The Raven (Grimm)
Short summary
A queen's impatient curse transformed her naughty young daughter into a raven who flew to a dark forest.
A man found her and promised to free her. She warned him not to eat or drink from an old woman in a forest house, then wait on a tan heap for her carriage.
Three times he accepted drink from the woman and slept through the princess's visits. She left him bread, meat, wine that never diminished, her ring, and directions to Stromberg castle. He journeyed there, met giants who helped him, then obtained magical items from robbers: a door-opening stick, invisibility cloak, and glass-mountain horse.
That is my ring, so the man who is to set me free must be here... Now hast thou set me free, and tomorrow we will celebrate our wedding.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The Queens curse and transformation
A Queen had a young daughter who was still so small that she had to be carried. One day the child was particularly naughty and would not be quiet despite her mother's efforts. Growing impatient as ravens flew around the palace, the Queen opened the window and spoke in frustration.
I wish you were a raven and would fly away, and then I should have some rest. Scarcely had she spoken the words, before the child was changed into a raven, and flew from her arms
The transformed child flew into a dark forest and remained there for a long time. The parents heard nothing of their daughter for years.
The meeting and first test with white horses
One day a man traveling through the forest heard a raven crying and followed the voice. When he came closer, the bird revealed her true identity and pleaded for help.
I am a king's daughter by birth, and am bewitched, but thou canst set me free... but if thou art not awake, but sleeping, I shall not be set free.
The raven explained that he must go deeper into the forest to find a house with an old woman who would offer food and drink, but he must refuse everything or fall asleep. In the garden behind the house was a heap of tan where he should wait. For three days she would come at two o'clock - first with four white horses, then chestnut, then black. The raven warned that she already knew he would fail and accept something from the woman. Despite this prophecy, the man promised to resist all temptation.
When he reached the house, the old woman tried to persuade him to eat and drink.
Though he refused food, she convinced him to take just one drink. Shortly before two o'clock, he went to the tan heap but became overwhelmingly weary, lay down, and fell into deep sleep. When the raven arrived with four white horses, she found him sleeping and could not wake him despite shaking and calling.
The second test with chestnut horses
The next day the old woman again brought food and drink. The man refused food but was persuaded to take one drink from the glass. Towards two o'clock he went to the tan heap, but again felt overwhelming weariness, was forced to lie down, and fell into heavy sleep. When the raven drove up with four brown horses, she was already full of grief, knowing he would be asleep. She went to him but found there was no wakening him.
The third test with black horses and parting gifts
On the third day, the old woman asked why he neither ate nor drank - did he want to die? Though he replied that he was not allowed to eat or drink, when she set food and wine before him, he could not resist the smell and swallowed a deep draught. He went to the tan heap but became even more weary than before, lying down and sleeping as soundly as stone. At two o'clock the raven came with four black horses, and everything about the carriage was black.
She was in deepest grief, knowing he was asleep and could not deliver her. When she found him fast asleep, she could not waken him. Then she left magical gifts beside him: a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a bottle of wine that would never diminish no matter how much he consumed. She placed a gold ring with her name engraved on it on his finger. Finally, she left a letter explaining her gifts and telling him that if he still wished to deliver her, he should come to the golden castle of Stromberg, which lay within his power to reach.
The journey to find the golden castle of Stromberg
When the man awoke and realized he had slept through the final chance, he was heartbroken. He discovered the gifts and read the letter explaining everything. Determined to reach the golden castle of Stromberg, he set off but did not know where it was. After wandering the world for a long time, he entered a dark forest and walked for fourteen days without finding his way out. Exhausted, he saw a glimmering light and approached a house where a great giant stood.
The giant threatened to eat him, but the man offered to share his magical food that never diminished. Pleased with the endless feast, the giant agreed to help find the castle. He searched his maps but could not locate it. When his brother returned, they searched even larger and older maps until they finally found the golden castle of Stromberg, though it was many thousand miles away. The giant carried the man for two hours to within a hundred leagues of the castle, then returned home to nurse his child.
The glass mountain and three robbers magical items
The man walked day and night until he reached the golden castle of Stromberg. It stood on a glass mountain, and he could see the bewitched maiden driving her carriage around the castle. When he tried to climb up to her, he always slipped down the glass. He built a hut and lived there for a whole year, watching her drive above but unable to reach her. One day he saw three robbers fighting and called out to them. They possessed three magical items: a stick that could open any door, a cloak of invisibility, and a horse that could ride anywhere, even up glass mountains. The man tricked them into letting him test the items, then used them to beat the robbers and escape.
The rescue and wedding
Using the magical horse, he rode up the glass mountain. When he found the castle door shut, he struck it with the stick and it opened immediately. He climbed the stairs to the hall where the maiden sat with a golden cup of wine. Invisible in his cloak, he drew the ring she had given him from his finger and threw it into the cup where it rang. She cried out that her ring meant the man who would free her must be present. They searched the castle but could not find him, as he had gone outside and removed the cloak. When they came to the door and saw him, they cried aloud with delight. He took the king's daughter in his arms, she kissed him, and declared that he had set her free. They would celebrate their wedding the next day.