Britney Menefee
Mr. Dollieslager
English 111
17 November 2014
There are many great tales in the world, and today one of the most popular types is the folklorist. Folklorist is traditional beliefs, myths, tales, and transmitted orally. The most famous authors of folklorists’ tales were written by two brothers, better known as the Grimm Brothers.
The Grimm brothers wrote over two hundreds tales, have become the most popular and universal stories known today. Their stories based on oral tradition they heard when they lived in Steinau, stories they read while studying at the University of Marburg, response to Napoleon, the dictator who wanted to replace their German culture and traditions with French culture. As the two brothers got older, they started writing stories about friendships. One of their most famous stories about friendships was “The Coal, The Bean, and The Straw”.
“The Coal, The Bean, and The Straw,” about a small straw, little bean, and small piece of coal. An old lady started to cook her beans; one of the beans popped out the pot and landed next the straw, then a coal popped out the burning fire right next to the straw and bean. Then magically the bean said hello to the straw and coal and they realized that they survived from being burned, cooked, or eaten. The straw decided to make a suggestion that they travel as friends to start new lives. The bean and the coal agreed to travel and started out on their journey. However there was one problem, having to cross the river people crossed to travel to other places. The straw came up with an idea to use itself as a bridge to help the coal and bean get across then for them to help the straw to cross also. The bean and coal thought it was a good idea, so the coal decided to go first, but when it came to walking on the straw over the river it got scared and fell off into the river. Which ended up making the straw break in half the way the coal had fell off, the bean witnessed the whole accident and burst into laughter. While it was laughing it burst into pieces, until a causal person who seen the bean that was a tailor \ became his new friend and put the bean back together. (Grimm, 6) Although it seems like another folklorist tale I can relate to the moral of the story. Even though friendships can be developed at anytime they can also end at anytime.
I can relate to “The Straw, The Coal, and The Bean”. I had a personal with two girls I met in middle school, who became my two best friends through middle school, high school, and even entering into college. I learned while in college, that one friendship is still going strong because we ended up going to the same college and seeing each other everyday. The other friendship burst into pieces, by going to different colleges and having differences. In conclusion, the Grimm Brothers tales continue to have influences all who have read their tales throughout the years. Their stories were entertaining to as well as educational. They taught lessons people could use in everyday life or situations. The lessons could be making the right decision, cherishing friendships, or having to cope with friendships that were lost.
Works Cited
O'Neil, Thomas. "Guardians of The Fairy Tale: The Brothers Grimm." Living in the World Cultural Themes for Writers. 1st ed. Boston, Ma: Wadsworth, 2014. 44-47. Print.
Brothers Grimm.” The Straw, The Coal, and The Bean”. Fairy Tales. 1812. Project Gutenberg, 2008. < http:// Gutenberg.yada.yada.yada>.Internet.