Faithful John
Story by: Brothers Grimm
Source: Kinder- und Hausmärchen
When the old king lay dying, he called his loyal servant, Faithful John, to his side. “Promise me you will protect my son and guide him,” he whispered. John swore an oath.
After the king’s death, John served the young prince with wisdom and care. One day, the prince saw a portrait of a beautiful princess and fell in love. “I must win her,” he declared. John arranged a voyage, warning the prince of three dangers that would threaten the princess’s life.
On their journey, John overheard ravens speaking of these dangers: a horse that would dash the princess to death, a wedding shirt that would burn her, and a drink that would poison her. John foiled each plot, but his actions seemed strange and alarming to the prince and princess.
At last, John was accused of treachery and turned to stone. Only the sacrifice of the royal children could restore him. The prince and princess, in grief, agreed. As their children’s blood touched the stone, John returned to life, and the children were miraculously restored as well.
The family rejoiced, and Faithful John served them with devotion for the rest of his days.
Similar Stories
The Twelve Brothers
Long ago, in a grand kingdom, a king and queen had twelve sons. The king, longing for a daughter, declared, “If our next child is a girl, the boys must die so she may inherit the kingdom alone.” The queen, horrified, wept bitterly. She loved her sons dearly and could not bear the thought of losing them.
One night, she warned her sons, “Flee, my children! Hide in the forest, for your lives are in danger.” The twelve brothers, hearts heavy, kissed their mother goodbye and vanished into the deep woods. There, they built a small cottage and lived together, vowing to protect one another.
Read Story →The White Snake
Long ago, there lived a king who was famed throughout the land for his wisdom. Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed as if news of the most secret things came to him through the air. But he had a strange custom. Every day at dinner, after the table had been cleared and everyone had left, a trusted servant had to bring him one more dish. It was covered and even the servant did not know what was in it, nor did anyone else, for the king never removed the cover until he was completely alone.
Read Story →The Three Snake-Leaves
Once upon a time, there was a poor man who could no longer afford to feed his only son. The son said to him, “Dear father, things are so difficult for you. I am a burden to you. I would rather go away and try to earn my own bread.”
The father gave him his blessing, and with great sorrow, bade him farewell. At that time, a powerful king was waging war against his enemies. The young man joined the king’s army and went to battle. When he stood before the enemy, there was a great danger, and it rained bullets so thickly that his comrades fell on all sides. And when their leader fell, the others were about to flee, but the young man stepped forward, spoke bravely to them, and said, “We will not let our fatherland perish!”
Read Story →
Comments
comments powered by Disqus