| > I wonder if the original German is equally ambiguous... The translation is good and authentic. Those who can read Low German[1] can compare the slightly different versions here[2]. In their comments[3 (German)], the brothers Grimm state that the storyline of a woman who pushes her husband for too much is ages old and known in many cultures. They have picked the richest German version. If a Straussian reading is needed, then it should be considered that a Low German story from a coastal - hence Protestant - region rates the pope higher than the king. [1] Low German was a way of getting crap[4] past the radar for the Grimms. Compared to the Juniper Tree[5] (Van den Machandelboom - Low German, again), this fairy tale is harmless. [2] https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/Vom_Fischer_und_seiner_Frau [3] https://de.wikisource.org/wiki/Kinder-_und_Haus-M%C3%A4rchen... [4] What he translates as "filthy shack" is literally a "pissing pot", i.e. a chamber pot. He seems to have a hard time telling it as it is. Maybe, the Straussian reading makes sense. [5] https://sites.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm047.html - you have been warned. |