Bearskin

Author: The Brothers Grimm

Age7–11
Reading time14 min
LevelAdvanced

Introduction

This is a story about not judging by appearances and about faith and perseverance being rewarded (folklorists call it tale type ATU 361, 'Bear-Skin'). It even has a traceable source: the German Baroque writer Grimmelshausen wrote a similar tale around 1670, and the word 'Bärenhäuter' (bear-skin) later came to mean a lazy, slovenly person in German. The hero is a discharged, destitute soldier who makes a strange seven-year pact with the Devil: as long as he does not wash, comb his hair, cut his nails, or pray for seven years, his pocket will never run out of money. He becomes filthy and monstrous — yet his heart stays good: he gives to the poor everywhere and generously rescues an old man about to be jailed. Of the man's three daughters, two shriek and mock his ugliness; only the youngest values his kindness in helping her father and his faithfulness to his word, and accepts the betrothal. When the seven years end, he returns washed and handsome and marries his loyal bride, while the two vain sisters are destroyed by their own jealousy. The Devil's chilling last line is telling: he never caught Bearskin, yet through the sisters' bad hearts he 'gets two souls instead of one.' As you read, ask your child: faced with the same filthy, frightening man, the three sisters made completely different choices — what did each of them value most? (Note for parents: this tale has a pact with the Devil and the two sisters' suicides at the end; focus on 'not judging by looks, and faithfulness rewarded.')

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There was once a young fellow who enlisted as a soldier, conducted himself bravely, and was always the foremost when it rained bullets.

So long as the war lasted, all went well, but when peace was made, he received his dismissal, and the captain said he might go where he liked.

His parents were dead, and he had no longer a home, so he went to his brothers and begged them to take him in, and keep him until war broke out again.

The brothers, however, were hard-hearted and said, "What can we do with thee? thou art of no use to us; go and make a living for thyself."

The soldier had nothing left but his gun; he took that on his shoulder, and went forth into the world.

He came to a wide heath, on which nothing was to be seen but a circle of trees; under these he sat sorrowfully down, and began to think over his fate.

"I have no money," thought he, "I have learnt no trade but that of fighting, and now that they have made peace they don't want me any longer; so I see beforehand that I shall have to starve."

All at once he heard a rustling, and when he looked round, a strange man stood before him, who wore a green coat and looked right stately, but had a hideous cloven foot.

"I know already what thou art in need of," said the man; "gold and possessions shall thou have, as much as thou canst make away with do what thou wilt, but first I must know if thou art fearless, that I may not bestow my money in vain."

"A soldier and fear - how can those two things go together?" he answered; "thou canst put me to the proof."

"Very well, then," answered the man, "look behind thee." The soldier turned round, and saw a large bear, which came growling towards him.

"Oho!" cried the soldier, "I will tickle thy nose for thee, so that thou shalt soon lose thy fancy for growling," and he aimed at the bear and shot it through the muzzle; it fell down and never stirred again.

"I see quite well," said the stranger, "that thou art not wanting in courage, but there is still another condition which thou wilt have to fulfil."

"If it does not endanger my salvation," replied the soldier, who knew very well who was standing by him. "If it does, I'll have nothing to do with it."

"Thou wilt look to that for thyself," answered Greencoat; "thou shalt for the next seven years neither wash thyself, nor comb thy beard, nor thy hair, nor cut thy nails, nor say one paternoster. I will give thee a coat and a cloak, which during this time thou must wear.

"If thou diest during these seven years, thou art mine; if thou remainest alive, thou art free, and rich to boot, for all the rest of thy life."

The soldier thought of the great extremity in which he now found himself, and as he so often had gone to meet death, he resolved to risk it now also, and agreed to the terms.

The Devil took off his green coat, gave it to the soldier, and said, "If thou hast this coat on thy back and puttest thy hand into the pocket, thou wilt always find it full of money."

Then he pulled the skin off the bear and said, "This shall be thy cloak, and thy bed also, for thereon shalt thou sleep, and in no other bed shalt thou lie, and because of this apparel shalt thou be called Bearskin."

After this the Devil vanished. The soldier put on the coat, felt at once in the pocket, and found that the thing was really true. Then he put on the bearskin and went forth into the world, and enjoyed himself, refraining from nothing that did him good and his money harm.

During the first year his appearance was passable, but during the second he began to look like a monster. His hair covered nearly the whole of his face, his beard was like a piece of coarse felt, his fingers had claws, and his face was so covered with dirt that if cress had been sown on it, it would have come up.

Whosoever saw him, ran away, but as he everywhere gave the poor money to pray that he might not die during the seven years, and as he paid well for everything he still always found shelter.

