The Wonderful Musician

Author: A Brothers Grimm Tale · Retold as a Fable by DozyStories

  • Age6–10
  • Reading time8 min
  • LevelIntermediate

Introduction

This Grimm tale has a curious feature: its hero is not really admirable. A gifted musician turns the lovely idea of "finding a kindred spirit" into a series of tricks played on the trusting souls who come to him. That is why we have retold it as a Chinese-style fable. The fable is the oldest and shortest teacher in the world: a few characters, a few short lines of speech, and one clear lesson at the end. Here the lesson rings like an old Chinese saying—cleverness that is used only to mock others soon turns against the clever one. Talent is never wrong; what is wrong is using talent as a weapon against the people who admire you. The more the musician glories in his skill and laughs at the animals' trust, the more lonely he makes himself. Only when a humble woodcutter lifts his axe to shield him does he begin to see that honesty, not cleverness, wins a friend in time of need. This echoes the folk wisdom passed down in every culture: kindness returns to the kind, and a hand we offer to others is a hand we may one day need ourselves. When you read this tale with your child, do not explain the lesson too soon. Ask one quiet question first: the fiddle sounds so sweet, so why did the friends who came to learn all run away? Let the child find the answer on their own. Then, if you like, hold up the old sayings—"Pride in talent brings its own downfall"—and see whether the story agrees. A fable, after all, is not a story to be heard but a lesson to be tasted, and the best way to taste it is slowly, with questions.

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The Wonderful Musician - A gifted musician, bored and lonely in the forest, plays his fiddle for company; a wolf comes to learn the music, but is tricked into trapping his paws in a split oak tree. - Scene Illustration 1
A gifted musician, bored and lonely in the forest, plays his fiddle for company; a wolf comes to learn the music, but is tricked into trapping his paws in a split oak tree.
Long ago, there lived a wonderful musician. One day he walked alone through a deep forest. As he walked, he felt bored and lonely. "It is dull to travel all by myself," he thought. "Let me play my fiddle and find some good company." So he took his fiddle from his back and played. The music floated through the trees like a stream.
Before the music died away, a wolf came running out of the bushes and up to him. "Ah, a wolf," thought the musician. "He is not the kind of company I want." But the wolf came close and said politely, "Dear musician, your music is so lovely! I want to learn to play like you. Will you teach me?"
"That is easy," said the musician with a smile. "Just do exactly what I tell you." The wolf agreed at once and promised to obey. They walked a short way and came to an old oak tree. The tree was hollow, and a wide crack ran down its middle.
"If you want to learn the fiddle, put your front paws into this crack," said the musician. The wolf did so. Then the musician picked up a stone and drove it hard into the crack. The wolf's paws were stuck fast. He could not move at all. "Stay here until I come back," said the musician, and off he went.
The Wonderful Musician - The music calls a fox, who begs to learn, but the musician ties his paws to two bent hazel branches and lets them spring up, flinging the fox into the air. - Scene Illustration 2
The music calls a fox, who begs to learn, but the musician ties his paws to two bent hazel branches and lets them spring up, flinging the fox into the air.
Some days later, the musician felt bored again. "Let me play once more and find a new friend," he said. The music rose through the forest. Soon a fox crept out from between the trees. "How sweet your music is!" said the fox. "I want to learn it too."
"That is easy," said the musician. "Just do exactly what I tell you." The fox was glad and promised to obey. They came to a narrow path. Tall bushes grew thickly on both sides. The musician bent a young hazel tree down to the ground and held it with his foot. Then he bent another hazel from the other side in the same way.
"Little fox, if you truly want to learn, give me your left front paw," said the musician. The fox held it out, and the musician tied it tightly to the left branch. "Now your right paw," he said. The fox obeyed, and that paw was tied to the branch on the other side.
The musician checked the knots, then stamped his foot and let the bushes go. Whoosh! The two hazel trees sprang straight up and flung the fox into the air. The fox hung there, kicking and twisting, and could not get down. "Stay here until I come back," said the musician, and off he went.
The Wonderful Musician - A hare hops up to learn the fiddle, but the musician ties a string round his neck to an aspen tree and makes him run twenty circles until he is wound fast against the trunk. - Scene Illustration 3
A hare hops up to learn the fiddle, but the musician ties a string round his neck to an aspen tree and makes him run twenty circles until he is wound fast against the trunk.
On another day, the musician played his fiddle for the third time. The sound echoed through the forest, and a hare came hopping towards him. "Little hare, you have come just in time. Do you want to learn the fiddle?"
"Yes, yes!" said the hare, nodding his head. "Your music is so beautiful. I have long wished to learn it." "That is easy," said the musician. "Just do exactly what I tell you." The hare agreed at once.
The musician led him to an open clearing. In the middle stood a tall aspen tree. He tied one end of a long string round the hare's neck, and tied the other end firmly to the trunk. "Listen well," he called. "Run round this tree twenty times!"
The hare ran as fast as he could. Round and round he went, and every circle wound the string one turn tighter. By the twentieth circle, the hare was caught fast against the trunk. The more he pulled, the tighter the string bit into his tender neck. "Stay here until I come back," said the musician, and on he walked.
The Wonderful Musician - The wolf finally frees himself and races after the musician; on the way he rescues the dangling fox and the bound hare, and the three beasts join together for revenge. - Scene Illustration 4
The wolf finally frees himself and races after the musician; on the way he rescues the dangling fox and the bound hare, and the three beasts join together for revenge.
Now let us go back to the wolf. He had pushed and bitten at the stone for a long, long time. At last he pulled his paws free of the crack. He was wild with anger. Off he ran after the musician, meaning to tear him into pieces.
The fox saw him coming and cried out at the top of his voice. "Brother wolf, help me! The musician has tricked us!" The wolf bent the hazel tree down, bit through the cord, and set the fox free. The fox jumped down, and the two of them set off for revenge.
A little further on, they found the hare wound tight against his tree, and they freed him too. Then the three of them joined together, full of anger, and went to find the musician and pay him back.
The Wonderful Musician - A poor woodcutter is enchanted by the music and becomes the friend the musician longed for; when the three beasts arrive, he raises his axe, they flee, and the musician finds his way. - Scene Illustration 5
A poor woodcutter is enchanted by the music and becomes the friend the musician longed for; when the three beasts arrive, he raises his axe, they flee, and the musician finds his way.
All the while, the musician kept playing as he walked. This time, the music reached the ears of a poor woodcutter. He could not help putting down his axe. With the hatchet under his arm, he followed the sound and came to listen.
"Here is the right companion at last," thought the musician with joy. "What I wanted was a human being, not a wild beast." So he played more sweetly than before. The woodcutter stood as if under a spell, and his heart was full of joy.
Just then, the wolf, the fox and the hare came running up. The woodcutter saw at once that they meant harm. He raised his gleaming axe and stepped in front of the musician. His look said plainly, "If anyone dares to touch him, he must first deal with me." The three beasts took one look at the axe, turned round and fled into the deep forest.
The musician played one more tune for the man, to thank him for his help, and then he went on his way.
This tale tells us: those who use their talent to mock and hurt others may seem clever, but they only push away the friends who care for them. Only kindness and honesty can win a helping hand in times of need, and a true friend who understands your heart.

