Thursday, April 23, 2015

The Three Feathers, by the Brothers Grimm

Grimm, Jacob, and Wilhelm Grimm. "The Three Feathers." Grimms' Tales for Young and Old. Ed. Ralph Manheim. New York: Anchor Press/Double Day. 239-241. Print.

Additional Information:
  • Fairy tale
  • Non-English author
Synopsis: There once was a great king who had three sons.  Two sons were clever, but one was foolish and acquired the nickname Blockhead.  When the king knew he was near death, he couldn't decide who should inherit his kingdom.  As a test, the son who brought the king the most beautiful carpet would be king.  When the three sons went to look for the rug, the king blew three feathers into the air - one for each son.  The clever sons split and went East and West along with their feathers, while Blockhead went straight.  Blockhead stumbled upon a trap door that was home to a magical frog.  Blockhead asked the frog for a carpet, and the frog returned the most beautiful carpet in the land.  It was far better than the rug his brothers brought, so Blockhead looked to inherit the kingdom.  After fuss from the two brothers, there became another challenge.  The son who brought back the most magnificent ring would be king.  Again, Blockhead visited the frog and brought back a ring far better than that of the other sons.  The final challenge was to bring back a beautiful maiden.  After visiting the frog, Blockhead brought back the most beautiful maiden and inherited the throne which he ruled wisely for the rest of his days.

Book Notes: This is one of the many fairy tales collected by the Brother's Grimm.  The entire book is a thick anthology full of folk tales from ancient Germany.  If these stories are read aloud to children, it may be a good idea to find a picture book of the desired story, since there are no illustrations in this anthology.  It is important to consider the context of the story as well.  Some fairy tales can be very dark and violent, so they may be more appropriate for older elementary students.

Critique: "The Three Feathers" is a wonderful fairy tale to read aloud in the classroom.  It is short enough to quickly read during a mini lesson, and there is no violence or darkness.  It is a good story to read in order to teach theme or symbolism.  

Classroom Activities: This fairy tale is a great story to teach theme, symbolism, or making connections.  Students can decipher the theme or moral of the story, analyze the symbolism of the feathers, or make connections between this story and Cinderella.  There are also many activities that go along with "The Three Feathers."  Below are more classroom ideas.
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