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The Queen Bee

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Simply Read Books

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1812

4 people are currently reading
63 people want to read

About the author

Jacob Grimm

6,067 books2,297 followers
German philologist and folklorist Jakob Ludwig Karl Grimm in 1822 formulated Grimm's Law, the basis for much of modern comparative linguistics. With his brother Wilhelm Karl Grimm (1786-1859), he collected Germanic folk tales and published them as Grimm's Fairy Tales (1812-1815).

Indo-European stop consonants, represented in Germanic, underwent the regular changes that Grimm's Law describes; this law essentially states that Indo-European p shifted to Germanic f, t shifted to th, and k shifted to h. Indo-European b shifted to Germanic p, d shifted to t, and g shifted to k. Indo-European bh shifted to Germanic b, dh shifted to d, and gh shifted to g.

This jurist and mythologist also authored the monumental German Dictionary and his Deutsche Mythologie .

Adapted from Wikipedia.

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5 stars
19 (12%)
4 stars
28 (18%)
3 stars
77 (50%)
2 stars
22 (14%)
1 star
5 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Vaishali.
1,182 reviews314 followers
August 1, 2014
Fantastic! A wonderful tale of the magic of karma... and why having mercy on all life forms will be rewarded in due time to those who care. What a departure from the usual violence found in the Grimm stories (or any tale from this era). "The Queen Bee" instead focuses on how the true winners of this world show love, understanding, and compassion to insects and animals... and receive retribution by the Universe. Bravo !!!
492 reviews9 followers
June 19, 2009
A lesser-known Grimm tale, beautifully and lushly illustrated.
The youngest of three brothers, called Dimwit, is mocked by his brothers for his weakness, yet because of his kind heart he is able to perform three impossible tasks and save all who are in the castle.
A sort of Renaissance version of Aesop's "Androcles and the Lion."
Profile Image for Genevieve.
1,377 reviews13 followers
September 21, 2020
A great story of being thoughtful of the animals and people around you. The good will be rewarded. I liked the story and characters in this short fairy tale.
Profile Image for Rabbia Riaz.
210 reviews12 followers
February 1, 2020
'Was a good moral story. The dwarf helped different animals and finally got the princess but his elder brothers got commoners. So,help the others and get goid results .... Simple!
Profile Image for Sukriti .
3,663 reviews1 follower
March 16, 2024
Jacob Grimm, alongside his brother Wilhelm, is renowned for compiling "Grimm's Fairy Tales," a collection of German folktales. This book is a captivating journey into the heart of folklore, presenting a mixture of enchanting and sometimes dark stories that have fascinated readers for generations. Grimm's work is not just a mere collection of tales; it's a profound exploration of the human condition, morals, and the cultural heritage of Germany. The stories range from the well-loved "Cinderella" and "Snow White" to the less known but equally intriguing tales. Each story is a masterpiece of fantasy, imbued with timeless themes and moral lessons, making this book a valuable treasure for both young and adult readers. Jacob Grimm's contribution through this compilation has left an indelible mark on literature and continues to inspire the imagination of readers worldwide.
Profile Image for Amelia Bujar.
1,869 reviews1 follower
July 6, 2024
FULL REVIEW ON MY WEBSITE
https://thebookcornerchronicles.com/2...

It is different but not that different from what you might remember from first hearing this tale as a kid.

The plot here are very good but also dark which is the mix which I personally like a lot.

The writing style here was very old and you could feel the vibe of old the Europe which but it also felt like there was something missing.
Profile Image for April Helms.
1,457 reviews8 followers
February 28, 2025
Three princes go adventuring, hoping to seek their own fortunes. The two older brothers, described as much smarter (although really they are just much more cruel) barely put up with their "dumb" youngest brother. However, when they are given a chance to save three lovely princesses, the youngest brother (as is typical in Brothers Grimm stories) wins, mostly due to his kindness to a colony of ants, a flock of ducks and a hive of bees, who all come to assist at the opportune time.
Profile Image for Kest Schwartzman.
Author 1 book12 followers
December 30, 2018
I have great confidence that this illustrator, given just a tiny bit of free rein, could create something infinitely more interesting than this book. Even as is, the (skillful, but not particularly inventive) illustrations are what carries this rather boring telling of well known tale.

But the title page portrait, of the bee in full crown, is by far the best page of the book.
Profile Image for Divia.
557 reviews
March 11, 2022
Another story about how good deeds reap rewards. All of the animals who aided the dwarf came to his aid when he needed them the most.

The other two brothers were turned to marble but luckily for them their brother completed all tasks and they actually benefitted in the end as they got to marry the other two princesses. At least the dwarf became king.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Lör K..
Author 3 books94 followers
September 19, 2017
This was a sweet story, although much of a similar trope to the stories the Brothers Grimm wrote. Although repetitive and similar to what has been written before, I found this story enticing and enjoyable. An absolutely wonderful story about karma and how when you do good, good comes back to you.
Profile Image for Paige.
430 reviews19 followers
June 3, 2020
Not good. Not good at all. I have the whole Grimm collection which means I have even the tales no one heard of. Never heard of this tale and it should have stayed that way. Was very disappointed in how this tale was practically ordinary and like the grimm tales we all know and love.
Profile Image for Mike Lisanke.
1,705 reviews34 followers
January 9, 2025
Go along to get along... show kindness and have friends for help when you need them... and of course, all's well which ends well. Everybody wins... but what's with enchantments which require just the right mix of animals be saved???
Profile Image for Karim Elmenshawy.
626 reviews3 followers
March 4, 2018
And the dwarf married the
youngest and the best of the princesses, and was king after her
father's death; but his two brothers married the other two
sisters.
Profile Image for James.
1,824 reviews19 followers
February 13, 2019
Be careful of your actions, because, even the smallest creature has a purpose. Help others, because, you will never know when you will need help yourself.
Profile Image for Caroline.
1,576 reviews79 followers
June 1, 2021
Be nice to animals, it pays off! Though the two other brothers got rewarded too, I guess?
Profile Image for Jana.
242 reviews5 followers
January 4, 2023
Teaches a good lesson that kindness can be returned when you give it in ways we don't expect.
Profile Image for Joseph Knecht.
Author 6 books52 followers
July 28, 2025
It's the people you help in life that will lead you to the youngest princess.

Your brothers will get their princesses too, just not the youngest one.

156 reviews
August 19, 2023
A kind heart treats animals with respect and thus the animals help the person later on. In this case, it's a prince who receives assistance in three tasks, the last of which saves three princesses from a deep sleep. The two older brothers who disrespect life are not severely punished; they marry the other two princesses.

It's a strange tale that feels like a composite of multiple fairy tales. I do like the randomness of the old man. There's no follow up with him, so he's just the quest giver.
Profile Image for ReadingSloph.
1,169 reviews9 followers
December 11, 2014
This short story is odd in the way that there is little plot and everything turns out alright in the end. It is always true in stories like this that the eldest of the siblings are foolish whereas the youngest is always the most cleavest and is the one to suceed in the task before them. This is a good story and was enjoyable and I would read it again.
Profile Image for Jim Sibigtroth.
456 reviews8 followers
August 23, 2015
Morality Tale - simple man helps bees and bees help him with an otherwise impossible task in return. It pays to be nice/kind even to those who don't seem like they could do anything to help you in return. My edition is in English.
Profile Image for Ania.
252 reviews39 followers
March 16, 2012
A simple story on the importance of being kind to nature.
Profile Image for Zain.
145 reviews35 followers
July 20, 2016
On its own it was good, but it's similar to The White Snake.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews

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