The Grimm Fairytale Hidden for 150 Years: This Week "On The Children's Shelf"

“Dear Mili” by Wilhelm Grimm existed only in a letter for over 150 years. The letter containing the story was sent to a young girl in 1816. Her family kept the letter for over 150 years before sharing it with the world. The discovery of this unknown Grimm fairytale in 1983 made the front page of the NY Times. It was published and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.

I grew up reading the Grimm fairytales…the versions we know today with happy endings. Cinderella falls in love with the Prince and leaves her wicked stepmother. Hansel and Gretel push the wicked witch into the oven and escape her candy house.

Each tale has an element of fear of what could go wrong, but they all ended with a positive outcome. When I studied at Univeristy, I took a class reading Grimm fairytales in the original German. Those tales were darker and didn’t have a neat clean happy ending. They were incredible tales, but they definitely taught lessons…stay out of the woods, don’t talk to strangers…because something really bad can happen.

I recently found a copy of “Dear Mili” and was excited to read this beautifully illustrated, hidden for over 150 years, tale. The story begins with a mother sending her only child into the woods to hide when a war breaks out. She gives her food and tells her to go deep into the woods and return in 3 days. The child does as she is told. As she travels far into the woods, she meets an old man who lives in a hut and offers her food and shelter. She accepts and in exchange, looks for root vegetables for their meals.

While searching for roots, she meets a young girl, who looks just like her, who helps her find the roots and is believed to be her guardian angel. After 3 days pass, the old man tells the young girl that she must return to her mother and the guardian angel child leads her back to the village.

The little girl is sad to leave the old man, but he gives her a rose and tells her when it blooms, they will be together again. As the little girl arrives back in the village, she notices how different everything looks. How could things change so much in 3 days? She sees her mother, but she appears much older. Her mother is thrilled to see her, as the little girl has been gone in the woods for 30 years not 3 days. The mother is very old and dying and her one wish was to see her child one more time before she died.

The next morning, the rose blooms. Read this tale to find out what happens when the rose blooms.

While the beautiful illustrations make this book appear to be a story for readers of all ages, I would take the individual reader’s personality into consideration before reading this tale to them. It is incredible but it is dark and far darker than the Disney version of Grimm fairytales we are used to. Not gory but it is a traditional Grimm twisted tale. I finished the book, put it down and just said “wow” while processing it. Definitely worth reading but should be read by an adult in the family first to see if appropriate for your specific young reader.

I wonder if there are any other Grimm fairytales sitting in letters in someone’s attic.

*Jessica Collins is an award-winning writer and photographer whose column On The Children's Shelf (OTCS) has earned her national acclaim as well as several Connecticut Press Club awards. Follow her writing journey (and see her collection of OTCS) HERE.