Godfather Death

Author: Brothers Grimm

Age8–12
Reading time10 min
LevelAdvanced

Introduction

This is an unusual and profound Grimm tale — it does not end 'happily ever after'; the hero dies. The Brothers Grimm did not always give their tales a happy ending, and this one is a meditation on death. It holds a strikingly bold idea: a poor father, seeking a godfather for his child, turns down God (for 'giving to the rich and letting the poor starve') and the Devil (for 'deceiving people'), and chooses Death instead — because in his eyes only Death treats everyone alike, 'taking the rich as well as the poor, without distinction.' The image of each human life as a burning candle is one of the most famous and haunting pictures in all of folklore, later borrowed by countless novels and films. The lesson is simple: a person may be clever and kind, but some rules cannot be broken even by cleverness or good intentions — before death, all are equal, and no one can cheat it. (Note for parents: this is a serious, slightly sad story about death that does not end happily; it suits older children and can gently open a conversation about life and loss.) As you read, think about this: the physician saves a life twice — the first time out of pity, the second for beauty and a crown. Are those two rescues the same?

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A poor man had twelve children and had to work day and night in order just to feed them. Thus when the thirteenth came into the world, not knowing what to do in his need, he ran out into the highway, intending to ask the first person whom he met to be the godfather.

The first person who came his way was our dear God, who already knew what was in his heart, and God said to him, "Poor man, I pity you. I will hold your child at his baptism, and care for him, and make him happy on earth."

The man said, "Who are you?" - "I am God." - "Then I do not wish to have you for a godfather," said the man. "You give to the rich, and let the poor starve." Thus spoke the man, for he did not know how wisely God divides out wealth and poverty. Then he turned away from the Lord, and went on his way.

Then the devil came to him and said, "What are you looking for? If you will take me as your child's godfather, I will give him an abundance of gold and all the joys of the world as well." The man asked, "Who are you?" - "I am the devil." - "Then I do not wish to have you for a godfather," said the man. You deceive mankind and lead them astray."

He went on his way, and then Death, on his withered legs, came walking toward him, and said, "Take me as your child's godfather." The man asked, "Who are you?" - "I am Death, who makes everyone equal." Then the man said, "You are the right one. You take away the rich as well as the poor, without distinction. You shall be my child's godfather.

Death answered, "I will make your child rich and famous, for he who has me for a friend cannot fail." The man said, "Next Sunday is the baptism. Be there on time." Death appeared as he had promised, and served as godfather in an orderly manner.

After the boy came of age his godfather appeared to him one day and asked him to go with him. He took him out into the woods and showed him an herb that grew there, saying, "Now you shall receive your godfather's present. I will turn you into a famous physician."

"Whenever you are called to a sick person I will appear to you. If I stand at the sick person's head, you may say with confidence that you can make him well again; then give him some of this herb, and he will recover. But if I stand at the sick person's feet, he is mine, and you must say that he is beyond help, and that no physician in the world could save him."

"But beware of using this herb against my will, or something very bad will happen to you."

It was not long before the young man had become the most famous physician in the whole world. People said of him, "He only needs to look at the sick in order to immediately know their condition, whether they will regain their health, or are doomed to die."

And people came to him from far and wide, taking him to their sick, and giving him so much money that he soon became a wealthy man.

Now it came to pass that the king became ill. The physician was summoned and was told to say if a recovery were possible. However, when he approached the bed, Death was standing at the sick man's feet, and so no herb on earth would be able to help him.

"If I could only deceive death for once," thought the physician. "He will be angry, of course, but because I am his godson he will shut one eye. I will risk it."

He therefore took hold of the sick man and laid him the other way around, so that Death was now standing at his head. Then he gave the king some of the herb, and he recovered and became healthy again.

However, Death came to the physician, made a dark and angry face, threatened him with his finger, and said, "You have betrayed me. I will overlook it this time because you are my godson, but if you dare to do it again, it will cost you your neck, for I will take you yourself away with me."

Soon afterward the king's daughter became seriously ill. She was his only child, and he cried day and night until his eyes were going blind. Then he proclaimed that whosoever rescued her from death should become her husband and inherit the crown.

When the physician came to the sick girl's bed he saw Death at her feet. He should have remembered his godfather's warning, but he was so infatuated by the princess's great beauty and the prospect of becoming her husband that he threw all thought to the winds.

He did not see that Death was looking at him angrily, lifting his hand into the air, and threatening him with his withered fist. He lifted up the sick girl and placed her head where her feet had been.

Then he gave her some of the herb, and her cheeks immediately turned red, and life stirred in her once again.

Death, seeing that he had been cheated out of his property for a second time, approached the physician with long strides and said, "You are finished. Now it is your turn."

Then Death seized him so firmly with his ice-cold hand that he could not resist, and led him into an underground cavern. There the physician saw how thousands and thousands of candles were burning in endless rows, some large, others medium-sized, others small.

Every instant some died out, and others were relit, so that the little flames seemed to be jumping about in constant change. "See," said Death, "these are the life-lights of mankind. The large ones belong to children, the medium-sized ones to married people in their best years, and the little ones to old people. However, even children and young people often have only a tiny candle."

