The Singing Bone

Author: Brothers Grimm

Age6–10
Reading time7 min
LevelIntermediate

Introduction

The 'singing bone' is one of the most haunting images in world folklore: an instrument made from a murder victim's bone that, when played, sings out the truth of the crime (folklorists call it tale type ATU 780). The motif is astonishingly widespread — the famous Scottish ballad 'The Twa Sisters' has a harp strung from a drowned girl's bones that names her killer. It shares its idea with Falada, the horse whose severed head keeps speaking the truth in The Goose Girl on this site: the truth cannot be silenced, even when the one who knew it is dead. The story itself is starkly clear: the pure-hearted younger brother receives the little man's magic spear precisely because his heart is good, and it is he who kills the boar; the crafty, envious elder brother murders him for the credit and the princess. Years later, one small white bone brings everything to light. As you read, ask your child: why does the 'pure heart' get help in this story — and even without a singing bone, can a wrongdoer really hide a bad deed forever? (Note for parents: this tale has a murder and an execution; you can focus on 'justice will out.')

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In a certain country there was once great lamentation over a wild boar that laid waste the farmer's fields, killed the cattle, and ripped up people's bodies with his tusks. The King promised a large reward to anyone who would free the land from this plague; but the beast was so big and strong that no one dared to go near the forest in which it lived. At last the King gave notice that whosoever should capture or kill the wild boar should have his only daughter to wife.

Now there lived in the country two brothers, sons of a poor man, who declared themselves willing to undertake the hazardous enterprise; the elder, who was crafty and shrewd, out of pride; the younger, who was innocent and simple, from a kind heart. The King said, "In order that you may be the more sure of finding the beast, you must go into the forest from opposite sides." So the elder went in on the west side, and the younger on the east. When the younger had gone a short way, a little man stepped up to him. He held in his hand a black spear and said, "I give you this spear because your heart is pure and good; with this you can boldly attack the wild boar, and it will do you no harm." He thanked the little man, shouldered the spear, and went on fearlessly.

Before long he saw the beast, which rushed at him; but he held the spear towards it, and in its blind fury it ran so swiftly against it that its heart was cloven in twain. Then he took the monster on his back and went homewards with it to the King.

As he came out at the other side of the wood, there stood at the entrance a house where people were making merry with wine and dancing. His elder brother had gone in here, and, thinking that after all the boar would not run away from him, was going to drink until he felt brave. But when he saw his young brother coming out of the wood laden with his booty, his envious, evil heart gave him no peace. He called out to him, "Come in, dear brother, rest and refresh yourself with a cup of wine." The youth, who suspected no evil, went in and told him about the good little man who had given him the spear wherewith he had slain the boar.

The elder brother kept him there until the evening, and then they went away together, and when in the darkness they came to a bridge over a brook, the elder brother let the other go first; and when he was half-way across he gave him such a blow from behind that he fell down dead. He buried him beneath the bridge, took the boar, and carried it to the King, pretending that he had killed it; whereupon he obtained the King's daughter in marriage. And when his younger brother did not come back he said, "The boar must have killed him," and every one believed it.

But as nothing remains hidden from God, so this black deed also was to come to light. Years afterwards a shepherd was driving his herd across the bridge, and saw lying in the sand beneath, a snow-white little bone. He thought that it would make a good mouth-piece, so he clambered down, picked it up, and cut out of it a mouth-piece for his horn. But when he blew through it for the first time, to his great astonishment, the bone began of its own accord to sing:

"Ah, friend, Thou blowest upon my bone! Long have I lain beside the water; My brother slew me for the boar, And took for his wife The King's young daughter."

"What a wonderful horn!" said the shepherd; "it sings by itself; I must take it to my lord the King."

And when he came with it to the King the horn again began to sing its little song. The King understood it all, and caused the ground below the bridge to be dug up, and then the whole skeleton of the murdered man came to light. The wicked brother could not deny the deed, and was sewn up in a sack and drowned. But the bones of the murdered man were laid to rest in a beautiful tomb in the churchyard.

Vocabulary from "The Singing Bone"

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

lamentationC1

/ˌlæmenˈteɪʃn/n.

