So yesterday evening I dusted off my old Grimms’ book, ya know, the heavy one with the dark blue cover? Pulled it right off the shelf with a loud thump. Figured I’d revisit “The Twelve Brothers,” since it’s been ages. Wanted to actually sit down and try to understand why this one feels so sticky.
Just Grabbing Stuff and Jumping In
Didn’t have a plan, honestly. Just poured myself a lukewarm coffee – microwave job, nothing fancy – and flipped through the brittle pages. Found the story near the middle. Started reading out loud, kinda mumbled to myself like an idiot at first. The words felt stiff, you know how those old translations can be? “Once upon a time…” blah blah. The king threatening to kill all twelve sons if the thirteenth child was a girl? Man, that’s rough right out the gate.
Tried sketching the family tree as I went – messy scribbles on the back of an old envelope. Twelve sons, one princess sister, those poor raven brothers. Kept losing track of the names! Put little symbols next to ’em: a tiny sword for the king’s decree, little black birds for when they got cursed. Looked like chicken scratch by the end, but it kinda helped me follow the sister’s journey.
Hitting That Weird Part & Feeling Stuck
Got to the bit where the sister finds the cottage in the woods and her brothers warn her not to speak or laugh. Okay, makes sense… sacrifice and all. But then they tell her if she plucks white lilies they’ll turn back into ravens and stay that way? Felt random! Why lilies? Why that specific flower?
- Tried searching online quick: “Brothers Grimm white lily meaning.” Big mistake. Got buried in pages about flower lore, biblical stuff, tons of heavy symbolism stuff.
- Felt overwhelmed. Like, maybe the Grimms just picked a pretty flower? Or maybe it’s some German folk thing lost on me? Who knows.
- Gave up. Just read it as is. A harsh rule, makes the sister’s silence even harder. That’s scary enough.
Making the Ending Stick (Badly)
Finished the story. Sister stays quiet for seven whole years! Saves the brothers, they all become princes again. Nice happy ending, typical fairy tale stuff. Wanted to actually remember something solid about it. Stared at my messy envelope scribbles, the coffee now cold. Took a new piece of paper. Wrote down one thing that kept popping up:
- Unfair Choices / Consequences: Kings making brutal vows, parents forced into impossible positions, sisters bearing silent burdens… punishments that feel way bigger than the “crime” (like plucking one flower!). Messy consequences all over the place.
That’s what feels real to me. Life throws weird, unfair crap at ya all the time. Maybe that’s why these old stories stick around – they just exaggerate it. Felt sorta okay with just grabbing that one thread. Didn’t solve the lily mystery though. Maybe next time.
Honestly, felt like I wrestled the story more than read it. Those old tales are tough nuts! Shut the book, put it back on the shelf, wiped the dust off my hands. Done for the night. The envelope with the scribbles? Tossed in the bin. Pointless trying to be smart about it sometimes. Just gotta feel the weirdness.
