The Six Sillies
by Andrew Lang · from The Red Fairy Book
Adapted Version
Once, a silly girl had no suitor.
One day, a young man came. He wanted to ask to marry her.
The mother was happy. She sent the girl for juice.
The girl went to get the juice. But she sat down. She thought about baby names. She forgot the juice. It ran all over the floor.
The mother went to the kitchen. She saw the girl. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"I think of baby names," said the girl.
The mother sat down. "I will think with you," she said.
The father came down. He saw the juice on the floor. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"We are thinking of baby names," they said.
The father sat down. "I will think too," he said.
The suitor came down. He saw the juice everywhere. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"We think of names," said the father.
The suitor shook his head. "Goodbye," he said. "I will go. I will find three people sillier than you. Then I will come back."
He walked and walked. He saw some people. They had apples. They tried to put apples in a cart.
"What are you doing?" asked the suitor.
"We want to carry the apples," they said. "But we cannot."
"Use a basket," said the suitor.
"Oh!" they said. The suitor walked on. "That is one," he thought.
He walked more. He saw a man with a dog. The man wanted the dog to get bones. He tried to make the dog climb.
"What are you doing?" asked the suitor.
"I want my dog to get bones," said the man. "But he will not climb."
"Shake the tree," said the suitor. "The bones will fall."
"Oh!" said the man. "That is two," thought the suitor.
He walked more. He saw a man with a shirt. The man tried to put on the shirt. He tied it to a tree. He jumped to get in it.
"What are you doing?" asked the suitor.
"I am trying to put on my shirt," he said.
"Hold it in your hands," said the suitor. "Then put it on."
"Oh!" said the man. "That is three," thought the suitor.
He went back to the girl. "I found three sillier people," he said. "Now I will marry you."
So he married the girl. They had many children. Sometimes, silly things happen, and that's okay. The suitor learned everyone can be silly. And they laughed and lived happily ever after.
Original Story
THE SIX SILLIES
Once upon a time there was a young girl who reached the age of
thirty-seven without ever having had a lover, for she was so foolish
that no one wanted to marry her.
One day, however, a young man arrived to pay his addresses to her, and
her mother, beaming with joy, sent her daughter down to the cellar to
draw a jug of beer.
As the girl never came back the mother went down to see what had become
of her, and found her sitting on the stairs, her head in her hands,
while by her side the beer was running all over the floor, as she had
forgotten to close the tap. ‘What are you doing there?’ asked the
mother.
‘I was thinking what I shall call my first child after I am married to
that young man. All the names in the calendar are taken already.’
The mother sat down on the staircase beside her daughter and said, ‘I
will think about it with you, my dear.’
The father who had stayed upstairs with the young man was surprised
that neither his wife nor his daughter came back, and in his turn went
down to look for them. He found them both sitting on the stairs, while
beside them the beer was running all over the ground from the tap,
which was wide open.
‘What are you doing there? The beer is running all over the cellar.’
‘We were thinking what we should call the children that our daughter
will have when she marries that young man. All the names in the
calendar are taken already.’
‘Well,’ said the father, ‘I will think about it with you.’
As neither mother nor daughter nor father came upstairs again, the
lover grew impatient, and went down into the cellar to see what they
could all be doing. He found them all three sitting on the stairs,
while beside them the beer was running all over the ground from the
tap, which was wide open.
‘What in the world are you all doing that you don’t come upstairs, and
that you let the beer run all over the cellar?’
‘Yes, I know, my boy,’ said the father, ‘but if you marry our daughter
what shall you call your children? All the names in the calendar are
taken.’
When the young man heard this answer he replied:
‘Well! good-bye, I am going away. When I shall have found three people
sillier than you I will come back and marry your daughter.’
So he continued his journey, and after walking a long way he reached an
orchard. Then he saw some people knocking down walnuts, and trying to
throw them into a cart with a fork.
‘What are you doing there?’ he asked.
‘We want to load the cart with our walnuts, but we can’t manage to do
it.’
The lover advised them to get a basket and to put the walnuts in it, so
as to turn them into the cart.
‘Well,’ he said to himself, ‘I have already found someone more foolish
than those three.’
So he went on his way, and by-and-by he came to a wood. There he saw a
man who wanted to give his pig some acorns to eat, and was trying with
all his might to make him climb up the oak-tree.
‘What are you doing, my good man?’ asked he.
‘I want to make my pig eat some acorns, and I can’t get him to go up
the tree.’
‘If you were to climb up and shake down the acorns the pig would pick
them up.’
‘Oh, I never thought of that.’