In the fourth year, he entered an inn where the landlord would not receive him, and would not even let him have a place in the stable, because he was afraid the horses would be scared. But as Bearskin thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled out a handful of ducats, the host let himself be persuaded and gave him a room in an outhouse.

Bearskin was, however, obliged to promise not to let himself be seen, lest the inn should get a bad name. As Bearskin was sitting alone in the evening, and wishing from the bottom of his heart that the seven years were over, he heard a loud lamenting in a neighboring room.

He had a compassionate heart, so he opened the door, and saw an old man weeping bitterly, and wringing his hands. Bearskin went nearer, but the man sprang to his feet and tried to escape from him.

At last when the man perceived that Bearskin's voice was human he let himself be prevailed on, and by kind words bearskin succeeded so far that the old man revealed the cause of his grief.

His property had dwindled away by degrees, he and his daughters would have to starve, and he was so poor that he could not pay the innkeeper, and was to be put in prison. "If that is your only trouble," said Bearskin, "I have plenty of money."

He caused the innkeeper to be brought thither, paid him and put a purse full of gold into the poor old man's pocket besides. When the old man saw himself set free from all his troubles he did not know how to be grateful enough.

"Come with me," said he to Bearskin; "my daughters are all miracles of beauty, choose one of them for thyself as a wife. When she hears what thou hast done for me, she will not refuse thee. Thou dost in truth look a little strange, but she will soon put thee to rights again."

This pleased Bearskin well, and he went. When the eldest saw him she was so terribly alarmed at his face that she screamed and ran away. The second stood still and looked at him from head to foot, but then she said, "How can I accept a husband who no longer has a human form?"

The youngest, however, said, "Dear father, that must be a good man to have helped you out of your trouble, so if you have promised him a bride for doing it, your promise must be kept."

He took a ring from his finger, broke it in two, and gave her one half, the other he kept for himself. He wrote his name, however, on her half, and hers on his, and begged her to keep her piece carefully, and then he took his leave.

"I must still wander about for three years, and if I do not return then, thou art free, for I shall be dead. But pray to God to preserve my life." The poor betrothed bride dressed herself entirely in black, and when she thought of her future bridegroom, tears came into her eyes.

Nothing but contempt and mockery fell to her lot from her sisters. "Take care," said the eldest, "if thou givest him thy hand, he will strike his claws into it." "Beware!" said the second. "Bears like sweet things, and if he takes a fancy to thee, he will eat thee up."

Bearskin, however, travelled about the world from one place to another, did good where he was able, and gave generously to the poor that they might pray for him.

At length, as the last day of the seven years dawned, he went once more out on to the heath, and seated himself beneath the circle of trees. It was not long before the wind whistled, and the Devil stood before him and looked angrily at him; then he threw Bearskin his old coat, and asked for his own green coat back.

"We have not got so far as that yet," answered Bearskin, "thou must first make me clean." Whether the Devil liked it or not, he was forced to fetch water, and wash Bearskin, and comb his hair, and cut his nails.

After this, he looked like a brave soldier, and was much handsomer than he had ever been before. When the Devil had gone away, Bearskin was quite lighthearted. He went into the town, put on a magnificent velvet coat, seated himself in a carriage drawn by four white horses, and drove to his bride's house.

No one recognized him, the father took him for a distinguished general, and led him into the room where his daughters were sitting. He was forced to place himself between the two eldest, they helped him to wine, gave him the best pieces of meat, and thought that in all the world they had never seen a handsomer man.

The bride, however, sat opposite to him in her black dress, and never raised her eyes, nor spoke a word. When at length he asked the father if he would give him one of his daughters to wife, the two eldest jumped up, ran into their bedrooms to put on splendid dresses, for each of them fancied she was the chosen one.

The stranger, as soon as he was alone with his bride, brought out his half of the ring, and threw it in a glass of wine which he reached across the table to her. She took the wine, but when she had drunk it, and found the half ring lying at the bottom, her heart began to beat.

She got the other half, which she wore on a ribbon round her neck, joined them, and saw that the two pieces fitted exactly together. Then said he, "I am thy betrothed bridegroom, whom thou sawest as Bearskin, but through God's grace I have again received my human form, and have once more become clean."

He went up to her, embraced her, and gave her a kiss. In the meantime the two sisters came back in full dress, and when they saw that the handsome man had fallen to the share of the youngest, and heard that he was Bearskin, they ran out full of anger and rage.

