Among the best known writers of stories for boys and girls are two brothers named Grimm who lived in Germany about a hundred years ago. How the brothers came to write these stories is rather strange, for they were really persons of great learning who were teachers in the highest school for men.
What they were chiefly interested in was the history of languages. They wished to find out how old languages change and how, in time, new languages take their place. They knew that they would find the answer, not in the dead writing of books but in the living speech of the simple people. So they used to go around the country, from one village to another, and listen to the way people spoke.
In order to get the people to speak easily, they generally asked them to tell them a story. In this way they heard many old and interesting stories. These stories were not to be found in books but were passed from father or mother to son or daughter. The brothers collected the most interesting of these stories and put them in a book.
In time most people forgot, or did not know, that the Grimm brothers were important writers of books for men of learning; they remembered them only as the writers of wonderful stories for boys and girls.
Let us now read one of these fine stories.
What they were chiefly interested in was the history of languages. They wished to find out how old languages change and how, in time, new languages take their place. They knew that they would find the answer, not in the dead writing of books but in the living speech of the simple people. So they used to go around the country, from one village to another, and listen to the way people spoke.
In order to get the people to speak easily, they generally asked them to tell them a story. In this way they heard many old and interesting stories. These stories were not to be found in books but were passed from father or mother to son or daughter. The brothers collected the most interesting of these stories and put them in a book.
In time most people forgot, or did not know, that the Grimm brothers were important writers of books for men of learning; they remembered them only as the writers of wonderful stories for boys and girls.
Let us now read one of these fine stories.