The Three Snake-Leaves (Grimm)
Short summary
A poor man's son left home to seek his fortune. He joined a king's army during war and through exceptional bravery saved the kingdom from defeat. The grateful king rewarded him with treasures and made him first in the kingdom.
The king had a beautiful daughter who demanded any suitor promise to be buried alive with her if she died first. Despite this strange vow, the youth married her.
When the queen fell ill and died, the young king was sealed in the royal vault with her corpse. While there, he killed a snake approaching her body. Another snake brought three magical leaves that resurrected the dead snake. The young king decided to try the leaves on his wife.
So he picked up the leaves and laid one of them on the mouth of his dead wife, and the two others on her eyes... Then she drew breath, opened her eyes, and said, Ah, God, where am I?
They escaped the tomb together. However, after resurrection, the queen's love vanished. During a sea voyage to visit his father, she conspired with the ship's captain to throw her sleeping husband overboard. A faithful servant rescued him using the snake-leaves. They reached the old king first. When the treacherous queen arrived claiming her husband died at sea, the young king revealed himself. The queen and captain were sent to sea in a damaged ship where they perished.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
From poverty to royal marriage and a fatal vow
A poor man could no longer support his only son, so the young man decided to leave home and seek his fortune. His father gave him his blessing, and the youth joined the army of a mighty king who was at war. During a fierce battle, when the leader was killed and soldiers were about to flee, the brave youth rallied them with inspiring words.
We will not let our fatherland be ruined! Then the others followed him, and he pressed on and conquered the enemy.
The king rewarded the youth's heroism by raising him above all others, giving him great treasures, and making him first in the kingdom. The king had a beautiful but strange daughter who had made an unusual vow about marriage.
The queens death and the living burial
If he loves me with all his heart, of what use will life be to him afterwards? On her side she would do the same, and if he died first, would go down to the grave with him.
Despite this frightening oath, the youth was so charmed by her beauty that he agreed to the terms. When the king asked if he understood what he must promise, the youth replied that his love was so great he did not mind the danger. They were married with great splendor and lived happily for a while. However, the young queen soon fell gravely ill and died, leaving her husband to face his terrible promise.
The snake leaves and miraculous resurrection
The young king was taken down into the royal vault with his wife's corpse, and the door was shut and bolted. Near the coffin stood a table with four candles, four loaves of bread, and four bottles of wine. He sat there in grief, eating and drinking sparingly, watching death draw nearer each day. While gazing before him, he saw a snake creep toward the dead body. Thinking it would gnaw at his wife, he drew his sword and cut the snake into three pieces. Soon, a second snake appeared with three green leaves in its mouth. It placed the leaves on the wounds of the dead snake, which immediately came back to life. Both snakes hastened away, leaving the miraculous leaves behind. The grieving husband picked up the leaves and placed one on his wife's mouth and the others on her eyes. The blood stirred in her veins, color returned to her face, and she drew breath and opened her eyes. He gave her wine and bread, and when she regained her strength, they knocked on the door until the sentries heard them. The king came down and found both alive and well, rejoicing that their sorrow was over.
The queens betrayal and the kings murder at sea
The young king kept the three snake-leaves, giving them to his faithful servant to carry constantly. However, a terrible change had taken place in his wife after her resurrection - all love for her husband seemed to have vanished from her heart. When they embarked on a sea voyage to visit his old father, she forgot his great love and fidelity and conceived a wicked inclination for the ship's captain.
She forgot the great love and fidelity which he had shown her, and which had been the means of rescuing her from death, and conceived a wicked inclination for the skipper.
One night while the young king slept, the treacherous queen and the skipper seized him and threw him into the sea. The faithful servant, who had witnessed this shameful deed unseen, unfastened a small boat and sailed after his master, letting the traitors continue on their way. He fished up the dead body and used the three snake-leaves to bring the young king back to life.
The faithful servants rescue and final justice
The king and his servant rowed day and night, reaching the old king before the others. When the great ship arrived, the godless woman told her father that her husband had died during the voyage. The king said he would make the dead alive again and revealed the two hidden men. When the woman saw her husband, she was thunderstruck and begged for mercy, but there was none to be found.