‘Here is the second idiot,’ said the lover to himself.
Some way farther along the road he came upon a man who had never worn
any trousers, and who was trying to put on a pair. So he had fastened
them to a tree and was jumping with all his might up in the air so that
he should hit the two legs of the trousers as he came down.
‘It would be much better if you held them in your hands,’ said the
young man, ‘and then put your legs one after the other in each hole.’
‘Dear me to be sure! You are sharper than I am, for that never occurred
to me.’
And having found three people more foolish than his bride, or her
father or her mother, the lover went back to marry the young lady.
And in course of time they had a great many children.
Story from Hainaut.
(M. Lemoine. La Tradition. No, 34,)
Story DNA
Moral
Sometimes, the simplest solutions are overlooked by those lacking common sense, and foolishness can be relative.
Plot Summary
A 37-year-old foolish girl finally receives a marriage proposal. However, she, her mother, and her father become comically engrossed in debating future baby names, neglecting a spilling beer tap. The suitor, witnessing their extreme foolishness, declares he will only marry the girl if he can find three people even sillier. On his journey, he encounters three individuals demonstrating profound lack of common sense: people trying to load walnuts with a fork, a man attempting to make a pig climb a tree for acorns, and another trying to put on trousers by jumping into them while they're tied to a tree. Having found his three sillies, the suitor returns and marries the girl.
Themes
Emotional Arc
frustration to amusement to resolution
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story is attributed to M. Lemoine in 'La Tradition', a French folklore journal, and specifically noted as being from Hainaut, a region in Belgium and France. This places it within a European folk tradition where tales of foolishness and common sense were popular.
Plot Beats (13)
- A 37-year-old foolish girl has never had a suitor.
- A young man arrives to propose marriage to the girl.
- The mother sends the girl to the cellar for beer, but the girl gets distracted by thinking of future children's names and leaves the tap open.
- The mother finds the girl, joins her in the silly debate, and also neglects the beer.
- The father finds both women, joins their debate, and also neglects the beer.
- The suitor finds the entire family debating future children's names while beer spills everywhere.
- The suitor declares he will only marry the girl if he finds three people sillier than them.
- The suitor encounters people trying to load walnuts into a cart using a fork, and advises them to use a basket.
- The suitor encounters a man trying to make a pig climb a tree to eat acorns, and advises him to shake the acorns down.
- The suitor encounters a man trying to put on trousers by jumping into them while they are tied to a tree, and advises him to hold them.
- Having found three people sillier than the family, the suitor returns.
- The suitor marries the young lady.
- The couple has many children.
Characters
The Young Girl ★ protagonist
Unspecified, but plain enough to remain unmarried at 37
Attire: Simple peasant dress appropriate for a young woman in Hainaut
Foolish, impractical
Image Prompt & Upload
A young girl, around twelve years old, with a determined yet hopeful expression. She has long, wavy chestnut hair loosely tied back with a ribbon. She wears a simple, faded blue dress with a white apron, scuffed brown leather boots, and a small woven basket in her hand. She stands in a slight contrapposto pose, looking forward with clear, bright eyes. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Mother ◆ supporting
Unspecified, but likely careworn
Attire: Simple peasant dress appropriate for a woman in Hainaut
Easily distracted, foolish
Image Prompt & Upload
A kind-faced woman in her early forties with warm brown eyes and gentle smile lines. Her chestnut hair is loosely braided over one shoulder. She wears a soft, sage-green woolen dress with a cream linen apron, sleeves rolled to the elbows. Her posture is open and welcoming, one hand slightly extended as if offering help or comfort. She stands with a calm, steady presence. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Father ◆ supporting
Unspecified, but likely a working man
Attire: Simple peasant clothing appropriate for a man in Hainaut
Easily distracted, foolish
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged man in his late 40s with kind, deep-set eyes and a reassuring gentle smile. He has short, wavy brown hair with streaks of gray at the temples and a neatly trimmed beard. He is dressed in a sturdy, earth-toned wool tunic over a simple linen shirt, paired with dark trousers and scuffed leather boots. His posture is strong yet relaxed, standing tall with his shoulders back and hands calmly at his sides, conveying a quiet, dependable presence. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Lover ★ protagonist
Unspecified, but presumably presentable
Attire: Simple clothing appropriate for a young man in Hainaut
Clever, discerning
Image Prompt & Upload
