter the strange religious figures.