The Peasants Wise Daughter by Brothers Grimm [PDF]

Information: The Peasants Wise Daughter

• Author: Brothers Grimm
• Publication Date: 1857
• Main Characters:
  • The Peasant's Daughter: A clever young woman from a poor family who solves the king's riddles and proves her wisdom is worth more than gold
  • The Peasant (Father): A poor but honest farmer who ignores his daughter's advice and brings a golden mortar to the king, landing himself in prison
  • The King: A proud ruler who tests the daughter with riddles, marries her for her wit, but later challenges her loyalty when she defies his judgment
• Brief Summary: A poor peasant discovers a golden mortar while plowing and wants to give it to the king as a gift. His daughter warns him the king will demand the missing pestle too, but the father ignores her advice and is thrown in prison. The daughter then impresses the king by solving a series of impossible riddles, earning both her father's release and the king's proposal of marriage. After becoming queen, she defies the king's judgment in a court dispute, leading to a final test of her cleverness that determines whether she can keep her place at his side.
• Thematic Analysis: The story explores the tension between wisdom and power, showing how intelligence can level the playing field between the poor and the powerful. It also touches on gender roles, as the daughter consistently proves smarter than the men around her. Themes of pride, humility, and the true meaning of worth run through every scene.
• Historical Context: The Brothers Grimm included "The Peasants Wise Daughter" (also known as "The Peasant's Clever Daughter" or "Die kluge Bauerntochter") in their collection "Kinder- und Hausmärchen," with the definitive edition published in 1857. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm gathered this story from German oral folklore as part of their larger effort to preserve traditional European tales. The story reflects 19th-century rural values where practical wisdom was prized above formal education.