The Straw, the Coal, & the Bean
A German folktale originally collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm There was once an old woman, poor as can be, who lived in a small, rural village. One day, she collected beans to cook for dinner. The poor, old woman grabbed a handful of straw to start a fire real quick, but one piece of straw fell to the floor. Once the fire in the hearth was strong, she tossed a handful of beans into the hanging pot. But one bean, unbeknownst to her, fell to the floor. Soon after, a glowing coal from the fire jumped out to the floor joining the others. The Straw asked, "Little friends, how came you hither?" The Coal replied, "I have happily escaped my death for I would have burnt to a cinder in that fire." The Bean nodded, "I too have escaped death for in that pot I would have boiled down to broth like my comrades." The Straw commiserated, "I have escaped my terrible fate a...