Vocabulary from "The Wonderful Musician"

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

fiddleB2
/ˈfɪdl/n.

A violin, especially one played for folk or simple music.

小提琴（尤指演奏民间音乐用的那种）。

So he took his fiddle from his back and played.

说罢，他从背上取下小提琴，轻轻一拉，琴声便像流水一样在林间流淌开来。

companyB2
/ˈkʌmpəni/n.

Another person or people who are with you, so you are not alone.

陪伴；同伴。

Let me play my fiddle and find some good company.

他自言自语："不如拉一曲琴，给自己找个伴儿。"

hollowB2
/ˈhɒləʊ/adj.

Having an empty space inside.

空心的；中空的。

The tree was hollow, and a wide crack ran down its middle.

那树早已空心，当中裂着一道宽缝。

obeyB1
/əˈbeɪ/v.

To do what someone tells you to do.

听从；服从（别人的话）。

The wolf agreed at once and promised to obey.

狼满口答应，说自己一定听话。

crept(creep)B2
/krept/v.

Moved slowly and quietly, so as not to be noticed.

悄悄地移动；蹑手蹑脚地走。

Soon a fox crept out from between the trees.

不多时，一只狐狸悄悄从树间溜了过来。

sprang(spring)B2
/spræŋ/v.

Jumped up suddenly and quickly.

猛地弹起；突然跳起。

The two hazel trees sprang straight up and flung the fox into the air.

两根榛树唰地弹直，把狐狸甩到了半空。

wound(wind)B2
/waʊnd/v.

Twisted around something, making it tighter and tighter.

缠绕；绕紧（一圈圈缠住）。

Round and round he went, and every circle wound the string one turn tighter.

每跑一圈，绳子就在树干上紧上一道。

tenderB2
/ˈtendə/adj.

Soft and easily hurt.

柔嫩的；娇嫩的。

The more he pulled, the tighter the string bit into his tender neck.

他越挣越紧，绳子勒进了他柔嫩的脖子。

revengeB2
/rɪˈvendʒ/n.

Harming someone because they harmed you first.

报复；报仇。

The fox jumped down, and the two of them set off for revenge.

狐狸落了地，便跟着狼一同去报仇。

hatchetC1
/ˈhætʃɪt/n.

A small axe held in one hand.

短柄小斧；手斧。

With the hatchet under his arm, he followed the sound and came to listen.

樵夫不由自主地放下手中的斧头，把它夹在腋下，循着琴声走了过来。

fled(flee)B2
/fled/v.

Ran away quickly, especially from danger.

逃跑；逃走。

The three beasts took one look at the axe, turned round and fled into the deep forest.

三只野兽见了斧头，吓得掉头就跑，转眼便消失在密林深处。

mockB2
/mɒk/v.

To laugh at someone or something in an unkind way.

嘲笑；戏弄；取笑。

This tale tells us: those who use their talent to mock and hurt others may seem clever, but they only push away the friends who care for them.

这故事告诉我们：恃才傲物、以戏弄别人取乐，看似聪明，其实是把真心待你的人一个个推远。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Pride in one's talent that mocks and tricks others is a false cleverness, and it soon turns against the clever one. Only honesty and kindness bring true friends and a helping hand when trouble comes.

Educational Value

Through the musician's tricks and the animals' revenge, children learn that cleverness should be used for good and that honesty wins real friends. It also builds fable vocabulary and trains children to see a story from every character's point of view.

Tips for Parents

After reading, review the story with your child: where did the musician go wrong, and were the animals right to be angry? Then connect the lesson to daily life—ask what happens when we tease or mock others, and how honesty builds friendship.

Talk About It

  1. The musician plays beautifully, yet in the end he has no friend left. Where did his cleverness go wrong?
  2. The wolf, the fox and the hare all truly wanted to learn the fiddle. If you were one of them and were tricked like this, what would you think and do?
  3. The woodcutter did not know the musician, so why did he lift his axe to protect him? Would you do the same?
  4. Music can draw friends close, and it can also drive them away. Is talent itself wrong? If not, what is wrong?
  5. The tale says honesty wins true friends. Have you ever made a friend by being honest, or lost one by teasing someone?

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