"The Twelve Huntsmen" is a German

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...

collected by the

Brothers Grimm The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...

as tale number 67 in their ''

Grimm's Fairy Tales ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', originally known as the ''Children's and Household Tales'' (german: Kinder- und Hausmärchen, lead=yes, ), is a German collection of fairy tales by the Grimm brothers or "Brothers Grimm", Jacob and Wilhelm, first publis ...

''.

Andrew Lang Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University ...

included it in ''

The Green Fairy Book ''The Langs' Fairy Books'' are a series of 25 collections of true and fictional stories for children published between 1889 and 1913 by Andrew Lang and his wife, Leonora Blanche Alleyne. The best known books of the series are the 12 collections ...

''. It is Aarne-Thompson type 884, the forsaken fiancée. Other tales which include this type as part of their plot are ''

The True Bride "The True Bride" or "The True Sweetheart" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' as tale 186. It combines two Aarne-Thompson types: 510, the persecuted heroine, and 884, the forsaken fiancée.D.L. Ashl ...

'', ''

The Two Kings' Children "The Two Kings' Children" is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'', tale number 113.Jacob and Wilheim Grimm, ''Household Tales''"The Two Kings' Children"/ref> It is Aarne-Thompson type 313C, the girl help ...

'', and ''

Sweetheart Roland "Sweetheart Roland" (german: Der Liebste Roland) is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm (KHM 56). It combines several Aarne-Thompson types: type 1119, the witch killing her own children; type 313A, the girl helps the hero flee; ...

''. This tale has also been given the alternate title "The Bride's Venture".Lily Owens, ed. (1981). ''The Complete Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales''. pp. 244–247. Avenel Books.

Synopsis

Once there was prince who was engaged to a beautiful maiden whom he loved. One day, the prince was summoned to his father's deathbed and was so grief-stricken that he promised he would marry the neighboring princess whom his father wished he would marry. After his father died and the prince became king, he felt bound by his promise to marry the other princess. His fiancee heard of the new king's promise and asked her father for eleven maidens who looked exactly like her. Each maiden dressed as huntsmen went to the king's court. At court, the king had a lion who knew everything. It told him that the huntsmen were women, and to test them, the king should put peas on the floor: a man's firm step would crush them, while a woman's would make them roll. The maiden heard this and warned her companions to step firmly. And so, when the huntsmen stepped on the peas, they were crushed. The lion then said the king should put spinning wheels in the room, betraying the maidens' interest. Once again, the maiden learned of the lion's plan and warned her companions. The lion soon fell from favor as the king believed he did not know everything, as once thought. When the king's new bride entered court, the maiden fainted. Fearing that a faithful servant had fallen ill, the king came to her aid and found she had the ring he had given her. He dismissed the new bride and married the maiden, and restored the lion to favor as it had seen the truth.

References

External links

''The Twelve Huntsmen''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Twelve Huntsmen Twelve Huntsmen Fictional hunters Fiction about magic Cross-dressing in literature Textiles in folklore ATU 850-999