170
Sharing Joy and Sorrow
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Once upon a time there was a tailor who was a quarrelsome man. His wife was good, hardworking and pious, but she could never please him. Whatever she did, he was dissatisfied. He grumbled, scolded, fought with her, and beat her. When the authorities finally heard about this, they had him summoned and put in prison so that he would reform. He was kept on bread and water for a while. Finally he was released, but he had to promise not to beat his wife again, but instead to live peacefully with her, sharing joy and sorrow as married couples should.
For a while it went well, but then he fell back into his old ways and again became sullen and quarrelsome. And because he was not allowed to hit her, he tried to grab her by the hair and rough her up. His wife escaped from him and ran out into the yard. He ran after her with his yardstick and scissors, chased her around, and threw at her his yardstick, his scissors, and whatever else he had at hand.
When he hit her he laughed, and when he missed her he ranted and raged. He carried on until the neighbors came to the woman's aid. The tailor was again called before the authorities and reminded of his promise.
"Dear Sirs," he answered, "I have kept my promise. I have not struck her, but rather have shared joy and sorrow with her."
"How can this be," said the judge, "since she is once again making this great complaint against you?"
"I did not beat her. I only wanted to comb her hair with my hand, because she looked so strange. But she ran away from me and left me angrily. So I ran after her, and so that she would return to her duty, I threw at her whatever was at hand as a well-meaning reminder. I also shared joy and sorrow with her, for whenever I hit her, I was happy and she was sorry. But if I missed her, she was happy, and I was sorry."
The judges were not satisfied with this answer, and they gave him the punishment that he well deserved.
- Source (books.google.com): Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, "Lieb und Leid Theilen," Kinder und Hausmärchen, vol. 2 (Göttingen: Verlag der Dieterichschen Buchhandlung, 1857), no. 170, pp. 340-41.
- Source (Internet Archive): Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, "Lieb und Leid Theilen," Kinder und Hausmärchen, vol. 2 (Göttingen: Verlag der Dieterichschen Buchhandlung, 1857), no. 170, pp. 340-41.
- The Grimms' source: Georg Wickram, "Einer leidt mit seiner frauwen lieb und leidt," Rollwagenbüchlein (1555).
- A modern edition of this story: Georg Wickram, "Einer leidt mit seiner frauwen lieb und leidt," Rollwagenbüchlein, Georg Wickrams Werke, vol. 3, edited by Johannes Bolte (Tübingen: Gedruckt für den Litterarischen Verein in Stuttgart, 1903), no. 17, pp. 23-24.
- Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 921D*, "Witty Answers."
Related links
D. L. Ashliman's folktexts, a library of folktales, folklore,
fairy tales, and mythology.
The Grimm Brothers' Home Page.
The Grimm Brothers' Children's and Household Tales (Fairy Tales).
The Language of Animals, folktales of Aarne-Thompson-Uther type 670 about wife beating.
Revised January 18, 2025.