The Brothers Grimm’s Fairy Tale, ‘The Twelve Brothers’

In the face of impossible odds, familial love and loyalty triumph over betrayal, cruelty, and hardship.
The Brothers Grimm’s Fairy Tale, ‘The Twelve Brothers’
An illustration by Henry Justice Ford for the Brothers Grimm tale "The Twelve Brothers." In it, the brothers are turned into 12 ravens. Public Domain
Kate Vidimos
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In their fairy tale “The Twelve Brothers,” the Brothers Grimm show how difficulties and differences arise among families, threatening the peace. Yet they also present loyalty and love as the remedies that bridge all differences and mend all difficulties.

One day, after the queen conceives her 13th child, the king tells her that if the child is a girl, their 12 sons must die. He then bids the queen to tell no one about this.

Kate Vidimos
Kate Vidimos
Author
Kate Vidimos is a 2020 graduate from the liberal arts college at the University of Dallas, where she received her bachelor’s degree in English. She plans on pursuing all forms of storytelling (specifically film) and is currently working on finishing and illustrating a children’s book.