edition illustrated by Arthur Rackham
The King of the Golden River or The Black Brothers: A Legend of Stiria, shortened to The King of the Golden River is a literary Fairy Tale written by John Ruskin in 1841 for Euphemia "Effie" Gray, whom he later married. It illustrates the triumph of love, triumph, and goodness over evil, though it can also be characterized as a fable, origin myth, or even a parable.
It can be read at Project Gutenberg
and Wikisource.
The King of the Golden River has examples of:
- Alliterative Name: Schwartz and Hans are known as "the Black Brothers".
- Anthropomorphic Personification: The character of 'Southwest Wind, Esquire' features in the story.
- Bad People Abuse Animals: When explaining why Schwartz and Hans, "the Black Brothers", are two nasty pieces of work, the narrator talks about them killing innocent animals before everything else (abusing and underpaying servants, hoarding corn and then selling it for twice its value...).Schwartz and Hans, the two elder brothers, were very ugly men, with overhanging eyebrows and small, dull eyes which were always half shut, so that you couldn't see into THEM and always fancied they saw very far into YOU. They lived by farming the Treasure Valley, and very good farmers they were. They killed everything that did not pay for its eating. They shot the blackbirds because they pecked the fruit, and killed the hedgehogs lest they should suck the cows; they poisoned the crickets for eating the crumbs in the kitchen, and smothered the cicadas which used to sing all summer in the lime trees. They worked their servants without any wages till they would not work any more, and then quarreled with them and turned them out of doors without paying them.
- Beauty Equals Goodness: Schwartz and Hans are two hideous and greedy men who mistreat their servants, abuse and kill innocent animals, and never help the poor. On the other hand, Gluck is a kind and sweet blue-eyed boy.
- Cain and Abel: The antagonistic Schwartz and Hans are the collective Cain to the good-natured Gluck's Abel. In fact, Gluck does not seem to hold any ill will towards his brothers as he complains to the King of the Golden River for turning them into statues.
- Cinderella Plot: The youngest sibling is bullied and forced to work as a servant by his abusive big brothers.
- Empathic Environment: When each brother sets out for the source of the Golden River, it's a fine day. Each cruel act by the evil brothers causes the weather to worsen. In contrast, when Gluck takes the time to give a person or animal dying of thirst some water, the environment becomes sunnier and more pleasant.
- Meaningful Name: One of the brothers is named Schwartz (German for "Black"). Their youngest brother, who happens upon the King of the River and passes his trial, is named Gluck (German for "luck").
- Old Beggar Test: Each brother comes upon one old man crying out for water during his ascension to the summit. When Schwartz and Hans ignore his requests, their selfishness taints the holy water, making it useless to their goal. Gluck gives most of his water to the old beggar, and shortly later, he finds out that it was one of the King's trials.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: The King of the River punishes Schwarz and Hans' selfishness by turning them into statues. When Gluck complains about his cruelty, the King replies that they had it coming.The King of the River: Why didn't you come before instead of sending me those rascally brothers of yours, for me to have the trouble of turning into stones? Very hard stones they make, too.
Gluck: O dear me! Have you really been so cruel?
The King of the River: Cruel! They poured unholy water into my stream: do you suppose I'm going to allow that?
Gluck: Why, I am sure, sir—your Majesty, I mean—they got the water out of the church font.
The King of the River: Very probably, but the water which has been refused to the cry of the weary and dying is unholy, though it had been blessed by every saint in heaven; and the water which is found in the vessel of mercy is holy, though it had been defiled with corpses. - Rule of Three: The Treasure Valley belongs to three brothers: Schwartz, Hans, and Gluck. Each brother makes a journey to the top of the mountain and is tested three times.
- Secondary Character Title: The eponymous King rewards the main character's kindness and punishes his abusive brothers' evil.
- Secret Test of Character: Each brother meets some people and animals dying of thirst during his journey. Hans and Schwartz refuse to share any and are turned to stone. Gluck gives every single drop, even though it may cost him his only chance to reach the spring of the river, to an old beggar, a little child, and a little dog. After he has given drink to the latter, the dog turns into the King of the River, who rewards Gluck's kindness and selflessness.
- Taken for Granite: The King of the River punishes Hans and Schwartz's greed, selfishness, and rudeness by turning them into two black stones.
- Youngest Child Wins: When his older brothers turn into statues, Gluck becomes the sole owner of the Treasure Valley.