One of them drowned herself in the well, the other hanged herself on a tree. In the evening, some one knocked at the door, and when the bridegroom opened it, it was the Devil in his green coat, who said, "Seest thou, I have now got two souls in the place of thy one!"

Vocabulary from "Bearskin"

12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.

enlisted(enlist)C1

/ɪnˈlɪstɪd/v.

Joined the armed forces.

参军；入伍。

There was once a young fellow who enlisted as a soldier, conducted himself bravely.
从前有个年轻人参军当兵，表现得非常勇敢。

dismissalC1

/dɪsˈmɪsl/n.

The act of sending someone away from a job or service.

解雇；遣散；免职。

When peace was made, he received his dismissal, and the captain said he might go where he liked.
当和平到来时，他被遣散了，上尉说他可以去任何他想去的地方。

hideousB2

/ˈhɪdiəs/adj.

Extremely ugly or horrible.

丑陋的；可怕的；狰狞的。

A strange man stood before him, who wore a green coat and looked right stately, but had a hideous cloven foot.
一个陌生人站在他面前，穿着绿色外套，看起来很威严，但有一只可怕的裂蹄。

fearlessB2

/ˈfɪələs/adj.

Not afraid of anything; very brave.

无畏的；大胆的。

First I must know if thou art fearless, that I may not bestow my money in vain.
但首先我必须知道你是否无畏，这样我才不会白白给予金钱。

salvationC1

/sælˈveɪʃn/n.

The saving of the soul from sin; being rescued from harm.

（灵魂的）救赎；拯救。

If it does not endanger my salvation, replied the soldier, who knew very well who was standing by him.
'如果不危及我的灵魂，'士兵回答，他很清楚站在旁边的是谁。

claws(claw)B2

/klɔːz/n.

The sharp curved nails on an animal's foot.

爪；爪子。

His hair covered nearly the whole of his face, his beard was like a piece of coarse felt, his fingers had claws.
他的头发几乎覆盖了整张脸，胡须像一块粗糙的毡子，手指长着爪子。

compassionateC1

/kəmˈpæʃənət/adj.

Feeling and showing sympathy for others' suffering.

有同情心的；富有怜悯的。

He had a compassionate heart, so he opened the door, and saw an old man weeping bitterly.
他有一颗同情心，于是打开门，看见一个老人正在痛苦地哭泣。

dwindled(dwindle)C1

/ˈdwɪndld/v.

Became gradually smaller or less.

逐渐减少；缩小；衰减。

His property had dwindled away by degrees, he and his daughters would have to starve.
他的财产逐渐减少，他和女儿们将要挨饿。

contemptB2

/kənˈtempt/n.

A feeling that someone is worthless and deserves no respect.

蔑视；轻蔑；鄙视。

Nothing but contempt and mockery fell to her lot from her sisters.
她的姐姐们只给她蔑视和嘲笑。

generouslyB2

/ˈdʒenərəsli/adv.

In a kind, giving way, especially with money or help.

慷慨地；大方地。

Bearskin travelled about the world, did good where he was able, and gave generously to the poor that they might pray for him.
熊皮人周游世界，力所能及地行善，慷慨地施舍穷人，让他们为他祈祷。

betrothedC1

/bɪˈtrəʊðd/adj.

Promised in marriage; engaged.

订了婚的；已许配的。

The poor betrothed bride dressed herself entirely in black, and when she thought of her future bridegroom, tears came into her eyes.
可怜的订婚新娘全身穿黑，想起未来的新郎就流泪。

distinguishedB2

/dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃt/adj.

Important, respected, and impressive.

杰出的；尊贵的；卓越的。

No one recognized him, the father took him for a distinguished general.
没人认出他，父亲以为他是位杰出的将军。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Do not judge by looks — what matters is a good and faithful heart; perseverance and loyalty are rewarded, while envy and snobbery destroy those who hold them.

Educational Value

Helps children look past appearances to the heart, value kindness and faithfulness, see the harm of envy, and feel the power of holding on to the end.

Tips for Parents

This tale has a pact with the Devil and the two sisters' suicides; focus on 'not judging by looks and faithfulness rewarded.' Compare the three sisters' different choices with your child.

Talk About It

Faced with the filthy, frightening Bearskin, the three sisters made completely different choices. What did each of them value most?
Bearskin looked like a monster, yet he kept helping the poor and rescued others. What does this tell us to look at when we judge a person?
Bearskin escaped the Devil, but the Devil 'got two souls' through the sisters' jealousy. What do you think 'delivered' the two sisters to the Devil?
The youngest agreed to the betrothal because Bearskin 'had helped her father' and 'her father had promised.' How important is it to keep a promise?