Märchen von einem, der auszog, das Fürchten zu lernen
(The Story of the Boy Who Went Forth to Learn Fear)
Read this tale aloud, or read along with your little one. Sentences are short and the words are simple.
Once there was a boy. He was very brave. But he did not know what fear was.
His brothers said: go find a princess. She is afraid of nothing. The boy went to the castle.
He sat by the fire. Three nights he had to sit there. On the third night he heard a noise.
Three big men came in. They had chains. They sat down and beat the bones.
The boy watched. They showed him seven skulls. The men said: come play dice with us.
He played. He lost. He drank the wine.
He felt strange. Then a man came in. He was very tall.
He said: now it is your turn. The boy said: I am not afraid. The tall man fell down.
The boy was brave. He cut off his head. In the morning the king came.
He said: you won. You get the princess. The boy married her.
He still did not know what fear was. But he lived happily.