This is a well-known European folktale. A brother and sister run away from home after years of being badly treated by (you guessed it!) their wicked stepmother. The stepmother also happens to be a witch, and the children have some unlikely adventures. The brother is turned into a deer that loves nothing better than to be hunted. The sister becomes a Queen, has a baby, and is murdered by (you guessed it!) the wicked stepmother. Fortunately, the sister’s ghost comes back to life, the brother is made normal again, and they all (except the wicked stepmother) live happily ever after.
Our source for the story was Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm, translated by British writer Margaret Hunt. The book, which was first published in 1884, contains all 200 Grimm folktales plus 10 legends. This is tale No. 11. Although the Grimms’ source was the German writer Marie Hassenpflug, it should more properly classed as a European folktale since similar versions had been circulating throughout Europe for over 200 years.
Original Text / PDF (2,420 words)