The Bremen Town Musicians. Tales

The name of the fairy tale authors Brothers Grimm is known to children and adults all over the world. However, Jakob and Wilhelm were not only writers but also famous scholars. They made a huge contribution to the development of German literature and culture as a whole: they provided a systematic description of German grammar, began compiling the first dictionary of the German language (work on it lasted 120 years), and collected numerous folk tales and legends.

The Brothers Grimm were born in the town of Hanau, in the family of a lawyer. Jakob Grimm was born in 1785, and Wilhelm a year later; they had six younger brothers and a sister. To provide the children with everything necessary, their father had to work hard, knowing no rest. He passed away early: his body could not cope with pneumonia. The boys' mother clearly saw how curious and diligent her older sons were and, despite financial difficulties, sent them to study at the lyceum. The brothers completed the full course of study in 4 years (twice as fast as required) and enrolled in the law department of Marburg University. There, they became passionate about literature and devoted their limited free time to studying German poetry. Later, the Brothers Grimm began to collect and study the fairy tales of the German people.

Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm were professors at the University of Göttingen, and later they taught at Berlin University; they were members of the Berlin Academy of Sciences.

The Brothers Grimm published more than 200 folk tales. This collection includes 8 popular magical and household tales that teach the young reader to love and cherish their family, to never give up, to rely on friends, and to remain a faithful friend themselves, as well as to work hard, not to be greedy, and not to pass by someone else's grief. Some heroes of the Brothers Grimm understand this well, while others are destined to experience exciting and not always pleasant adventures, after which everyone is rewarded as they deserve.