THE NIX in MISCHIEF
by Juliana Horatia Ewing · from Old-Fashioned Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Nix was a little water spirit. He lived in a lake. He was very bored. Nix wanted to go to the land. He wanted to play tricks on people. His kin told him not to go. Nix did not listen.
One day, Bess came to the lake. She needed water for her home. Nix changed into a small red worm. He jumped into Bess's pail. Bess took the pail to her home.
Nix moved inside the pail. He made the water spill. Bess got very wet. Bess's Mother was angry. She scolded Bess loudly. Bess felt very sad about it.
Nix was happy with his trick. Bess's Mother told Bess to heat water. Bess put water in a kettle. She put the kettle on the fire. Nix slipped from the pail. He went into the kettle.
At first, Nix liked the warm water. He heard Bess's Mother scold Bess. This made Nix happy. But the water got hotter. Nix felt very bad. It was not fun now.
The water got very hot. It was boiling now. Nix felt burning pain. He jumped and jumped inside. The kettle made a singing sound. Its lid danced up and down.
A big storm started outside. Rain fell very fast and hard. The water in the kettle boiled over.
Bess's Mother took the kettle. She took it off the fire. Nix jumped out. He was a little man. He had green teeth. He wore a green hat.
"Oh, it is so hot!" Nix cried. "I lived in the lake for many years. Water never boiled before!" He ran out.
Nix ran outside very fast. He cried loudly as he ran. Thunder clapped one last time. The big storm stopped at once.
Bess's Mother knew all. She put a metal charm on her door. It would keep bad things away. She was sorry for being angry. She bought Bess pink ribbons.
Playing tricks can cause trouble. The Nix learned a lesson about hot water. Bess and her mother were safe and happy.
Original Story
THE NIX IN MISCHIEF.
A certain lake in Germany was once the home of a Nix, who became tired of the monotony of life under water, and wished to go into the upper world and amuse himself.
His friends and relations all tried to dissuade him. "Be wise," said they, "and remain where you are safe, seeing that no business summons you from the lake. Few of our kindred have had dealings with the human race without suffering from their curiosity or clumsiness; and, do them what good you may, in the long run you will reap nothing but ingratitude. From how many waters have they not already banished us? Wherefore let well alone, and stay where you are."
But this counsel did not please the Nix—(as, indeed, there is no reason to suppose that advice is more palatable under water than on dry land)—and he only said, "I shall not expect gratitude, for I have no intention of conferring benefits; but I wish to amuse myself. The Dwarfs and Kobolds play what pranks they please on men and women, and they do not always have the worst of it. When I hear of their adventures, the soles of my feet tingle. This is a sign of travelling, and am I to be debarred from fun because I live in a lake instead of a hill?"
His friends repeated their warnings, but to no purpose. The Nix remained unconvinced, and spent his time in dreaming of the clever tricks by which he should outwit the human race, and the fame he would thereby acquire on his return to the lake.
Mischief seldom lacks opportunity, and shortly after this it happened that a young girl came down to the lake for water to wash with; and dipping her pail just above the Nix's head, in a moment he jumped in, and was brought safe to land. The maid was Bess, the washerwoman's daughter; and as she had had one good scolding that morning for oversleeping herself, and another about noon for dawdling with her work, she took up the pail and set off home without delay.
But though she held it steadily enough, the bucket shook, and the water spilled hither and thither. Thinking that her right arm might be tired, she moved the weight to her left, but with no better success, for the water still spilled at every step. "One would think there were fishes in the pail," said Bess, as she set it down. But there was nothing to be seen but a thin red water-worm wriggling at the bottom, such as you may see any day in a soft-water tub. It was in this shape, however, that the Nix had disguised himself, and he almost writhed out of his skin with delight at the success of his first essay in mischief.
When they once more set forward the Nix leaped and jumped harder than ever, so that not only was the water spilled, but the maiden's dress was soaked, and her tears dropped almost as fast as the wet dripped from her clothes.
"The pail is bewitched!" cried the poor girl. "How my mother will beat me for this! And my back aches as if I were carrying lead, and yet the water is nearly all gone."
"This is something like fun!" laughed the Nix. "When I go home and relate my adventures, no dwarfs pranks will be named again!" But when Bess looked into the pail, he was the same slimy, stupid-looking worm as before. She dared not return to the lake for more water—"for," said she, "I should be as much beaten for being late as for bringing short measure, and have the labour to boot." So she took up her burden again, and the Nix began his dance afresh, and by the time they came to their journey's end, there was not a quart of water in the pail.
"Was ever a poor woman plagued with such a careless hussy?" cried the mother when she saw the dripping dress; and, as Bess had expected, she seasoned her complaints with a hearty slap. "And look what she calls a pailful of water!" added the mother, with a second blow.
"Late in the morning's unlucky all day," thought poor Bess, and, as her mother curled her, she screamed till the house rang with the noise; for she had good lungs, and knew that it is well to cry out before one gets too much hurt.
Meanwhile the Nix thought she was enduring agonies, and could hardly contain his mischievous glee; and when the woman bade her "warm some water quickly for the wash," he was in no way disturbed, for he had never seen boiling water, and only anticipated fresh sport as he slipped from the pail into the kettle.
