Brother and Sister

"Brother and Sister" is a well-known European fairy tale which was, among others, written down by the Brothers Grimm in their collection of Children's and Household Tales (Grimm's Fairy Tales). It is alternatively known as "Little Sister and Little Brother" or (in the Grimm's version) "Brüderchen und Schwesterchen".

Plot synopsis

Tired of the cruel mistreatment they endure from their wicked stepmother, who is also a witch, a brother and sister run away from home one day. They wander off into the countryside and spend the night in the woods. By morning the boy is thirsty, and so the children go looking for a spring of clear water. But their stepmother has already discovered their escape, and has bewitched all the springs in the forest. The boy is about to drink from one, when his sister hears how its rushing sound says "Whoever drinks from me will become a tiger".

Desperately, the girl begs her brother not to drink from the spring, lest he transform into a tiger and tear her to pieces. So they continue on their way, but when they come to the second spring the girl hears it say, "Whoever drinks from me will become a wolf". Again, she desperately tries to prevent her brother from drinking from it. Reluctantly, he eventually agrees to her pleas but insists he drink from the next spring they encounter. And so they arrive at the third spring, and the girl overhears the rushing water cry, "Whoever drinks from me will become a deer". But it is too late, because her brother has already drunk from it, and changes into a deer.

Brother and Sister (Greek fairy tale)

Brother and Sister is a Greek fairy tale collected by Georgios A. Megas in Folktales of Greece.

It is Aarne-Thompson type 403A, The Wishes.

Synopsis

A brother and sister were poor. And once a chance to do some work let the brother buy some sardines, he gave them to his sister to keep for their evening meal. And it came to pass that three women occasioned their house and asked to rest. And the sister let them in and gave unto them the sardines. And the women told her that when she combed her hair, pearls would fall from it; when she washed her hands, the basin would fill with fish; when she dried her hands, the towel would fill with flowers. Thus was she able to give her brother mullet rather than the sardines. And he demanded to know how she had gotten it, but was pleased once she told him. So he went to sell the pearls, but he was haled before the king, because it was believed that he, being poor, had stolen the pearls. So he told the king his story, and the king resolved to marry his sister.

Brother and Sister (disambiguation)

Brother and Sister is a fairy tale known, in different variants, throughout Europe.

Brother and Sister may also refer to:

Brothers and Sisters may refer to: