The Water of Life — Jacob Grimm; Wilhelm Grimm

The Brothers Grimm (or Die Gebruder Grimm), Jacob (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859), were German academics, linguists, cultural researchers, lexicographers and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the most well-known storytellers of folk tales, popularizing stories such as "Cinderella" "(Aschenputtel)," "The Frog Prince" ("Der Froschkonig"), "Hansel and Gretel" ("Hansel und Gretel"), "Rapunzel," "Rumpelstiltskin" " ("Rumpelstilzchen"), and "Snow White" ("Schneewittchen"). Their first collection of folk tales, Children's and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmarchen), was published in 1812. The Water of Life... Long before you or I were born, there reigned, in a country a great way off, a king who had three sons. This king once fell very ill-so ill that nobody thought he could live. His sons were very much grieved at their father's sickness; and as they were walking together very mournfully in the garden of the palace, a little old man met them and asked what was the matter. They told him that their father was very ill, and that they were afraid nothing could save him..."