The Water of Life

Introduction

This tale, "The Water of Life," comes from the Brothers Grimm, and like many of their stories, it lets the humble youngest son win in the end. Chinese readers will feel at home with it at once, because it carries the old, old wisdom of "good deeds bring good rewards" and "the greedy snake tries to swallow an elephant." The schemers count and calculate, yet their tricks turn against them, while the kind and honest, who ask for nothing, find everything waiting for them. We have retold the tale in the style of a Chinese fable — the voice of an elder telling a story by lamplight, short scenes, plain words, and a lesson that speaks for itself at the end. The setting stays European: the magic castle, the iron gate, the golden road. But the spirit is the same as any old tale told around a winter fire, and the motif of a magic water that heals the sick is one that appears in many lands, long before the Grimm brothers wrote this version down in Germany. As you read, watch the iron stick, the never-ending bread, and the golden road. They are not just magic tools; they are mirrors held up to the heart. Gold-hearted or sand-hearted, the road will show it in a moment. Ask your child what they think that road is really made of — and what they would do if they rode up to it.