"Now," cried the mother sharply, "see if you can lift that without slopping your clothes."
"Aye, aye," laughed the Nix, "see if you can, my dear!" and as poor Bess seized it in her sturdy red hands he began to dance as before. But the kettle had a lid, which the pail had not. Moreover Bess was a strong, strapping lass, and, stimulated by the remembrance of her mother's slaps, with a vigorous effort she set the kettle on the fire. "I shall be glad when I'm safely in bed," she muttered. "Everything goes wrong to-day."
"It is warm in here," said the Nix to himself, after a while; "in fact—stuffy. But one must pay something for a frolic, and it tickles my ears to hear that old woman rating her daughter for my pranks. Give me time and opportunity, and I'll set the whole stupid race by the ears. There she goes again! It is worth enduring a little discomfort, though it certainly is warm, and I fancy it grows warmer."
By degrees the bottom of the kettle grew quite hot, and burnt the Nix, so that he had to jump up and down in the water to keep himself cool. The noise of this made the woman think that the kettle was boiling, and she began to scold her daughter as before, shouting, "Are you coming with that tub to-night or not? The water is hot already."
This time the Nix laughed (as they say) on the other side of his mouth; for the water had now become as hot as the bottom of the kettle, and he screamed at the top of his shrill tiny voice with pain.
"How the kettle sings to-night!" said Bess, "and how it rains!" she added. For at that moment a tremendous storm burst around the house, and the rain poured down in sheets of water, as if it meant to wash everything into the lake. The kettle now really boiled, and the lid danced up and down with the frantic leaping and jumping of the agonized Nix, who puffed and blew till his breath came out of the spout in clouds of steam.
"If your eyes were as sharp as your ears you'd see that the water is boiling over," snapped the woman; and giving her daughter a passing push, she hurried to the fire-place, and lifted the kettle on to the ground.
But no sooner had she set it down, than the lid flew off, and out jumped a little man with green teeth and a tall green hat, who ran out of the door wringing his hands and crying—
"Three hundred and three years have I lived in the water of this lake, and I never knew it boil before!"
As he crossed the threshold, a clap of thunder broke with what sounded like a peal of laughter from many voices, and then the storm ceased as suddenly as it had begun.
The woman now saw how matters stood, and did not fail next morning to fasten an old horseshoe to the door of her house. And seeing that she had behaved unjustly to her daughter, she bought her the gayest set of pink ribbons that were to be found at the next fair.
It is on record that Bess (who cared little for slaps and sharp speeches) thought this the best bargain she had ever made. But whether the Nix was equally well satisfied is not known.
Story DNA
Moral
Mischief often backfires on the one who instigates it, especially when one is ignorant of the full consequences of their actions.
Plot Summary
A mischievous Nix, ignoring warnings, leaves his lake to play pranks on humans. He disguises himself as a worm and causes trouble for a young girl, Bess, by making her spill water and incur her mother's wrath. The Nix then unknowingly enters a kettle of water that Bess is heating, experiencing excruciating pain as it boils. He dramatically escapes, revealing his true form and screaming about the torment of boiling water, before fleeing back to the lake. Bess's mother, realizing her injustice, apologizes to Bess and takes precautions against future supernatural mischief.
Themes
Emotional Arc
arrogance to suffering
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects common folklore beliefs in Germany regarding nature spirits and their interactions with humans, often with a moralistic or cautionary undertone.
Plot Beats (11)
- A Nix, bored with his underwater life, decides to venture into the human world to play pranks, ignoring warnings from his family.
- He disguises himself as a red water-worm and jumps into the pail of a young girl named Bess, who is fetching water from the lake.
- On the way home, the Nix makes the water spill, causing Bess to be soaked, scolded, and beaten by her mother.
- The Nix, delighted by his mischief, then slips from the pail into a kettle of water that Bess is told to heat for washing.
- Initially, the Nix enjoys the warmth and the continued scolding of Bess, but as the water gets hotter, he becomes increasingly uncomfortable.
- The water begins to boil, causing the Nix immense pain, and he frantically jumps inside the kettle, making it sing and the lid dance.
- A sudden storm erupts outside as the kettle boils over.
- Bess's mother lifts the kettle off the fire, and the Nix, in his true form as a little man with green teeth and a green hat, leaps out.
- The Nix screams about never having known boiling water in his 303 years in the lake and flees out the door.
- As he crosses the threshold, thunder claps like laughter, and the storm immediately stops.
- Bess's mother understands what happened, fastens a horseshoe to her door for protection, and buys Bess pink ribbons as an apology for her unjust treatment.
Characters
The Nix ⚔ antagonist
Initially unseen, he disguises himself as a thin red water-worm, wriggling and slimy. When revealed, he is a small man with green teeth and a tall green hat. His body is agile and prone to frantic leaping and jumping when in distress.
Attire: A tall green hat. No other clothing is specified, implying a simple or natural state, perhaps just the hat as his defining garment.