A young person in their early twenties with a gentle, wistful expression, gazing softly upward. They have flowing, chestnut-brown hair adorned with a few small, white wildflowers. They are wearing a simple, cream-colored linen tunic with delicate embroidery at the collar and sleeves, paired with soft leather boots. They are standing in a serene, twilight forest clearing, one hand lightly touching the bark of a mossy tree, the other cradling a single, glowing bluebell flower. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Walnut Harvesters ○ minor
Unspecified, but likely working men
Attire: Simple clothing appropriate for working men in Hainaut
Inefficient, foolish
Image Prompt & Upload
Two adolescent siblings, a boy and a girl, in simple, earth-toned linen tunics and sturdy boots. The boy, with tousled brown hair, carries a woven basket overflowing with green-husked walnuts. The girl, her dark braids tied with a ribbon, uses a small wooden mallet to crack a nut, her expression focused and cheerful. They stand close together, their postures slightly bent from their labor. Sun-kissed skin, practical clothing, and a sense of shared purpose. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Acorn Farmer ○ minor
Unspecified, but likely a working man
Attire: Simple clothing appropriate for a farmer in Hainaut
Unimaginative, foolish
Image Prompt & Upload
A middle-aged man with a kind, weathered face and a short, salt-and-pepper beard. He wears a simple, earth-toned linen shirt, brown leather apron, and sturdy trousers tucked into worn leather boots. His hair is short and slightly messy. He stands with a gentle, proud posture, holding a woven basket filled with acorns. His expression is warm and content. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Trouserless Man ○ minor
Unspecified, but notably without trousers
Attire: Shirt, perhaps a vest, but notably no trousers
Unintelligent, foolish
Image Prompt & Upload
A cheerful middle-aged man with a magnificent walrus mustache, standing proudly in a crisp white dress shirt, burgundy bow tie, and polished black shoes. He is conspicuously missing his trousers, revealing simple knee-length underpants. He stands with hands confidently on his hips, a playful twinkle in his eye and a slight, knowing smile. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
Cellar Staircase
A cellar staircase with beer running all over the floor from an open tap.
Mood: foolish, wasteful
The family sits and contemplates baby names while ignoring the overflowing beer.
Image Prompt & Upload
A dimly lit stone cellar staircase with worn steps descending into shadow. Golden beer streams from an open brass tap on a large wooden barrel, flowing down the steps and pooling on the floor. The beer creates a reflective, amber river with small bubbles. The walls are rough-hewn stone, damp with condensation. A single hanging lantern casts warm light, highlighting the glistening liquid and casting long shadows. The air is cool and musty, with the scent of malt implied visually through rich, warm tones. Cobwebs cling to corners, and the floor is slick with the flowing beer. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
Walnut Orchard
An orchard where people are knocking down walnuts and trying to throw them into a cart with a fork.
Mood: inefficient, absurd
The lover finds the first group of sillier people.
Image Prompt & Upload
Golden hour light filters through the canopy of a vast walnut orchard, casting long, dramatic shadows across the forest floor. Rows of mature, gnarled walnut trees with thick, textured bark stretch into the distance. The ground is carpeted with fallen, golden-brown leaves and scattered, freshly knocked-down green walnuts in their husks. A weathered, wooden cart with iron-rimmed wheels sits on a dirt path between the trees, its bed empty and waiting. The atmosphere is warm, dusty, and peaceful, with a sense of recent, quiet activity. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration
Oak Wood
A wood with an oak tree where a man is trying to make his pig climb the tree to eat acorns.
Mood: misguided, illogical
The lover finds the second silly person.
Image Prompt & Upload
Sunlight filters through the canopy of a vast, ancient oak wood in the golden hour of a crisp autumn afternoon. A single, colossal oak tree dominates the scene, its gnarled trunk thick and twisted, its sprawling branches heavy with clusters of ripe, brown acorns. The forest floor is a soft carpet of fallen amber and russet leaves, dotted with more acorns and dappled with shifting patterns of light and shadow. The air is still and hazy with a gentle, golden mist, highlighting the textured bark and the vibrant fall colors of the surrounding trees. The atmosphere is serene, magical, and deeply quiet. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Roadside Tree
A roadside tree where a man is trying to put on trousers by fastening them to the tree and jumping into them.
Mood: awkward, ridiculous
The lover finds the third silly person.
Image Prompt & Upload
A large, ancient oak tree stands beside a quiet dirt road in late afternoon golden hour light. Its thick, gnarled branches spread wide, with one low-hanging limb bearing the subtle impression of recently hung weight, disturbed leaves, and a faint, ghostly outline of fabric in the air. The grass beneath is slightly trampled. The air is still and warm, with long shadows stretching across the path. The surrounding forest is lush and green, with dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy. The scene is serene yet holds a peculiar, whimsical tension. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
