The Water of Life

Long before you or I were born, in a country a great way off, a king had three sons. He fell so ill that nobody thought he could live. The sons, walking mournfully in the palace garden, met a little old man who asked what was wrong. They said their father was dying and they feared nothing could save him. “I know what would,” said the little man. “The Water of Life. A draught of it would make him well, but it is very hard to get.” The eldest said he would soon find it; he begged the sick king leave to go. “No,” said the king, “I would rather die than place you in such danger.” But the prince begged so hard that the king let him go; and he thought that if he brought the water he would be made sole heir.

He set out and came to a deep valley overhung with rocks and woods. Above him on a rock stood a dwarf in a sugarloaf cap and scarlet cloak, who called, “Prince, whither so fast?” “What is that to you, you ugly imp?” said the prince haughtily, and rode on. Enraged, the dwarf laid a fairy spell of ill-luck on him; the mountain pass grew narrower until he could not go forward, and when he tried to turn back a loud laugh rang and the path closed behind him. He could not even dismount and walk; another laugh, and he could not move a step—spellbound.

Meantime the old king lingered in hope. At last the second son said he would go in search of the Water—thinking his brother dead and the kingdom his if he found it. The king was unwilling, then yielded. The second followed the same road, met the same elf at the same spot. “Prince, prince, whither so fast?” “Mind your own affairs, busybody!” said he scornfully, and rode on. The same spell shut him in the heart of the mountains. Both brothers were now trapped by the helper they had insulted.

When the second had been long gone, the youngest said he would search for the Water and trusted to make his father well. He set out, and the dwarf met him too. “Prince, whither so fast?” “I am going for the Water of Life, because my father is ill and like to die. Can you help me? Pray be kind and aid me if you can!” “Do you know where it is?” asked the dwarf. “No; pray tell me if you know.” “Then, as you have spoken kindly and are wise enough to seek advice, I will tell you. The water springs from a well in an enchanted castle. Take this iron wand and two little loaves. Strike the iron door three times and it will open. Two hungry lions lie inside; throw them the bread and they will let you pass. Then hasten to the well and take the Water before the clock strikes twelve, or the door will shut on you forever.”

The prince thanked his little friend, took wand and bread, and travelled over sea and land until he found everything as the dwarf had said. The door flew open at the third stroke; when the lions were quieted he went on through the castle to a beautiful hall where knights sat in a trance; he pulled off their rings and put them on his own fingers. In another room he took a sword and a loaf of bread from a table. Further on a beautiful young lady sat on a couch; she welcomed him joyfully and said that if he would set her free from the spell that bound her, the kingdom should be his if he came back in a year and married her. She told him the well of the Water of Life was in the palace gardens, and bade him make haste before twelve.

Walking through beautiful gardens he came to a shady couch; tired, he thought to rest a while and gaze on the lovely scenes. Sleep fell on him unawares until the clock struck a quarter to twelve. He sprang up dreadfully frightened, ran to the well, filled a cup, and hastened out. Just as he went through the iron door it struck twelve; the door fell so quickly it snapped off a piece of his heel.

Safe, he was overjoyed to have the Water. Passing the dwarf, who saw the sword and loaf, he heard that with the sword he could at a blow slay whole armies, and the bread would never fail. The prince said he could not go home without his brothers—could the dwarf tell where they were? The dwarf said they were spellbound in the mountains for their pride, but he would release them. He did; the brothers were freed, and the youngest told how he had found the Water and how the princess had engaged to wait a year, then marry him and give him the kingdom.

They rode homeward together and came to a country laid waste by war and famine. The prince gave the king of that land the bread, and all ate of it; he lent the wonderful sword, and the enemy’s army was slain; the kingdom was again in peace and plenty. In the same manner he befriended two other countries on the way.

At sea in a ship the two eldest said to themselves that their brother had got the water they could not find, so their father would forsake them and give him the kingdom—their right; full of envy, they agreed to ruin him. When he slept they poured the Water of Life out of his cup, took it for themselves, and gave him bitter sea-water instead.

