“A miller fell slowly but surely into poverty, until finally he had nothing more than his mill and a large apple tree which stood behind it.”

(The 1819 Version)

One day a poor miller met a strange old man who promised him that he would make him wealthy if, in three years he would give the dearest thing to him that was standing behind his mill.  Thinking the odd man was referring to the apple tree, he quickly concurred.

Maiden Meditation (1847) Charles West Cope
~ source Wikimedia Commons

But when, in three years, his wife began to question him on the wealth that was appearing around them and her husband told her of the deal, she was horrified, telling him that he had been speaking to the devil and at that time, their beautiful, pious daughter had been standing behind the mill, sweeping.  The devil came for the daughter but she had washed herself clean and placed herself within a circle of chalk.  After a few nights of keeping her hands clean by weeping, and therefore keeping the devil at bay, the devil ordered her father to cut off her hands.  Tragically, out of fear, he did so but she wept so much the stumps were clean in the morning, breaking all the devil’s power over her.

Instead of accepting her father’s offer of care, she roamed about and, hungry and exhausted, arrived at a garden with pear trees.  With a moat around, she despaired of reaching them but an angel helped her and then the next morning the king came and found out all from his gardener.  He took the beautiful girl and married her.  But then he went off to battle asking to be informed if his Queen bore a child.  She did, a beautiful boy, but the devil, still trying to harm the girl, intercepted the message and changed it to inform the King that she had borne a changeling.  However, being a temperate man, he sent a message back to ask them to care for the Queen, but the devil intercepted this message as well and changed it to give orders to kill his wife and child.

The Girl Without Hands (before 1892) Philipp Grot Johann
~ source Wikimedia Commons

Horrors of horrors, but the king’s mother couldn’t obey such an evil request and instead killed a deer in her stead.  Yet, the Queen had to leave and she finally found a cottage within the woods to live with her little son.

When the King finally returns, his is not soon to find his family and we are treated to his adventures until a final conclusion

This story was an expanded version of the tale told in 1812, which is much more condensed, less eloquent and more abrupt.  There are certainly some differences, however the broad structure remains the same.  You can read both versions HERE.

If you enjoy The Brothers Grimm, click to read a review on Rotkäppchen (Little Red Riding Hood).