"The First of the Bearskins", Hans Jacob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen

from The Twelve Dancing Fairies, (collected by Alfred David and Mary Elizabeth Meek)

Motifs:

Soldier makes a deal with the evil spirit (M211)

For seven years he must not wash or comb himself (C72 1.1 & C723. 1 )

He marries the youngest of three sisters (L54. 1)

The elder two made sport of him (Q2)

The elder sisters kill themselves

The evil spirit "You got one, I got two" (K217)

Proppean analysis:

a- (Initial Situation): A soldier is discharged from the military

a⁵ - (lack) The soldier has no money and lacks means to earn a living

D^l - (donor tests the hero) The evil spirit tests the soldier's courage by having him kill a bear

E¹ - (Hero withstands the test) The soldier shoots and kills the bear

M - (a difficult task is proposed) The hero must not wash for 7 years and must serve the evil spirit in his castle

T - (transfiguration) The soldier gradually becomes hideous in appearance

F^l - (A magical agent is directly transferred) The evil spirit gives the soldier paintings of famous people, which he passes off as his own

D² - (hero is tested) A gentleman has Bearskin guess the relative ages of his daughters

E² - (hero answers) With help of the evil spirit, Bearskin answers correctly

F⁹ - (People placed at hero's disposal) Youngest daughter given as bride

* - Bearskin promises to return to his betrothed

N - (task resolved) Seven years expire

T - (transformation) Evil spirit has Bearskin cleaned and groomed

o - (unrecognized arrival) The soldier returns unrecognized to the family

Q - (hero recognized) The soldier's ring matches the half given to his bride

* - Sisters die (commit suicide)

W^* - (wedding, not to a princess) Soldier marries

Total: aa⁵D^lE¹MTF^lD²E²F⁹ NToQW^*