Looking for a Bride
A young shepherd is looking for a bride. But the three sisters he knows are equally beautiful and nice. And so he asks his mother for advice…
Looking for a Bride is a Brothers Grimm fairy tale about a shepherd who does not know which of three beautiful sisters he prefers. His mother counsels him to watch them eat some cheese. The first eats the rind, the second throws much cheese away, the third cuts carefully. He marries the third.
Complete text Looking for a Bride
Once upon a time, there lived a young shepherd who really wanted to marry.
He was acquainted with three sisters who were all equally pretty. It was difficult for him to make a choice, and he could not decide which one he preferred.
He asked his mother for advice, and she said, “Invite all three, and set some cheese before them, and watch how they eat it.”
The youth did so.
The first swallowed the cheese with the rind on.
The second hastily cut the rind off the cheese. However, she cut it so quickly that she left much good cheese with it, and threw that away also.
The third peeled the rind off carefully, and cut neither too much nor too little.
The shepherd told all this to his mother. She said: “Take the third as your wife.”
This he did, and they lived happily ever after together.
Tips for Telling Looking for a Bride
- This short tale is easily told in a comedic way, inserting your own asides.
- Invite some audience interaction. After each daughter takes some cheese you can give your listeners some time to think. And at the end, which one would they choose?
- Feeling the feminist itch? Maybe you can flip the genders in the story.
All Questions Answered
It was published by the Brothers Grimm in the second edition of their Grimm’s Fairy Tales. It was collected from the oral tradition and written down before by Johann Rudolf Wyß.
The Brothers Grimm included it in the 1819 second edition of their Grimm’s fairy tales. It was collected and written down before by Johann Rudolf Wyß.
“Looking for a Bride” is also known as “Choosing a Bride” and “Brides on Their Trial”.
More useful information
Fairy tales with a shepherd
Photo credits: Pixabay
The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales on this website are based on the authentic translation of Margaret Hunt. They were edited and reformatted for pleasant reading and telling by Storyteller Rudolf Roos.
See the complete list of The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales (link to internationalstoryteller.com).