Summary of “Little Muk” by Gauf


Wilhelm Gauf is a well-known German novelist and writer. We know him because of his wonderful fairy tales. The story of their creation is interesting: he wrote them when he worked as a tutor in the family of the Minister of Defense. The tale “Little Muck”, the summary of which is given here, was included in his collection “Märchen”, which he wrote for the children of the minister. The author’s works quickly became popular in many countries.

Wilhelm Hauff. “Little Muck”. Summary. Introduction

The story of the little Muk is told by a man who met him in his childhood. At that time the protagonist was already an old man. He looked ridiculous: a huge head sticks out on a thin neck, very small growth. The children laughed at him, shouting offending poems, and stepped on his long shoes. The dwarf lived alone and seldom left the house. One day the narrator offended the little Muk. He complained to his father, who, after

punishing his son, revealed to him the story of a poor dwarf.

Wilhelm Hauff. “Little Muck”. Summary. Developments

Once Muk was a child and lived with his father, a poor man, but very respected in the city. The dwarf rarely left the house. His father did not like him for his ugliness and did not teach his son anything. When Muku turned 16, he was left alone. His father died without leaving his son anything after himself. The dwarf took only the clothes of the parent, shortened it to his height and went around the world to seek happiness. He had nothing to eat, and he would have died of hunger and thirst if he had not met an old woman who fed all the cats and dogs in the district. After listening to his sad story, she suggested that he stay with her. Muk courted her pets, who soon became very dilapidated: barely the landlady left the house, the animals were taken to smash the dwelling. One day, when one of the pets broke an expensive vase in the old woman’s room, Muk entered there and found the magic shoes and wand.

In a dream, he saw that shoes can

carry him to anywhere in the world, only three times to turn on his heel, and the wand will help find the treasure. Where gold is hidden, it will knock on the ground three times, and where there is silver, two times. Soon the little Muk reached one big city and hired there as a runner to the king. All the instructions he performed quickly and well, but in the city they did not like the dwarf and laughed at him. To earn the respect and sympathy of people, Muck began to give away all the gold coins, which he found with the help of a stick. Soon he was convicted of the theft of the tsarist treasury and thrown into prison. Little Muk admitted that he was helped by magic shoes and a wand. He was released to freedom, but these things were taken away.

Wilhelm Hauff. “Little Muck”. Summary. Ending

The dwarf once again set off on a long journey and found two trees with dates. Having eaten the fruits of one of them, he found himself with donkey ears and a big nose. When he tried the dates from another tree, his ears and nose again became the same. Having collected fruits from which grew ears and a nose, he goes to the city on the market. The Tsar’s cook takes all the goods from him and the satisfied cook returns to the palace. Soon all the subjects and the king grow ugly ears and a big nose. Having changed clothes to scientists and taking with them fruits from the second tree, Muk goes to the palace. There he relieves of the deformities of one of the approximate king. Everyone gasp and begged the dwarf to cure everyone. The King opens his treasury in front of him, offering to choose any treasures, but Muk takes only his shoes and a wand. Having done this, he throws off the scientist’s clothes, and everyone will recognize in him the former royal cruiser. Despite the king’s pleas, Muck gives him dates and leaves, and the king remains a freak. This ends the tale “Little Muck”.

The summary of the work is unlikely to convey all the unusual adventures of the protagonist. The shortcomings of his appearance were more than offset by his sharpness and ingenuity. We advise you to read the work in the original. Surprisingly good fairy tales Gauf wrote: “Little Muck”, a brief summary of which is given here – a work about the triumph of justice, that evil is always punished.


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Summary of “Little Muk” by Gauf