The twelve apostles
by Brothers Grimm
The Twelve Brothers and the Shining Child
Once there is a mother. She has twelve sons. She loves them very much. But they are very poor. They have very little food. The mother wishes for good things. "I wish good things for them," she says.
One day, the mother speaks. "Please find some bread, sons." Peter is the eldest son. Peter goes out first.
Peter walks into a big forest. He walks and walks. The trees are very tall. He cannot find food. He cannot find the way out. He is very tired. He is very hungry. Peter sits down under a big tree. He feels so sad.
Then Peter sees a little child. The child shines like a star. The child is very bright and warm. The child smiles at Peter. "Why are you sad?" the child asks.
"I am so hungry," Peter says. "I am so sad. I wish for good things." The shining child takes his hand. "I can help you! Come with me."
The shining child holds Peter's hand. They walk side by side. They walk between big rocks. They find a bright, shiny cave. Peter looks inside. It all shines and sparkles! It is so pretty. There are twelve little beds inside.
"This bed is for you," the child says. Peter lies down. The bed is soft and warm. The child sings a soft song. Peter closes his eyes. Peter falls asleep.
Then his brothers come too! One brother comes. A shining friend helps him. He finds the cave. One more brother comes. A shining friend helps him too. One by one, they all come.
Each brother lies in a bed. Each one falls asleep. All twelve brothers sleep in the cave. It is warm. It is safe.
The brothers sleep for a very long time.
One special night, the brothers wake up. They open their eyes. It is a bright, pretty night. Big stars shine in the sky. It all feels warm and new.
The brothers are so happy! They smile and laugh. They go out into the world. They help people all around. They do good things. And far away, the mother smiles. Her wish comes true.
Original Story
The twelve apostles A fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm Three hundred years before the birth of the Lord Christ, there lived a mother who had twelve sons, but was so poor and needy that she no longer knew how she was to keep them alive at all. She prayed to God daily that he would grant that all her sons might be on the earth with the Redeemer who was promised. When her necessity became still greater she sent one of them after the other out into the world to seek bread for her. The eldest was called Peter, and he went out and had already walked a long way, a whole day's journey, when he came into a great forest. He sought for a way out, but could find none, and went farther and farther astray, and at the same time felt such great hunger that he could scarcely stand. At length he became so weak that he was forced to lie down, and he believed death to be at hand. Suddenly there stood beside him a small boy who shone with brightness, and was as beautiful and kind as an angel. The child smote his little hands together, until Peter was forced to look up and saw him. Then the child said, "Why art thou sitting there in such trouble?" - "Alas!" answered Peter, "I am going about the world seeking bread, that I may yet see the dear Saviour who is promised, that is my greatest desire." The child said, "Come with me, and thy wish shall be fulfilled." He took poor Peter by the hand, and led him between some cliffs to a great cavern. When they entered it, everything was shining with gold, silver, and crystal, and in the midst of it twelve cradles were standing side by side. Then said the little angel, "Lie down in the first, and sleep a while, I will rock thee." Peter did so, and the angel sang to him and rocked him until he was al seep. And when he was asleep, the second brother came also, guided thither by his guardian angel, and he was rocked to sleep like the first, and thus came the others, one after the other, until all twelve lay there sleeping in the golden cradles. They slept, however, three hundred years, until the night when the Saviour of the world was born. Then they awoke, and were with him on earth, and were called the twelve apostles. * * * * *
Moral of the Story
Faith and prayer can lead to divine intervention and the fulfillment of one's deepest desires, even in the face of extreme hardship.
Characters
The Mother ◆ supporting
Implied to be gaunt or frail due to poverty and hunger
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothing appropriate for extreme poverty
Desperate, devout, loving
Peter ★ protagonist
Weakened by hunger and exhaustion, on the verge of death
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothing suitable for a long journey
Hopeful, determined, devout
The Little Angel ◆ supporting
Shining with brightness, beautiful and kind
Attire: Implied to be ethereal or glowing, not specific clothing
Benevolent, guiding, comforting
The Twelve Apostles ★ protagonist
All brothers, implied to be similar in appearance to Peter, weakened by hunger before their transformation
Attire: Simple, worn peasant clothing
Devout, destined
Locations
Poor Mother's Home
A home so poor and needy that the mother no longer knew how to keep her twelve sons alive.
Mood: desperate, prayerful, sorrowful
The mother prays for her sons to be with the Redeemer and sends them out to seek bread.
Great Forest
A vast forest where Peter gets lost, unable to find a way out, and feels great hunger.
Mood: desolate, despairing, lost
Peter, weak from hunger, believes death is near before encountering the shining boy.
Great Cavern
A cavern entered between cliffs, shining with gold, silver, and crystal, containing twelve cradles.
Mood: magical, sacred, peaceful, opulent
All twelve brothers are led here by their guardian angels and sleep for three hundred years until the birth of the Saviour.
Story DNA
Moral
Faith and prayer can lead to divine intervention and the fulfillment of one's deepest desires, even in the face of extreme hardship.
Plot Summary
A desperately poor mother of twelve sons prays for them to be with the promised Redeemer. Forced by hunger, she sends them out, and the eldest, Peter, gets lost and faces death. An angelic child appears, guides him to a magical cavern with twelve cradles, and rocks him to sleep. The other eleven brothers arrive similarly, sleeping for three hundred years until the birth of the Saviour, at which point they awaken and become the twelve apostles.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This tale attempts to provide a folk-etymological origin for the twelve apostles, linking them to a pre-Christian era and a miraculous slumber, rather than the biblical accounts of their calling.
Plot Beats (12)
- A mother with twelve sons is extremely poor and prays for them to be with the promised Redeemer.
- Due to dire need, she sends her sons out one by one to find food.
- The eldest, Peter, gets lost in a vast forest, becomes severely hungry, and believes he is dying.
- A shining, angelic child appears to Peter and asks why he is troubled.
- Peter expresses his desire to see the promised Saviour.
- The child takes Peter's hand and leads him to a magnificent cavern filled with gold, silver, and crystal, containing twelve cradles.
- The child instructs Peter to lie in the first cradle and rocks him to sleep.
- One by one, the other eleven brothers are guided by their guardian angels to the same cavern.
- Each brother is rocked to sleep in a cradle, just like Peter.
- All twelve brothers sleep for three hundred years.
- They awaken on the night the Saviour of the world is born.
- They are then with the Saviour on Earth and are known as the twelve apostles.
