i read this story on a message board, on a post about hte bros. grimm movie. i liked it so much i thought i'd share it with you. :)

it's apparently a very old slavic folk tale, called "the silent couple".

***

In a village not too far from here, there once lived two stubborn young people. She was beautiful but arrogant; he was handsome but unruly. As the gods would have it in their infinite wisdom, they fell in love, to their parents' relief - for no one else would have them - the entire village agreed that they were made for each other.

The entire village got together to joyfully prepare the coming marriage, and the couple forgot their previous headstrong manners in order to cook and clean, and hunt game and build their new house. The village wedding was one of the most beautiful ever. there was an entire week of feasting and dancing and music to sing to, and many wellwishers gave the young couple precious gifts of gold and salt.

Eeventually the music died down, the guests and pagentries faded away as everyone gave the young couple some space to private time to spend as they wish. The young couple, feet throbbing from the incessant dances, stomach aching from the feasts, tired of the thankyous and the seeyounextyears, finally entered their own house and they both immediatly collapsed on their feather bed.

"Close the door, there's a draft." murmured the sleepy husband to his new wife.
"My dear, why should I do it? I'm the one who cooked and cleaned and even made this comfortable bed, I deserve to rest. You close the door," yawned the wife.
"What kind of married life is this? The second the ring's on your finger, you turn into a lazy good-for-nothing?!" the husband was getting upset.
"How dare you!" snarled the wife. "We haven't even spent a single night together and you're already calling me names!!"

They stood up, facing each other in white anger, seething through the teeth, when suddenly, the wife got an idea.
"My dear, since neither wants to close the door and since we're both tired of each other's voice; I propose a contest. I say, first one to make a sound will close the door, so."
"Fine," replied the husband testily, "Let's begin immediately".
So the young couple, still glaring at each other, comfortably installed themselves in two opposite chairs, in total silence.

A few hours later, some forest robbers were chancing through the village when they saw the newlybuilt house with its wide-open door. They peeked in, but couldn't hear a sound. They entered, and began stripping the house of its silverware and gold goblets, taking away the furniture and rolling up even the fine carpets.

"Won't he stop them?!" fumed the silent wife.
"Won't she say something?!" fumed the silent husband.

The robbers went round to the back, and found the couple, but in the dark, they mistook them for lifelike statues. They stripped the rings off the wife's fingers, the gold chains off the husband's chest; and yet, neither made a single sound.
The robbers left with their loot.

The couple still stayed silent, growing more and more determined as the dark hours of the night turned to the wee hours of the morning, when the village's most venerable seer - came by their house. Seeing the door open, he feared for the worse, and he entered the barren house with his sword drawn. All he saw were the wreckage left by the robbers, but no couple nor blood to be found. He came to the bedroom where he finally noticed the silent couple.

"What happened here? Where is all your furniture, and your wedding gifts? and the rugs??"
The couple continued staring at each other in defiant silence.
"Answer me! I demand an answer!"
The couple didn't oblige.
The villager drew back his sword, and yelled to the husband: "If you don't answer me, you must be bewitched and I shall kill you!"
"NO!" yelled the wife, rushing to protect her love.

"Hahha, I win", the husband clapped his hands together, "Now, go close the door."


:)