The Spirit in the Glass Bottle
Introduction
'The Spirit in the Glass Bottle' (folklorists number it ATU 331) contains a classic scene almost everyone loves: a mighty spirit, once released, turns on the very person who freed it, but the quick-witted young man tricks it back inside by saying, 'I don't believe you could ever fit into that little bottle again.' This clever 'dare it back into the jar' ruse is exactly the one used in the famous 'Fisherman and the Jinni' from the Arabian Nights, where the Arab fisherman lures a giant genie back into a brass jar the same way. That the same trick crosses both the European and Arab traditions shows how good stories travel. The tale also hides an unusual layer: the spirit calls itself 'Mercurius' (Mercury). In old alchemy, Mercurius was the name for the 'spirit of quicksilver,' and the magic rag that turns iron into silver is itself a picture of the alchemist's dream of transmuting base metal—few Grimm tales carry such an openly alchemical figure. There is a gentle defense of learning here too: the father mocks his son for having 'students' tricks stuck in his head' while knowing nothing of chopping wood, yet it is precisely that scholar's quickness, joined to a little daring, that finally makes him the most famous doctor in the world. As you read, ask your child: facing the spirit that means to kill him, does the young man rely on strength, or on his mind?
Vocabulary from "The Spirit in the Glass Bottle"
12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.
Happy and in good spirits.
高兴的；愉快的；兴致好的。
The son helped his father and was quite cheerful and full of energy.
儿子帮着父亲，心情愉快，充满活力。
A very small amount of money.
微薄的钱；一点点收入或积蓄。
The little pittance that the father had saved was all spent, and the boy had to return home to him.
父亲攒下的微薄积蓄全都花光了，儿子不得不回家回到父亲身边。
To reach or stretch all the way across something.
横跨；（用手臂）合抱；跨越。
He came to an enormous oak that was certainly many hundred years old, and that five men would not have been able to span.
他来到一棵巨大的橡树前，这树肯定有几百岁了，五个人也合抱不过来。
(Of a sound) not clear, as if coming from behind something.
（声音）低沉的；沉闷模糊的；被捂住般的。
He became aware of someone calling out with a muffled voice, "Let me out. Let me out."
他察觉到有人用闷闷的声音喊道：'放我出去。放我出去。'
A stopper for closing a bottle, often made from soft bark.
瓶塞；软木塞。
The student, thinking no evil, pulled the cork from the bottle.
学生没想什么坏事，拔掉了瓶塞。
In a brave way, without being afraid.
无所畏惧地；勇敢地。
"No," replied the student fearlessly. "How should I know that?"
'不知道，'学生无畏地回答，'我怎么会知道那个？'
In a proud way, as if you think you are better than others.
傲慢地；自大地。
The spirit said arrogantly, "that is an easy trick," pulling himself in and making himself as thin and short as he had been before.
妖怪傲慢地说，'这是个简单的把戏，'于是把身子缩回去，变得像以前一样细小。
Tricked someone into believing something that is not true.
欺骗；蒙骗。
He was scarcely inside when the student pushed the cork back into the bottle, and threw it back where it had been among the oak roots. And thus the spirit was deceived.
它刚进去，学生就把瓶塞塞回瓶子，把它扔回原来的橡树根下。就这样妖怪被骗了。
To risk doing something, even though it may be dangerous.
冒险尝试；大胆去做。
The student thought, "I will venture it. Perhaps he will keep his word, and in any event he will not get the better of me."
学生想：'我还是冒险试试吧。也许它会守信用，反正它也占不了我的便宜。'
A strip of cloth used to cover and protect a wound.
绷带；裹伤布。
"Now you shall have your reward," he said, handing the student a little rag that looked just like a small bandage.
'现在你会得到你的奖赏，'它说着递给学生一块小破布，看起来就像一小块绷带。
Became less strong or calmed down.
（情绪、风浪等）平息；减弱；消退。
His anger had now subsided, so the father at last let himself be talked into going home with him.
父亲的怒气消了，最后被说服和他一起回家了。
A person who makes things out of gold and other precious metals.
金匠；金饰工匠。
The son picked up the ax and took it into town to a goldsmith, who tested it, weighed it.
儿子拿起斧子进城去找金匠，金匠测试并称重后……
Reading Together & Learning More
The Moral
Against an opponent stronger than yourself, wits and a cool head often work better than force; and knowledge paired with kindness leads, in the end, to a better fate.
Educational Value
Encourages children to think under pressure and stay calm in danger, and to feel the value of knowledge and gratitude; through the cross-cultural 'spirit in the bottle' motif it also widens their view of world storytelling.
Tips for Parents
Try telling the 'trick the spirit back into the bottle' ruse alongside the fisherman's tale from the Arabian Nights; then discuss: once the young man has money, who does he think of first?
Talk About It
- Threatened with having his neck broken, the young man does not fight but finds a way to trick the spirit back into the bottle. Where do you think his cleverness shows most?
- Freeing the spirit the first time nearly cost his life, yet he decides to free it again. Is that brave, or too risky? Would you have let it out?
- The father first mocks his son for 'only being able to study, not work.' By the end of the story, was the studying worth anything?
- With more money than he can spend, the young man's first acts are to repay the neighbor double and provide for his father. What does this tell you about him?
- If you had that magic rag—one end to heal wounds, the other to turn iron into silver—what would you use it for first?
