The tale of Cockaigne
by Brothers Grimm
The Funny Land
I went to a funny land! It was far, far away. It was so silly there! I saw funny things. I saw silly things! Do you want to hear? I will tell you!
I saw a house on a string. It was a tiny, tiny string! I saw a man with no feet. But he ran so fast! He ran faster than a horse! Can you believe that?
I saw a donkey. He had a shiny nose! He ran after two rabbits. I saw a big tree. Cakes grew on the tree! Hot, yummy cakes! I wanted one!
I saw a tiny old goat. He had a big, big bag. The bag was so heavy! But the tiny goat walked and walked. He did not stop!
Are these things silly enough? No? You want more? I have more silly things! So many silly things! I will tell you more!
I saw a baby. The baby was so small! But she picked up big rocks. Big, heavy rocks! She threw them far, far away! That baby was so strong!
I saw a bird in the water. The bird swam like a fish! And the fish jumped out! The fish sang a loud song! It was so funny!
Honey came down a big hill. It was like a river! A river of sweet honey! I wanted to eat it all! And two big black birds cut grass. They used tiny scissors! Snip, snip, snip!
I saw two big dogs. They pulled a house out of a pond! The house was all wet! Water went everywhere! An old horse saw them. The horse said, "That is good!"
I saw a red cow. She kicked a loaf of bread. The bread went up, up, up! It went right into the oven! What a silly cow!
Then a big rooster came. He was red and brown. He said, "Cock-a-doodle-doo! The story is all done! Cock-a-doodle-doo!" And that was my silly story!
Original Story
The tale of Cockaigne A fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm In the time of Cockaigne I went there, and saw Rome and the Lateran hanging by a small silken thread, and a man without feet who outran a swift horse, and a keen sharp sword that cut through a bridge. There I saw a young ass with a silver nose which pursued two fleet hares, and a lime-tree that was very large, on which hot cakes were growing. There I saw a lean old goat which carried about a hundred cart-loads of fat on his body, and sixty loads of salt. Have I not told enough lies? There I saw a plough ploughing without horse or cow, and a child of one year threw four millstones from Ratisbon to Treves, and from Treves to Strasburg, and a hawk swam over the Rhine, which he had a perfect right to do. There I heard some fishes begin to make such a disturbance with each other, that it resounded as far as heaven, and sweet honey flowed like water from a deep valley at the top of a high mountain, and these were strange things. There were two crows which were mowing a meadow, and I saw two gnats building a bridge, and two doves tore a wolf to pieces; two children brought forth two kids, and two frogs threshed corn together. There I saw two mice consecrating a bishop, and two cats scratching out a bear's tongue. Then a snail came running up and killed two furious lions. There stood a barber and shaved a woman's beard off; and two sucking-children bade their mother hold her tongue. There I saw two greyhounds which brought a mill out of the water; and a sorry old horse was beside it, and said it was right. And four horses were standing in the yard threshing corn with all their might, and two goats were heating the stove, and a red cow shot the bread into the oven. Then a cock crowed, Cock-a-doodle-doo! The story is all told, Cock-a-doodle-doo! * * * * *
Characters
The Narrator ★ protagonist
Not explicitly described, but implied to be a traveler and observer.
Attire: Implied to be simple, practical clothing suitable for travel in a fantastical land.
Observant, imaginative, prone to exaggeration, a teller of tall tales.
Man without feet ○ minor
Lacks feet, but possesses extraordinary speed.
Attire: Simple, functional clothing.
Determined, surprisingly agile despite his disability.
Young ass with a silver nose ○ minor
A young donkey with a distinctive silver nose.
Energetic, persistent in pursuit.
Lean old goat ○ minor
An old, thin goat, paradoxically carrying immense amounts of fat and salt.
Resilient, capable of defying physical limitations.
Child of one year ○ minor
A very young child, only one year old, but possessing immense strength.
Attire: Simple infant clothing.
Supernaturally strong, playful.
Cock ○ minor
A rooster, likely with vibrant plumage.
Assertive, acts as a storyteller's closing signal.
Locations
The Land of Cockaigne
A fantastical land where impossible things happen, defying logic and natural laws. It's a place of absurdities and reversals.
Mood: whimsical, absurd, dreamlike, nonsensical, magical
The primary setting where all the impossible and humorous events of the tale unfold.
A Meadow in Cockaigne
A field where crows are performing human tasks, highlighting the topsy-turvy nature of Cockaigne.
Mood: absurd, humorous, surreal
Illustrates the reversal of roles between animals and humans, a common theme in Cockaigne.
A Farmyard in Cockaigne
A farm setting where animals are engaged in human chores, further emphasizing the land's illogical nature.
Mood: comical, chaotic, surreal
Showcases the ultimate absurdity of Cockaigne, where animals perform complex human tasks with ease.
Story DNA
Plot Summary
A narrator recounts a fantastical journey to Cockaigne, a mythical land where the laws of nature are inverted and absurdities abound. They describe impossible sights like Rome hanging by a thread, animals performing human tasks, and food growing in unusual ways. The narrator briefly questions the veracity of their own claims before continuing with more outlandish observations, concluding the tale with a cock's crow.
Themes
Emotional Arc
none
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Cockaigne (Schlaraffenland in German) is a mythical land of plenty and ease, a common motif in medieval European folklore, often used for satire or escapism. The Grimm version is a short, purely descriptive tall tale.
Plot Beats (15)
- Narrator claims to have visited Cockaigne.
- Narrator describes Rome and Lateran hanging by a silken thread, a footless man outrunning a horse, and a sword cutting a bridge.
- Narrator sees a young ass with a silver nose chasing hares and a lime-tree growing hot cakes.
- Narrator observes a lean goat carrying a hundred cart-loads of fat and sixty loads of salt.
- Narrator directly asks if enough lies have been told, then continues.
- Narrator sees a plough working without animals and a one-year-old child throwing millstones great distances.
- Narrator witnesses a hawk swimming the Rhine and fishes making a loud disturbance.
- Narrator describes honey flowing like water from a mountain top and crows mowing a meadow.
- Narrator sees gnats building a bridge, doves tearing a wolf, children bearing kids, and frogs threshing corn.
- Narrator observes mice consecrating a bishop and cats scratching out a bear's tongue.
- Narrator sees a snail killing two lions and a barber shaving a woman's beard.
- Narrator hears sucking-children telling their mother to be quiet.
- Narrator sees greyhounds bringing a mill out of water, approved by an old horse.
- Narrator describes horses threshing corn, goats heating a stove, and a red cow shooting bread into an oven.
- A cock crows, declaring the story finished.
