November 1, 2025 • 12 mins
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Once upon a time there was a woman who had
three daughters, the eldest of whom was named one eye,
because she had but a single eye, and that placed
in the middle of her forehead. The second was called
two eyes because she was like other mortals, and the
third three eyes, because she had three eyes, and one
of them in the center of her forehead, like her
eldest sister. But because her second sister had nothing out
(00:24):
of the common in her appearance, she was looked down
upon by her sisters and despised by her mother. You
are no better than common folk, they would say to her,
you do not belong to us, and then they would
push her about, give her coarse clothing and nothing to
eat but their leavings, besides numerous other insults as occasion offered.
(00:44):
Once it happened that two Eyes had to go into
the forest to tend to the goat, and she went
very hungry because her sisters had given her very little
to eat. That morning, she sat down upon a hillock
and cried so much that her tears flowed almost like
rivers out of her eyes. By and bye. She looked
up and saw a woman standing by, who asked, why
are you weeping two eyes, because I have two eyes
(01:07):
like ordinary people, replied the maiden. And therefore my mother
and sisters dislike me. Push me into corners, throw me
their old clothes, and give me nothing to eat. But
what they leave today. They have given me so little
that I am still hungry. Dry your eyes, then, now,
said the wise woman, I will tell you something which
shall prevent you from being hungry again. You must say
(01:29):
to your goat, little kid, milk table appear, And immediately
a nicely filled table will stand before you, with delicate
food upon it, of which you can eat as much
as you please. And when you are satisfied, and I
had done with the table, you must say, little kid,
milk table depart, and it will disappear directly. With these words,
(01:50):
the wise woman went away, and Little two eyes thought
to herself she would try at once if what the
woman said were true, for she felt very hungry. Indeed,
little kid, milk table appear, said the maiden, And immediately
a table covered with a white cloth stood before her
with a knife and fork and silver spoon, and the
most delicate dishes were arranged in order upon it, and
(02:14):
everything as warm as if they had been just taken
away from the fire. Two eyes said a short grace,
and then began to eat, And when she had finished,
she pronounced the words which the wise woman had told
her little kid, milk table depart, and directly the table
and all that was on it quickly disappeared. This is
capital housekeeping, said the maiden in high glee. And at
(02:37):
evening she went home with her goat and found an
earthen dish which her sisters had left her, filled with
their leavings. She did not touch it, and the next
morning she went off again without taking the meager breakfast
which was left out for her. The first and second
time she did this, the sisters thought nothing of it,
But when she did the same the third morning, their
attention was roused, and they said, all is not right
(03:00):
with two eyes, for she has left her meals twice
and has touched nothing of what was left for her.
She must have found some other way of living. So
they determined that one eye should go with the maiden
when she drove the goat to the meadow, and pay
attention to what passed, and observed whether anyone brought her
to eat or to drink. When two eyes therefore was
(03:21):
about to set off when I told her she was
going with her to see whether she took proper care
of the goat and fed her sufficiently. Two Eyes, however,
divined her sister's object and drove the goat where the
grass was finest, and then said, come, one eye, let
us sit down, and I will sing to you. So
when I sat down, for she was quite tired with
her unusual walk in the heat of the sun, Are
(03:43):
you awake or asleep? One eye? Are you awake or asleep?
Saying two eyes, and till her sister really went to sleep.
As soon as she was quite sound, the maiden had
her table out and ate and drank all she needed.
And by the time when I woke again, the table
had disappeared, and the maiden said to her her sister, come,
we will go home now. While you have been sleeping,
(04:04):
the goat might have run about all over the world.
So they went home, and after two Eyes had left
her meal untouched, the mother inquired of one eye what
she had seen, and she was obliged to confess that
she had been asleep. The following morning, the mother told
three eyes that she must go out and watch two
eyes and see who brought her food, for it was
certain that someone must. So three Eyes told her sister
(04:26):
that she was going to accompany her that morning to
see if she took care of the goat and fed
her well. But two eyes saw through her design and
drove the goat again to the best feeding place. Then
she asked her sister to sit down and she would
sing to her, and three eyes did so, for she
was very tired with her long walk in the heat
of the sun. Then two Eyes began to sing as before,
(04:46):
are you awake, three Eyes, But instead of continuing as
she should have done, are you asleep, three Eyes, she said,
by mistake, are you asleep? Two Eyes, And so went
on singing are you awake, three Eyes? Are you asleep?
