A Very Short Note on Fables from Germany

Fables and fairy tales significantly represent regional cultural tradition. Germany, as it developed as a culturally conscious nation, tried to preserve its cultural tradition since the inception of German nation. Collecting popular fables and fairy tales in and around the region was part of this conscious effort to preserve.

Many of those stories might have migrated from eastern part of the globe; many of those brought from Indian peninsula to Europe, presumably by Arabic and Mediterranean traders, who were playing the role of a bridge between East and West in early medieval and medieval ages, along with carrying goods. Well, trading between countries not only ensured goods movement from one place to another but also became an inevitable medium of cultural exchange between regions since the beginning of history of trading in the world. In course of time, stories of Eastern origin, which became popular in Germanic regions, became part of cultural tradition there. The assimilation of literary tradition of other places played an interesting role in the European literary development.

But the most remarkable thing in the whole process is the dedicated effort of European scholars to collect their own. We are all well aware of the collection of Grimm brother’s who collected 231 fables altogether. A lesser known German collector of fables and fairy tales is: 

Josef Haltrich -  was born in Regen (the then Sächsisch Regen, Siebenbürgen), the town in present Bavaria, in 22^nd July, 1822. He studied in Schäßburg and completed his studies in Gymnasium with distinction in 1845. Then he moved to Leipzig to take part in a two year long theological studies program and classical as well as German philology. He came back to Regen in 1847 and the next year, he was appointed at the Schäßburger Gymnasium. He became the rector of the Gymnasium at 1869 and continued till 1972. He left Schäßburg in the same year to join the perish office in Schaas. He started observing climatic conditions here. We find these well recorded in his notebooks. The Verein für siebenbürgische Landeskunde requested him to compose a Siebenbürgisch (seven-state)-Sächsisch dictionary. After this, he was called by German National Museum in Nürnberg to be a part of the scholarly committee which had taken pivotal role in preserving German history and culture.
Josef Haltrich passed away in 1886 in Schass, Siebenbürgen.

Josef's whole lifetime was not a bed of roses for him of course. He had to struggle against bad health as well as troubles of war situations in Europe which was a forcing factor behind his changing places few times. Notable is, even while going through all troubles, his passion for working with cultural history remained constant. This guided him in compiling large collection of fairy tales and fables in his 64 year life span which draws our utmost admiration even today. 

One small fable collected by Josef Haltrich:

THE BUFFALO AND THE TINY FISH
Once upon a time, a large buffalo came to a streamlet to drink water. She had an insatiable thirst and hence, kept on drinking and drinking. But there lived a tiny fish in that streamlet. The fish was always happy; always hopping and jumping cheerfully, it used to play with the sparkling stones, scattered everywhere under the water.

The buffalo’s continued drinking scared the tiny fish that he would drink all the water in the stream. So it told the buffalo: “Why are you drinking so much? Do you want me to die in the dried sand? Stop or else I will make you stop!”

But the buffalo mocked at him and grumbled: “Wow! You tiny snippet, I am so scared of you! Take care that I don't drink you too!” - And she continued drinking till there was no water remaining in the streamlet.

This made the tiny fish very angry. It jumped high and made itself huge within a moment and then - swallowed the beast in a single gulp.

Buffalo got the result of what it had done. What made him drink all the water the poor tiny fish was surviving in and moreover, mock at that?