At journey’s end the youngest brought his cup to the sick king. Scarcely had the king tasted the bitter sea-water when he grew worse than before. Then the elder sons came in, blamed the youngest for wanting to poison their father, and said they had found the Water of Life and brought it. The king drank theirs and was healed. The elder brothers threatened the youngest with death if he told anyone of their deception. The king, still believing he had been poisoned deliberately, ordered his huntsman to kill the youngest. On a hunting trip the huntsman confessed the order. The prince begged for his life and proposed that they exchange coats. The huntsman gladly spared him, returned with the royal coat, and let him escape into hiding.

Later, ambassadors arrived from the three kingdoms the prince had helped, bringing gifts in gratitude for the bread and sword. The king began to doubt the accusation and grieved that he had ordered his son killed. The huntsman then admitted that the prince was alive. Overjoyed, the king announced that he would welcome him home and forgive him.

Meantime the princess, freed from her spell, prepared her kingdom for the bridegroom who was to come in a year. She ordered a golden road built to her castle and told her people that whoever came riding straight along it was the true bridegroom and must be let in; whoever rode aside was a cheat and must be turned away. When the year was nearly up the eldest brother thought to take the young one’s place; he rode toward the golden road but turned aside onto the common way, thinking it a pity to tread gold. The guards turned him back. The second brother did the same. When the full year had passed, the youngest left his forest hiding place and rode toward his promised bride. Thinking only of her, he did not notice the gold under his horse’s feet and rode straight to the gate. The princess welcomed him and said that he should be her husband and ruler beside her. She then told him that his father had announced his pardon and wanted him home.

Before that wedding he visited his father with her, and told how his brothers had cheated and robbed him, and how he had borne those wrongs for love of his father. The old king was very angry and wanted to punish the wicked sons, but they escaped in a ship over the wide sea, and where they went nobody knew and nobody cared. The old king gathered his court and asked all his kingdom to celebrate the wedding. Young and old came; among the rest came the friendly dwarf with the sugarloaf hat and a new scarlet cloak. The wedding was held with bells and dancing and feasting that lasted I cannot tell how long.

Where this story comes from

“The Water of Life” is a German tale from the Brothers Grimm; it is not Indian. It is number 97 in Margaret Hunt’s 1884 translation (Das Wasser des Lebens), and the English followed here is the Project Gutenberg version drawn from Taylor and Edwardes.

The Grimms joined two tellings, from Hesse and from near Paderborn. In the Hessian one there is no princess; instead the king lays down three rugs, gold, silver and plain, and the son who rides over the golden one is the innocent one. In the Paderborn telling a fisherman, not a dwarf, guides the princes, who must fight a seven-headed dragon.

The king’s order to have his youngest son killed is kept, but the huntsman spares him.

Read the original: Grimms’ Fairy Tales, tr. Edgar Taylor and Marian Edwardes (Project Gutenberg #2591, The Water of Life)

Best for ages 9–12 with adult discussion. Includes magical imprisonment, a wounded heel, the destruction of armies and a father ordering an innocent son’s death. The healing water is a fairy-tale device.

Reading the story closely

The missing water is persuasive evidence only because the king does not know who changed the cup. The later embassies supply another view of the prince, prompting doubt before the huntsman admits he spared him. Restoring this sequence matters: the father’s change of mind has a cause, although his offer of ‘forgiveness’ still fails to acknowledge the son’s innocence fully.

Track three witnesses or signs—the cup, the grateful ambassadors and the golden road—and write what each observer concludes. Which can be manipulated, and which depends on a character’s priorities? Also notice that courtesy is only one part of the hero’s conduct: taking the entranced knights’ rings and lending a sword that kills armies complicate an uncomplicated goodness lesson.

Talk about it

• Why did the dwarf help the youngest prince but trap his brothers?
• The brothers swapped the Water of Life for salt water. Why do you think the king believed them so easily?
• The father offers to forgive his son, though the son was falsely accused. What would the father need to acknowledge about his own decision?

Related stories

• The Golden Bird — a gardener’s son betrayed by his brothers and rescued by a fox
• The Queen Bee — a Grimm youngest brother whose kindness succeeds where his brothers fail
• The King of the Golden Mountain — a Grimm hero who frees an enchanted princess in a silent castle