Two eyes? By and by three Eyes closed two of
her eyes and went to sleep with them, But the
third eye, which was not spoken to, kept open. Three Eyes, however,
(05:10):
cunningly shut it to and feigned to be asleep while
she was really watching. And soon two eyes, thinking all safe,
repeated the words little kid, milk table appear, And as
soon as she was satisfied, she said the old words
little kid, milk table depart. Three Eyes watched all these
proceedings and presently, two eyes came and awoke her, saying, ah, sister,
(05:31):
you are a good watcher, but come let us go
home now. When they reached home, two eyes again ate nothing,
and her sister told her mother she knew now why
the haughty hussy would not eat their rituals. When she
is out in the meadow, said her sister, she says,
little kid, milk table appear, and directly a table comes up,
laid out with meat and wine and everything of the best,
(05:54):
much better than we have. And as soon as she
has had enough, she says, little kid, milk table depart,
and all goes away directly, as I clearly saw. Certainly
she did put to sleep two of my eyes, but
the one in the middle of my forehead luckily kept awake.
Will you have better things than we, cried the envious mother,
Then you shall lose the chance, and so saying, she
(06:15):
took a carving knight and killed the goat dead. As
soon as two eyes saw this, she went out, very sorrowful,
to the old spot and sat down where she had
sat before, or to weep bitterly. All at once the
wise woman stood in front of her again and asked
why she was crying. Must I not cry, replied she,
when the goat which used to furnish me every day
with a dinner, according to your promise, has been killed
(06:38):
by my mother, and I am again suffering hunger and thirst.
Two eyes said the wise woman, I will give you
a piece of advice. Beg your sisters to give you
the entrails of the goat, and bury them in the
earth before the house door, and your fortune will be made.
So saying, she disappeared, and two Eyes went home and
said to her sisters, dear sisters, do give me some
(06:59):
part of the slain kid. I desire nothing else. Let
me have the entrails. The sisters laughed and readily gave
them to her, and she buried them secretly before the
threshold of the door, as the wise woman had bit
in her. The following morning they found in front of
the house a wonderfully beautiful tree with leaves of silver
and fruits of gold hanging from the boughs, that which
(07:22):
nothing more splendid could be seen in the world. The
two elder sisters were quite ignorant how the tree came
where it stood, but two Eyes perceived that it was
produced by the goat's entrails, for it stood on the
exact spot where she had buried them. As soon as
the mother saw it, she told one eye to break
off some of the fruit. When I went up to
the tree and polled a bow towards her to pluck
(07:43):
off the fruit. But the bough flew back again directly
out of her hands, and so it did every time
she took hold of it, till she was forced to
give up, for she could not obtain a single golden
apple in spite of all her endeavors. Then the mother
said to three eyes, do you climb up, for you
can see with your three eyes than your sister with
her one. Three eyes, however, was not more fortunate than
(08:05):
her sister, for the golden apples flew back as soon
as she touched them. At last, the mother got so
impatient that she climbed the tree herself, But she met
with no more success than either of her daughters, and
grasped the air only when she thought she had the fruit.
Two eyes now thought she would try, and said to
her sisters, let me get up. Perhaps I may be successful.
(08:25):
Oh you are very likely, indeed, said they, with your
two eyes you will see well, no doubt. So Two
Eyes climbed the tree, and directly she touched the boughs.
The golden apples fell into her hands, so that she
plucked them as fast as she could, and filled her apron.
Before she went down. Her mother took them of her
my return to no thanks, and the two sisters, instead
of treating Two Eyes better than they had done, were
(08:47):
only the more envious of her because she alone could
gather the fruit. In fact, they treated her worse. One morning,
not long after the springing up of the apple tree,
the three sisters were all standing together beneath it, when
in the distance a young knight was seen running toward them.