Loud crying or expression of grief.

悲叹；哀号；痛哭。

In a certain country there was once great lamentation over a wild boar that laid waste the farmer's fields.
从前，在某个国家，有一头野猪肆虐农田，全国上下为此哀声载道。

boarB2

/bɔː/n.

A wild pig.

野猪。

A wild boar that laid waste the farmer's fields, killed the cattle, and ripped up people's bodies with his tusks.
一头野猪肆虐农田、残杀牲口，还用獠牙撕裂人的身体。

plagueC1

/pleɪɡ/n.

Something that causes great trouble or harm to many; a scourge.

祸害；灾祸；瘟疫。

The King promised a large reward to anyone who would free the land from this plague.
国王许下重金，悬赏能为民除掉这个祸害的人。

hazardousC1

/ˈhæzədəs/adj.

Dangerous; full of risk.

危险的；冒险的。

Two brothers, sons of a poor man, declared themselves willing to undertake the hazardous enterprise.
两兄弟，是一个穷人的儿子，表示愿意承担这项危险的任务。

shrewdC1

/ʃruːd/adj.

Clever at judging situations, especially to one's own advantage.

精明的；机敏的。

The elder, who was crafty and shrewd, out of pride.
哥哥狡诈精明，出于傲慢而应征。

innocentB2

/ˈɪnəsnt/adj.

Free from guile or wickedness; pure and simple-hearted.

天真的；纯真的；无邪的。

The younger, who was innocent and simple, from a kind heart.
弟弟天真纯朴，出于善良而前往。

spearB2

/spɪə/n.

A weapon with a long pole and a sharp pointed end.

矛；长枪。

He held in his hand a black spear and said, I give you this spear because your heart is pure and good.
他手里拿着一支黑色的矛说：'我把这支矛送给你，因为你的心纯洁而善良。'

boldlyB2

/ˈbəʊldli/adv.

In a brave, confident way.

大胆地；勇敢地。

With this you can boldly attack the wild boar, and it will do you no harm.
有了它，你可以大胆地攻击野猪，它伤害不了你。

enviousB2

/ˈenviəs/adj.

Wanting what someone else has; full of jealousy.

嫉妒的；羡慕的。

When he saw his young brother coming out of the wood laden with his booty, his envious, evil heart gave him no peace.
当他看到弟弟背着猎物从森林里走出来时，他那嫉妒阴险的心便不得安宁。

bootyC1

/ˈbuːti/n.

Valuable things won or taken, especially in hunting or war.

战利品；掠夺物；（此处）猎获物。

He saw his young brother coming out of the wood laden with his booty.
他看到弟弟背着猎物从森林里走出来。

clambered(clamber)C1

/ˈklæmbəd/v.

Climbed with difficulty, using hands and feet.

（吃力地）爬；攀爬。

He clambered down, picked it up, and cut out of it a mouth-piece for his horn.
他爬下去捡起它，为他的号角削了一个吹嘴。

skeletonB2

/ˈskelɪtn/n.

The frame of bones that supports a body.

骨骼；骸骨；骨架。

The King caused the ground below the bridge to be dug up, and then the whole skeleton of the murdered man came to light.
国王下令挖掘桥下的土地，于是那个被害人的完整骨骸显露了出来。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

A pure and kind heart finds help, while greed and betrayal are always found out — the truth cannot be buried, and justice may be late but never absent.

Educational Value

Guides children to value kindness and honesty, see the harm of envy, and understand that wrongdoing comes to light and justice will come.

Tips for Parents

Read it alongside The Goose Girl on this site — both feature the dead still telling the truth. As this tale has a murder and an execution, focus on 'justice will out.'

Talk About It

The little man gave the magic spear to the younger brother because his heart was 'pure and good.' Why does the story choose to help the pure heart?
The elder brother killed his brother and stole the credit, sure no one would ever know. Do you think a wrongdoer can really hide a bad deed forever?
It was a small singing bone that revealed the truth. Which other story on this site does this 'a bone speaks' idea remind you of (hint: a horse)?
The elder brother was 'crafty and clever,' the younger 'innocent and simple.' Is being clever always more useful than being kind?