Frederick and Catherine (Brothers Grimm)
Short summary
A German village, fairy-tale era. Frederick went to plow and asked his wife Catherine to prepare dinner. While frying a sausage, she went to draw beer but left the pan unattended. The dog stole the sausage, the beer overflowed from the cask, and Catherine spilled flour trying to clean it up.
Frederick buried gold coins under the cow's manger, calling them game counters. Catherine traded them to peddlers for pots, then knocked out the bottoms and hung them on the fence as decorations.
They chased the thieves who took the gold. Catherine smeared butter on road ruts out of pity and let all their cheeses roll down a hill. That night they hid in a tree above the thieves. Catherine dropped pears, vinegar, and finally their door on the robbers, who fled thinking the devil was attacking. They recovered their gold. Later, while cutting corn, Catherine cut up all her clothes and became confused about her identity.
Is it I, or is it not I? Alas, it is not I... I should very much like to know if Catherine is in? 'Tis well, then I am certainly at home already, and ran away.
She joined thieves and shouted at houses asking what they had to steal, ruining their plans.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Catherines domestic disasters: sausage, beer, and flour
Frederick and Catherine were a young married couple living together as newlyweds. One day, Frederick told his wife he was going to plough the fields and expected roast meat and fresh beer waiting for him when he returned.
Catherine agreed to prepare everything. When dinnertime approached, she took a sausage from the chimney, put it in a frying pan with butter, and set it on the fire. While the sausage cooked, she decided to go to the cellar to draw beer, leaving the pan safely on the stove.
While drawing beer, Catherine remembered that the dog upstairs was not fastened and might steal the sausage. She rushed upstairs, but the Spitz had already taken the sausage and was dragging it across the ground.
Catherine chased the dog far into the field, but it was swifter than her. Eventually she gave up, saying philosophically about the lost sausage.
What's gone is gone! said Kate, and turned round, and as she had run till she was weary, she walked quietly and comfortably, and cooled herself.
Meanwhile, the beer continued running from the unturnedtap, filling the can and then flooding the entire cellar until the cask was empty. When Catherine discovered this disaster, she decided to cover the beer with flour from the garret, reasoning that saving things for later proved useful. However, she knocked over the beer can in the process, spilling Frederick's drink as well. Satisfied with her work, she scattered flour over the entire cellar, thinking it looked clean and wholesome.
The gold coins traded for earthenware pots
When Frederick returned home at midday, Catherine explained all her mishaps. Frederick was dismayed that she had let the sausage be stolen, the beer run out, and thrown away all their flour. Catherine replied that he should have warned her beforehand. Realizing his wife needed supervision, Frederick decided to hide his savings. He had accumulated many thalers which he changed into gold coins, telling Catherine they were game counters. He buried them under the cow's manger in the stable, strictly warning her to stay away from them.
Indeed, Frederick, I did not know that, you should have told me... Indeed, Frederick, I did not know that, you should have forewarned me.
After Frederick left, pedlars came to the village selling cheap earthenware bowls and pots. When they asked Catherine if she wanted to buy anything, she explained she had no money but offered yellow counters in trade.
The rogues were interested and asked to see them. Catherine directed them to dig under the cow's manger, since she was forbidden to go there herself. The pedlars discovered the pure gold, stole it, and fled, leaving their pots behind. Catherine knocked the bottoms out of all the pots and used them as decorations on the fence around her house. When Frederick returned and learned what happened, he was devastated to discover that those were not counters but their entire wealth in pure gold.
The journey: wasted butter, rolling cheeses, and carrying the door
Catherine suggested they chase after the thieves to recover their gold. Frederick agreed, telling her to bring butter and cheese for the journey. As they traveled, Catherine fell behind Frederick on the road. When she reached a hill with deep cart ruts, she felt sorry for the damaged earth and smeared butter in the ruts to heal them. While bending down, one of her cheeses rolled down the hill.
Rather than retrieve it herself, Catherine rolled another cheese down, thinking the first might be lonely. When neither returned, she sent a third, then a fourth, and finally threw down the fifth and sixth cheeses as well. After waiting and growing impatient with the cheeses that wouldn't return, she spoke to them mockingly.
Oh, you are good folks to send in search of death, you stay a fine long time away! Do you think I will wait any longer for you? I shall go my way, you may run after me.
When Catherine rejoined Frederick, she had only dry bread left. Frederick asked about the butter and cheese, and she explained her actions. He sent her back home to secure the house and bring more food. Catherine bolted the upper half of the door but removed the lower door from its hinges, carrying it on her back, believing this would protect the house. She also brought dried pears and vinegar for Frederick.
In the tree: frightening the thieves and recovering the gold
Frederick was exasperated by Catherine's foolishness but decided they should continue. Catherine hung the dried pears and vinegar jug on the door she carried. They searched the forest for the thieves but found nothing. As darkness fell, they climbed a tree to spend the night. The robbers happened to camp directly beneath their tree, lighting a fire to divide their stolen goods.
Frederick gathered stones to throw at the thieves, but missed. The robbers thought the falling stones were fir-apples blown by wind. Catherine, burdened by the heavy door, dropped the dried pears, which the thieves mistook for falling leaves. Next, she poured out the vinegar, which sprinkled the robbers below. They assumed it was morning dew. Finally, despite Frederick's protests, Catherine let the door fall with a tremendous crash. The terrified robbers cried out and fled, abandoning all their stolen goods. The next morning, Frederick and Catherine recovered all their gold.
Catherines confusion: cutting her clothes and losing her identity
Back home, Frederick told Catherine she must work industriously. She went to cut corn in the field but decided to eat first, which made her sleepy. Half-dreaming while cutting, she accidentally cut all her clothes to pieces. When she awoke half-naked, she wondered if she was really herself. Night had fallen, so she ran to the village and knocked on her husband's window, asking if Catherine was inside. Frederick confirmed his wife was home and asleep, so Catherine concluded she must already be home and ran away. She joined some vagabonds planning to steal, but her loud announcement of their intentions to the villagers made them want to be rid of her.
They sent her to pull turnips from the pastor's field. A man saw her in the dark and thought she was the devil. He ran to tell the pastor, who had a lame foot and asked to be carried on the man's back to investigate.
When they reached the field, Catherine stood up to her full height. Both men fled in terror.
Ah, the devil! cried the pastor, and both hurried away, and in his great fright the pastor could run better with his lame foot than the man who had carried him.