Make haste, Two Eyes, exclaimed the two elder sisters, make
(09:08):
haste and creep out of our way, though we may
not be ashamed of you, And so saying, they put
over her in great haste an empty cask which stood near,
and which covered the golden apples as well, which she
had just been plucking. Soon the knight came up to
the tree, and the sisters saw he was a very
handsome man, for he stopped to admire the fine silver
leaves and golden fruit, and presently asked to whom the
(09:30):
tree belonged, for he should like to have a branch
off it. One eye and three eyes replied that the
tree belonged to them, and they tried to pluck a
branch off for the night. They had their trouble for nothing, however,
for the bows and fruit flew back as soon as
they touched them. This is very wonderful, cried the knight,
that this tree should belong to you, and yet you
cannot pluck the fruit. The sisters, however, maintained that it
(09:55):
was theirs. But while they spoke, two eyes rolled a
golden apple from underneath the cask. It traveled to the
feet of the night, for she was angry because her
sisters had not spoken the truth. When he saw the apple,
he was astonished and asked where it came from. And
One eye and three eyes said they had another sister,
but they dared not let her be seen, because she
had only two eyes like common folk. The Night, however,
(10:17):
would see her and called two eyes come here, and
soon she made her appearance from under the cask. The
night was bewildered at her great beauty, and said, you,
two eyes can surely break off a bough of this
tree for me. Yes, she replied that I will, for
it is my property, and climbing up, she easily broke
off a branch with silver leaves and golden fruit, which
(10:38):
she handed to the knight. What can I give you
in return? Two Eyes asked the night, Alas, if you
will take me with you, I shall be happy. For
now I suffer hunger and thirst, and am in trouble
and grief from early morning till late evening. Take me
and save me. Thereupon, the Night raised Two Eyes upon
his saddle and took her home to his father's castle.
There he gave her beautiful clothes and all she wished
(11:01):
for to eat or to drink, And afterward, because his
love for her had become so great, he married her,
and a very happy wedding they had. Her two sisters, meanwhile,
were very jealous when Two Eyes was carried off by
the night, but they consoled themselves by saying, the wonderful
tree remains still for us, and even if we cannot
get out the fruit, everybody that passes will stop to
(11:22):
look at it and then come to praise it to us.
Who knows where our wheat may bloom. The morning after
the speech, however, the tree disappeared and with it all
their hopes. But when two Eyes that same day looked
out of her chamber window, behold the tree stood before it,
and there remained for a long time. After this occurrence,
Two Eyes lived in the enjoyment of the greatest happiness.
(11:44):
And one morning two poor women came to the palace
and begged in alms. Two Eyes, after looking narrowly at
their faces, recognized her two sisters, one eye and three eyes,
who had come to such great poverty that they were
forced to wander about begging their bread from day to day.
Two Eyes, however, bade them welcome, invited them in, and
took care of them till they both repented of their
(12:06):
evil which they had done to their sister in the
days of their childhood, and of little one Eye, Two
Eyes and three Eyes by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grim
Once upon a time there was a woman who had
three daughters, the eldest of whom was named one eye,
because she had but a single eye, and that placed
in the middle of her forehead. The second was called
two eyes because she was like other mortals, and the
third three eyes, because she had three eyes, and one
of them in the center of her forehead, like her
eldest sister. But because her second sister had nothing out
(00:24):
of the common in her appearance, she was looked down
upon by her sisters and despised by her mother. You
are no better than common folk, they would say to her,
you do not belong to us, and then they would
push her about, give her coarse clothing and nothing to
eat but their leavings, besides numerous other insults as occasion offered.
(00:44):
Once it happened that two Eyes had to go into
the forest to tend to the goat, and she went
very hungry because her sisters had given her very little
to eat. That morning, she sat down upon a hillock
and cried so much that her tears flowed almost like
rivers out of her eyes. By and bye. She looked
up and saw a woman standing by, who asked, why
are you weeping two eyes, because I have two eyes
(01:07):
like ordinary people, replied the maiden. And therefore my mother
and sisters dislike me. Push me into corners, throw me
their old clothes, and give me nothing to eat. But
what they leave today. They have given me so little
that I am still hungry. Dry your eyes, then, now,
said the wise woman, I will tell you something which
shall prevent you from being hungry again. You must say
(01:29):
to your goat, little kid, milk table appear, And immediately
a nicely filled table will stand before you, with delicate
food upon it, of which you can eat as much
as you please. And when you are satisfied, and I
had done with the table, you must say, little kid,
milk table depart, and it will disappear directly. With these words,
(01:50):
the wise woman went away, and Little two eyes thought
to herself she would try at once if what the
woman said were true, for she felt very hungry. Indeed,
little kid, milk table appear, said the maiden, And immediately
a table covered with a white cloth stood before her
with a knife and fork and silver spoon, and the
most delicate dishes were arranged in order upon it, and
(02:14):
everything as warm as if they had been just taken
away from the fire. Two eyes said a short grace,
and then began to eat, And when she had finished,
she pronounced the words which the wise woman had told
her little kid, milk table depart, and directly the table
and all that was on it quickly disappeared. This is
capital housekeeping, said the maiden in high glee. And at
(02:37):
evening she went home with her goat and found an
earthen dish which her sisters had left her, filled with
their leavings. She did not touch it, and the next
morning she went off again without taking the meager breakfast
which was left out for her. The first and second
time she did this, the sisters thought nothing of it,
But when she did the same the third morning, their
attention was roused, and they said, all is not right
(03:00):
with two eyes, for she has left her meals twice
and has touched nothing of what was left for her.
