“The Six Silliest” is a traditional European funny fairy tale with no single identifiable author, as it has been passed down orally through generations.
It features a young man who, upon discovering the silliness of his fiancée, sets out on a journey to find people even more foolish, encountering various absurd and funny characters along the way.
The story is characterized by its humorous depiction of human folly, with whimsical and exaggerated scenarios that highlight the absurdity of its characters’ actions.
Here is a short retelling. Enjoy
Once upon a time, there was a young man who was engaged to a beautiful girl. One day, he went to her house and found her crying bitterly.
“Why are you crying?” he asked.
“I’m crying because I have been given a big bowl of milk, and if I drink it, I might spill some on my apron,” she replied.
The young man tried to comfort her, but she continued to cry. Eventually, he left, thinking, “If my fiancée is this silly, how silly must her family be?”
Determined to find people who were even sillier, he set off on a journey. As he walked, he soon encountered a woman trying to carry sunlight into her house in a sack.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m trying to bring sunlight into my house,” she replied.
The young man shook his head and continued on his way.
Next, he met a man trying to catch the wind in a net.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m trying to catch the wind,” the man replied.
Again, the young man shook his head and walked on.
Further along, he came across a woman who was attempting to milk her cow into a sieve.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m trying to milk my cow,” she replied.
The young man sighed and kept going.
He then found a man trying to carry water in a basket.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m trying to carry water,” the man replied.
Once more, the young man shook his head and continued his journey.
Eventually, he met a man who was attempting to push his house up a hill with a stick.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m trying to move my house,” the man replied.
The young man sighed deeply and walked on.
Finally, he encountered a man who was trying to bury his shadow.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m trying to bury my shadow,” the man replied.
At this point, the young man realized that he had indeed found people who were sillier than his fiancée and her family. Feeling relieved, he returned home and married his fiancée, thinking that perhaps a little silliness wasn’t so bad after all.
And they lived happily ever after.
Also Read: The Metal Pig
Follow Up Questions
What silly thing was the woman trying to do with the sack?
How many silly people did the young man meet on his journey?
Why did the young man go on his journey in the first place?