"Show me my life-light," said the physician, thinking that it still would be very large. Death pointed to a little stump that was just threatening to go out, and said, "See, there it is."

"Oh, dear godfather," said the horrified physician, "light a new one for me. Do it as a favor to me, so that I can enjoy my life, and become king and the husband of the beautiful princess."

"I cannot," answered Death. "One must go out before a new one is lighted." - "Then set the old one onto a new one that will go on burning after the old one is finished," begged the physician.

Death pretended that he was going to fulfill this wish and took hold of a large new candle, but, desiring revenge, he purposely made a mistake in relighting it, and the little piece fell down and went out. The physician immediately fell to the ground, and he too was now in the hands of Death.

Vocabulary from "Godfather Death"

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

pityB1

/ˈpɪti/v.

To feel sorry for someone.

同情；怜悯。

Poor man, I pity you. I will hold your child at his baptism, and care for him.
穷人啊，我同情你。让我抱着你的孩子受洗吧，我会照顾他。

starveB2

/stɑːv/v.

To suffer or die from lack of food.

挨饿；饿死。

Then I do not wish to have you for a godfather. You give to the rich, and let the poor starve.
那我不想要你当教父，你把一切都给了富人，却让穷人挨饿。

deceiveB2

/dɪˈsiːv/v.

To make someone believe something that is not true.

欺骗；蒙骗。

Then I do not wish to have you for a godfather. You deceive mankind and lead them astray.
那我不想要你当教父，你欺骗人类，引诱他们误入歧途。

distinctionB2

/dɪˈstɪŋkʃn/n.

A difference between people or things; treating some differently from others.

区别；差别；区别对待。

You take away the rich as well as the poor, without distinction. You shall be my child's godfather.
你带走富人，也带走穷人，不分彼此。你来做我孩子的教父吧。

herbB2

/hɜːb/n.

A plant used for medicine, flavour, or scent.

草药；香草。

He took him out into the woods and showed him an herb that grew there.
他把他带到树林里，指着生长在那里的一种草药。

physicianC1

/fɪˈzɪʃn/n.

A doctor, especially one who treats illness with medicine.

医生；内科医生。

Now you shall receive your godfather's present. I will turn you into a famous physician.
现在你要接收教父的礼物了。我会把你变成一位名医。

confidenceB2

/ˈkɒnfɪdəns/n.

A feeling of being sure about something.

信心；把握；自信。

If I stand at the sick person's head, you may say with confidence that you can make him well again.
如果我站在病人的头边，你就可以自信地说你能治好他。

doomed(doom)B2

/duːmd/adj.

Certain to fail, suffer, or die; with no escape.

注定（失败或死亡）的；在劫难逃的。

He only needs to look at the sick in order to know whether they will regain their health, or are doomed to die.
他只要看一眼病人，立刻就知道他们是会恢复健康，还是注定要死。

summoned(summon)C1

/ˈsʌmənd/v.

Ordered someone to come to a place.

召唤；传唤；召见。

The physician was summoned and was told to say if a recovery were possible.
这位医生被召进宫，要他说说国王是否还有救。

infatuatedC1

/ɪnˈfætʃueɪtɪd/adj.

Filled with a foolish or overwhelming love or attraction.

痴迷的；被冲昏头脑的；迷恋的。

He was so infatuated by the princess's great beauty and the prospect of becoming her husband that he threw all thought to the winds.
他被公主绝美的容貌和成为她丈夫的前景迷住了，把所有的顾虑都抛到了九霄云外。

cavernC1

/ˈkævən/n.

A large cave.

大山洞；巨穴。

Death seized him so firmly with his ice-cold hand that he could not resist, and led him into an underground cavern.
死神用冰冷的手紧紧抓住他，让他无法反抗，把他带进了一个地下洞穴。

resistB2

/rɪˈzɪst/v.

To fight against or refuse to give in to something.

抵抗；反抗；抵挡。

Then Death seized him so firmly with his ice-cold hand that he could not resist.
死神用冰冷的手紧紧抓住他，让他无法反抗。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Some rules cannot be broken even by cleverness or good intentions; before death all are equal and no one can cheat it — and greed can make a person ignore warnings and bring about their own ruin.

Educational Value

Gently helps children reflect on life's limits and fairness, understand the meaning of rules and resisting temptation, and begin to think about life and death.

Tips for Parents

This is a serious, slightly sad story about death that does not end happily; it suits older children. Use the image of the 'life-candle' to gently talk with your child about cherishing time and life.

Talk About It

The poor father thought Death was fairer than God or the Devil, because Death treats everyone the same. Do you agree that 'Death is the fairest'?
The physician cheats Death first to save the king (out of pity), and again to marry the princess and become king (out of self-interest). How are these two times different?
Death had clearly warned him once, so why couldn't the physician hold back the second time? What made him throw the warning aside?
The story says every life is a candle. If life is limited like a candle, how would you want to spend yours?