She must have found some other way of living. So
they determined that one eye should go with the maiden
when she drove the goat to the meadow, and pay
attention to what passed, and observed whether anyone brought her
to eat or to drink. When two eyes therefore was
(03:21):
about to set off when I told her she was
going with her to see whether she took proper care
of the goat and fed her sufficiently. Two Eyes, however,
divined her sister's object and drove the goat where the
grass was finest, and then said, come, one eye, let
us sit down, and I will sing to you. So
when I sat down, for she was quite tired with
her unusual walk in the heat of the sun, Are
(03:43):
you awake or asleep? One eye? Are you awake or asleep?
Saying two eyes, and till her sister really went to sleep.
As soon as she was quite sound, the maiden had
her table out and ate and drank all she needed.
And by the time when I woke again, the table
had disappeared, and the maiden said to her her sister, come,
we will go home now. While you have been sleeping,
(04:04):
the goat might have run about all over the world.
So they went home, and after two Eyes had left
her meal untouched, the mother inquired of one eye what
she had seen, and she was obliged to confess that
she had been asleep. The following morning, the mother told
three eyes that she must go out and watch two
eyes and see who brought her food, for it was
certain that someone must. So three Eyes told her sister
(04:26):
that she was going to accompany her that morning to
see if she took care of the goat and fed
her well. But two eyes saw through her design and
drove the goat again to the best feeding place. Then
she asked her sister to sit down and she would
sing to her, and three eyes did so, for she
was very tired with her long walk in the heat
of the sun. Then two Eyes began to sing as before,
(04:46):
are you awake, three Eyes, But instead of continuing as
she should have done, are you asleep, three Eyes, she said,
by mistake, are you asleep? Two Eyes, And so went
on singing are you awake, three Eyes? Are you asleep?
Two eyes? By and by three Eyes closed two of
her eyes and went to sleep with them, But the
third eye, which was not spoken to, kept open. Three Eyes, however,
(05:10):
cunningly shut it to and feigned to be asleep while
she was really watching. And soon two eyes, thinking all safe,
repeated the words little kid, milk table appear, And as
soon as she was satisfied, she said the old words
little kid, milk table depart. Three Eyes watched all these
proceedings and presently, two eyes came and awoke her, saying, ah, sister,
(05:31):
you are a good watcher, but come let us go
home now. When they reached home, two eyes again ate nothing,
and her sister told her mother she knew now why
the haughty hussy would not eat their rituals. When she
is out in the meadow, said her sister, she says,
little kid, milk table appear, and directly a table comes up,
laid out with meat and wine and everything of the best,
(05:54):
much better than we have. And as soon as she
has had enough, she says, little kid, milk table depart,
and all goes away directly, as I clearly saw. Certainly
she did put to sleep two of my eyes, but
the one in the middle of my forehead luckily kept awake.
Will you have better things than we, cried the envious mother,
Then you shall lose the chance, and so saying, she
(06:15):
took a carving knight and killed the goat dead. As
soon as two eyes saw this, she went out, very sorrowful,
to the old spot and sat down where she had
sat before, or to weep bitterly. All at once the
wise woman stood in front of her again and asked
why she was crying. Must I not cry, replied she,
when the goat which used to furnish me every day
with a dinner, according to your promise, has been killed
(06:38):
by my mother, and I am again suffering hunger and thirst.
Two eyes said the wise woman, I will give you
a piece of advice. Beg your sisters to give you
the entrails of the goat, and bury them in the
earth before the house door, and your fortune will be made.
