In the rich storytelling tradition of Germany, many folktales explore the power of fate and the cleverness of ordinary people who overcome great obstacles. One of the most famous stories recorded by the Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm tells of a poor boy destined to marry a princess, and the impossible challenge set before him to prevent that fate. The tale, known as The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs, follows a young hero who faces dangerous trials, journeys to the realm of the Devil, and returns victorious through courage, intelligence, and perseverance.
Explore the wit and wisdom of Western Europe, where humor and virtue often go hand in hand
A Child Marked by Fate
Long ago, in a humble village, a poor woman gave birth to a son.
Soon after the child’s birth, a prophecy was spoken by a wise traveler: the boy would grow up to marry the king’s daughter.
When news of the prophecy reached the royal court, the king became furious.
The thought that a peasant boy might one day marry his princess was unbearable to him.
Determined to stop the prophecy from coming true, the king devised a plan to remove the boy from his path.
He ordered the child taken away, believing that by eliminating the boy, he could escape the fate foretold.
Yet fate has a way of protecting those it chooses.
The Boy Who Survived
Despite the king’s efforts, the boy survived and was raised by kind people who knew nothing of the prophecy.
As he grew older, he proved to be brave, intelligent, and kind-hearted.
Eventually, circumstances brought him before the king himself.
Recognizing the boy and remembering the prophecy, the king pretended to welcome him warmly.
But behind his smile, he was already planning another scheme.
The Impossible Mission
The king told the boy that he could marry the princess, if he completed a special task.
The boy must travel to the realm of the Devil and bring back three golden hairs from the Devil’s head.
The challenge was meant to be impossible.
No ordinary person could survive such a journey.
The king believed the boy would never return.
But the young hero accepted the task and set out on his journey.
The Mysteries of the Road
During his travels, the boy encountered several troubled places.
In one town, a once-lush tree that had produced golden apples had suddenly stopped bearing fruit.
In another place, a well that had once provided clear water had mysteriously dried up.
Later, he reached a river where a ferryman endlessly carried travelers across but could never leave his post.
Each person begged the traveler to discover the reason for their troubles when he reached the Devil.
The boy promised he would ask.
The Devil’s Grandmother
After a long and dangerous journey, the boy finally reached the house where the Devil lived.
Fortunately, he encountered someone who took pity on him, the Devil’s grandmother.
She was surprised by his courage and impressed by his determination.
Knowing that the Devil could be dangerous to strangers, she hid the boy inside the house before the Devil returned.
When the Devil arrived, he sensed immediately that a human was nearby.
“I smell human flesh,” he growled suspiciously.
But his grandmother calmed him and encouraged him to rest.
The Three Golden Hairs
Once the Devil fell asleep, the grandmother carefully pulled one golden hair from his head.
The Devil woke angrily and demanded to know why she had disturbed him.
She quickly explained that she had been troubled by strange dreams.
In her “dream,” she asked why the golden apple tree had stopped producing fruit.
The Devil, irritated but sleepy, revealed that a mouse was gnawing at the tree’s roots.
Later, she pulled a second golden hair and asked about the dried-up well.
The Devil answered that a toad blocking the spring was stopping the water from flowing.
Finally, she pulled the third golden hair and asked about the ferryman.
The Devil explained that the ferryman would be freed if he simply placed the pole in another traveler’s hands and stepped ashore.
With the three golden hairs and the answers to the riddles, the boy was ready to return home.
The Reward of Wisdom
On his journey back, the boy shared the Devil’s answers with those who had asked for help.
The people with the apple tree removed the mouse and their tree flourished again.
The villagers with the dried well removed the toad and their water returned.
Each community rewarded the boy generously.
When he reached the river, he told the ferryman how to escape his endless task.
The ferryman gratefully carried him across.
Justice at Last
When the boy returned to the royal court, he presented the three golden hairs to the astonished king.
He also told the king of the treasures he had seen during his journey.
Greedy and curious, the king decided to travel there himself to claim the riches.
But when he reached the river and boarded the ferry, the ferryman handed him the pole and stepped ashore.
And so the king became the new ferryman, trapped forever in the endless task.
Meanwhile, the brave young hero married the princess, fulfilling the prophecy that had guided his life from the beginning.
Moral Lesson
The tale of the Devil with the Three Golden Hairs teaches that destiny cannot easily be avoided. Cleverness, courage, and kindness often triumph over arrogance and power. Those who attempt to escape fate through cruelty or greed may ultimately fall into their own traps.
Knowledge Check
1. What prophecy shapes the boy’s life?
That he will grow up to marry the king’s daughter.
2. What task does the king give the boy?
To retrieve three golden hairs from the Devil’s head.
3. Who helps the boy obtain the golden hairs?
The Devil’s grandmother.
4. What problems does the boy solve on his journey?
A barren apple tree, a dried-up well, and a ferryman’s endless task.
5. What happens to the king in the end?
He becomes the new ferryman, trapped in the endless crossing.
6. Which famous collectors recorded this folktale?
Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm in Kinder- und Hausmärchen (1812).
Source: Kinder- und Hausmärchen by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm (1812)
Cultural Origin: German folklore
