The Ditmarsch tale of wonders
by Brothers Grimm
The Silly Story
Do you want a silly story? It is very, very silly! Are you ready? Here we go!
I saw two chickens. They were cooked! But they flew in the sky. They flew up, up, up! Silly chickens! Where are you going?
I saw a big rock. It jumped in a river. Splash! It swam and swam. Then a heavy table jumped in too. Splash, splash! The table swam fast. So silly!
I saw a little frog. It sat by a big spoon. The spoon was very, very big! The frog opened its mouth wide. It ate the whole spoon! Munch, munch, munch! That is one hungry frog!
Three friends wanted a rabbit. The rabbit was very fast. It ran and ran and ran! The three friends ran too.
One friend could not see. But he saw the rabbit first! One friend could not talk. But he called out loud, "There it is!" One friend could not run. But he ran so, so fast! He caught the rabbit. Ha! How silly is that?
I saw a boat on the grass. It had a big, big sail. The wind blew hard. The boat sailed on land! So funny!
It sailed over a green field. It sailed up a tall hill. It sailed over a tall mountain! Where will it go next?
I saw a little crab. It ran after a fast rabbit. The little crab had tiny legs. But it was very, very fast. Go, little crab, go! Run, run, run!
I saw a cow. It sat on top of a house. It looked down at me. Moo! How did you get up there, cow? Silly, silly cow!
I saw a fly. But it was not a little fly. It was as big as a dog! That is one very big fly! I would not want it in my room!
Now open the window! Open it wide! Let this silly story fly away. Fly away, silly story! Bye bye! Bye bye, silly story!
Original Story
The Ditmarsch tale of wonders A fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm I will tell you something. I saw two roasted fowls flying; they flew quickly and had their breasts turned to heaven and their backs to hell, and an anvil and a mill-stone swam across the Rhine prettily, slowly, and gently, and a frog sat on the ice at Whitsuntide and ate a ploughshare. Three fellows who wanted to catch a hare, went on crutches and stilts; one of them was deaf, the second blind, the third dumb, and the fourth could not stir a step. Do you want to know how it was done? First, the blind man saw the hare running across the field, the dumb one called to the lame one, and the lame one seized it by the neck. There were certain men who wished to sail on dry land, and they set their sails in the wind, and sailed away over great fields. Then they sailed over a high mountain, and there they were miserably drowned. A crab was chasing a hare which was running away at full speed, and high up on the roof lay a cow which had climbed up there. In that country the flies are as big as the goats are here. Open the window, that the lies may fly out. * * * * *
Characters
Two Roasted Fowls ○ minor
Roasted, flying with breasts to heaven and backs to hell
Attire: Roasted skin
Passive, nonsensical
Frog ○ minor
Sitting on ice, eating a ploughshare
Absurd, incongruous
Blind Man ◆ supporting
Blind, using crutches or stilts
Attire: Simple, rustic clothing
Cooperative, part of a team
Dumb Man ◆ supporting
Mute, using crutches or stilts
Attire: Simple, rustic clothing
Cooperative, part of a team
Lame Man ◆ supporting
Lame, using crutches or stilts
Attire: Simple, rustic clothing
Cooperative, part of a team
Hare ○ minor
Running across a field
Prey, fast
Crab ○ minor
Chasing a hare
Predator, persistent
Cow ○ minor
On a roof
Nonsensical, out of place
Locations
Rhine River
A wide river with an anvil and millstone floating across it.
Mood: magical, absurd
Anvil and millstone swim across the Rhine.
Icy Field
A field covered in ice during Whitsuntide (late spring/early summer).
Mood: unnatural, bizarre
A frog sits on the ice and eats a ploughshare.
Vast Fields
Large, open fields where men attempt to sail on dry land.
Mood: foolish, whimsical
Men sail on dry land.
High Mountain
A tall mountain over which men sail, leading to their drowning.
Mood: dangerous, ironic
Men drown after sailing over a mountain.
Rooftop
The roof of a building where a cow has inexplicably climbed.
Mood: absurd, surreal
A cow is found on the roof.
Story DNA
Plot Summary
A narrator recounts a series of impossible and contradictory events, starting with roasted fowls flying and an anvil swimming. They describe how a group of disabled men miraculously hunt a hare and how other men attempt to sail on dry land, leading to their demise. The tale concludes with more absurdities like a cow on a roof and giant flies, before the narrator instructs the listener to open the window to let the 'lies' fly out.
Themes
Emotional Arc
amusement to bewilderment
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Tall tales and exaggerated stories were common forms of entertainment in rural communities, often shared orally. The Ditmarsch region has a history of independence and unique folklore.
Plot Beats (13)
- Narrator announces they will tell something.
- Narrator describes two roasted fowls flying with specific orientation.
- An anvil and millstone are seen swimming across the Rhine.
- A frog is seen eating a ploughshare on ice during Whitsuntide.
- Three disabled men (deaf, blind, dumb, lame) attempt to catch a hare.
- The blind man sees the hare, the dumb man calls to the lame man, and the lame man catches it.
- Men attempt to sail on dry land with sails.
- They sail over great fields and a high mountain.
- They are miserably drowned.
- A crab chases a fast-running hare.
- A cow is seen on a roof.
- Flies in that country are as big as goats.
- The narrator instructs the listener to open the window for the lies to fly out.