So saying, she disappeared, and two Eyes went home and
said to her sisters, dear sisters, do give me some
(06:59):
part of the slain kid. I desire nothing else. Let
me have the entrails. The sisters laughed and readily gave
them to her, and she buried them secretly before the
threshold of the door, as the wise woman had bit
in her. The following morning they found in front of
the house a wonderfully beautiful tree with leaves of silver
and fruits of gold hanging from the boughs, that which
(07:22):
nothing more splendid could be seen in the world. The
two elder sisters were quite ignorant how the tree came
where it stood, but two Eyes perceived that it was
produced by the goat's entrails, for it stood on the
exact spot where she had buried them. As soon as
the mother saw it, she told one eye to break
off some of the fruit. When I went up to
the tree and polled a bow towards her to pluck
(07:43):
off the fruit. But the bough flew back again directly
out of her hands, and so it did every time
she took hold of it, till she was forced to
give up, for she could not obtain a single golden
apple in spite of all her endeavors. Then the mother
said to three eyes, do you climb up, for you
can see with your three eyes than your sister with
her one. Three eyes, however, was not more fortunate than
(08:05):
her sister, for the golden apples flew back as soon
as she touched them. At last, the mother got so
impatient that she climbed the tree herself, But she met
with no more success than either of her daughters, and
grasped the air only when she thought she had the fruit.
Two eyes now thought she would try, and said to
her sisters, let me get up. Perhaps I may be successful.
(08:25):
Oh you are very likely, indeed, said they, with your
two eyes you will see well, no doubt. So Two
Eyes climbed the tree, and directly she touched the boughs.
The golden apples fell into her hands, so that she
plucked them as fast as she could, and filled her apron.
Before she went down. Her mother took them of her
my return to no thanks, and the two sisters, instead
of treating Two Eyes better than they had done, were
(08:47):
only the more envious of her because she alone could
gather the fruit. In fact, they treated her worse. One morning,
not long after the springing up of the apple tree,
the three sisters were all standing together beneath it, when
in the distance a young knight was seen running toward them.
Make haste, Two Eyes, exclaimed the two elder sisters, make
(09:08):
haste and creep out of our way, though we may
not be ashamed of you, And so saying, they put
over her in great haste an empty cask which stood near,
and which covered the golden apples as well, which she
had just been plucking. Soon the knight came up to
the tree, and the sisters saw he was a very
handsome man, for he stopped to admire the fine silver
leaves and golden fruit, and presently asked to whom the
(09:30):
tree belonged, for he should like to have a branch
off it. One eye and three eyes replied that the
tree belonged to them, and they tried to pluck a
branch off for the night. They had their trouble for nothing, however,
for the bows and fruit flew back as soon as
they touched them. This is very wonderful, cried the knight,
that this tree should belong to you, and yet you
cannot pluck the fruit. The sisters, however, maintained that it
(09:55):
was theirs. But while they spoke, two eyes rolled a
golden apple from underneath the cask. It traveled to the
feet of the night, for she was angry because her
sisters had not spoken the truth. When he saw the apple,
he was astonished and asked where it came from. And
One eye and three eyes said they had another sister,
but they dared not let her be seen, because she
had only two eyes like common folk. The Night, however,
(10:17):
would see her and called two eyes come here, and
soon she made her appearance from under the cask. The
night was bewildered at her great beauty, and said, you,
two eyes can surely break off a bough of this
tree for me. Yes, she replied that I will, for
it is my property, and climbing up, she easily broke
off a branch with silver leaves and golden fruit, which
(10:38):
she handed to the knight. What can I give you
in return? Two Eyes asked the night, Alas, if you
will take me with you, I shall be happy. For
now I suffer hunger and thirst, and am in trouble
and grief from early morning till late evening. Take me
and save me. Thereupon, the Night raised Two Eyes upon
his saddle and took her home to his father's castle.
There he gave her beautiful clothes and all she wished
(11:01):
for to eat or to drink, And afterward, because his
love for her had become so great, he married her,
and a very happy wedding they had. Her two sisters, meanwhile,
were very jealous when Two Eyes was carried off by
the night, but they consoled themselves by saying, the wonderful
tree remains still for us, and even if we cannot
get out the fruit, everybody that passes will stop to
(11:22):
look at it and then come to praise it to us.
Who knows where our wheat may bloom. The morning after
the speech, however, the tree disappeared and with it all
their hopes. But when two Eyes that same day looked
out of her chamber window, behold the tree stood before it,
and there remained for a long time. After this occurrence,
Two Eyes lived in the enjoyment of the greatest happiness.
(11:44):
And one morning two poor women came to the palace
and begged in alms. Two Eyes, after looking narrowly at
their faces, recognized her two sisters, one eye and three eyes,
who had come to such great poverty that they were
forced to wander about begging their bread from day to day.
Two Eyes, however, bade them welcome, invited them in, and
took care of them till they both repented of their
(12:06):
evil which they had done to their sister in the
days of their childhood, and of little one Eye, Two
Eyes and three Eyes by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grim
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