Wants: To amuse himself by playing pranks on humans, to escape the monotony of his underwater life, and to gain fame among his kin for his adventures.
Flaw: Ignorance of human technology and the properties of heat (boiling water), overconfidence in his own cleverness, underestimation of human resilience and anger.
Starts as an arrogant, mischievous prankster seeking amusement and fame. Ends up severely scalded and humiliated, learning a painful lesson about the dangers of the human world and the consequences of his pranks.
Mischievous, playful, arrogant, curious, easily bored, somewhat naive about human ways, enjoys pranks and causing discomfort to others.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, agile man with green teeth and a tall, pointed green hat. He has a mischievous expression, with wide, bright eyes. His skin is pale, and his features are sharp. He is wringing his hands in a gesture of distress. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Bess ★ protagonist
A strong, strapping lass with sturdy red hands, indicating a working-class background and physical labor. Her clothes are often soaked due to the Nix's pranks.
Attire: Simple, practical dress suitable for a washerwoman's daughter in a German village, likely made of sturdy linen or wool. It becomes soaked and dripping during the story.
Wants: To avoid her mother's wrath, to complete her chores, to survive the day's misfortunes.
Flaw: Fear of her mother's scoldings and slaps, prone to dawdling.
Starts as a somewhat careless and unlucky girl, plagued by misfortunes. Through enduring the Nix's pranks and her mother's anger, she learns to be more vigilant and is ultimately rewarded with ribbons, finding a silver lining in her difficult day.
Hardworking (despite occasional dawdling), resilient, enduring, somewhat long-suffering, pragmatic, loud when in pain, quick to learn from experience.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young, strong peasant girl standing, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a sturdy build, with fair skin and rosy cheeks. Her hair is light brown, pulled back in a simple braid. She wears a practical, plain linen dress in a muted blue, with a simple white apron over it. Her hands are red and strong. She holds a heavy, dripping wooden pail in one hand. Her expression is weary but determined. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Mother ◆ supporting
No specific details, but her actions suggest a robust and physically capable woman, able to deliver hearty slaps and lift heavy kettles. Her presence is commanding.
Attire: Practical, sturdy clothing suitable for a washerwoman in a German village, likely simple linen or wool garments, possibly with an apron.
Wants: To ensure her daughter completes her chores, to maintain order in her household, to run her washing business efficiently.
Flaw: Quick temper, prone to physical punishment, initially unjust in her judgment of Bess.
Starts as a harsh and demanding mother, quick to punish Bess. After witnessing the strange events and the Nix's departure, she realizes her injustice and makes amends by buying Bess ribbons, showing a capacity for self-correction and kindness.
Strict, easily angered, demanding, hardworking, pragmatic, observant (eventually), capable of remorse and generosity.
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged, stern-faced woman standing, facing forward, full body visible from head to toe. She has a strong, sturdy build, with a no-nonsense expression. Her dark hair is pulled back tightly in a bun. She wears a practical, dark grey linen dress with a simple white apron over it. Her hands are on her hips, conveying authority. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
German Lake
A freshwater lake in Germany, the home of the Nix and his kin. The water's surface is where Bess dips her pail.
Mood: Initially serene and mundane, then becomes a point of transition for mischief.
The Nix, disguised as a water-worm, jumps into Bess's pail to begin his adventure in the human world.
Image Prompt & Upload
A calm, still lake in a temperate German landscape, reflecting a soft morning sky. Reeds and rushes line the near shore, with gentle hills covered in deciduous trees in the background. A simple wooden pail is partially submerged at the water's edge, creating small ripples. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Washerwoman's Cottage
A humble German cottage, likely a half-timbered Fachwerk house with a thatched roof, where Bess and her mother live. It contains a fireplace, a kettle, and a wash tub.
Mood: Initially tense and scolding, then shifts to chaotic and painful for the Nix, ending with a sense of relief and resolution.
Bess is scolded and beaten, the Nix experiences the agony of boiling water in the kettle, and is finally revealed in his true form before fleeing. An old horseshoe is later fastened to the door.
Image Prompt & Upload
The interior of a rustic German Fachwerk cottage kitchen, with rough-hewn timber beams supporting a low ceiling. A large, blackened stone hearth dominates one wall, with a cast-iron kettle sitting on glowing embers. A wooden wash tub is nearby. Warm firelight casts dancing shadows on the plastered walls, which show signs of age and use. Rain streaks down a small, leaded-pane window. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Cottage Threshold
The doorway of the washerwoman's cottage, marking the boundary between the human dwelling and the outside world.
Mood: Dramatic, climactic, and magical, with a sudden shift from chaos to calm.
The Nix, in his true form, leaps out of the kettle and crosses the threshold, coinciding with a clap of thunder and the sudden cessation of the storm.
Image Prompt & Upload
A weathered wooden doorframe of a humble German cottage, seen from just inside, looking out into a torrential downpour. Rain lashes down, obscuring the view beyond the immediate threshold. A small, green-hatted figure with green teeth is mid-leap across the worn wooden threshold, hands wrung in agony, silhouetted against the stormy, dark-blue sky. Lightning briefly illuminates the scene. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
