2. The Juniper Tree
Motherly love can be complicated and strained, especially when its between a step-mother and son. Hopefully other sons dont have to worry about their fates ending up like The Juniper Tree. When the boy asks for an apple, the step-mother opens the chest for him to reach in. She then slams the lid shut, slicing his head off. The step-mother then takes the head, places it back on the body, and sits it down like nothing happened. She then persuades her actual daughter to box the body on the ear, convincing her own daughter that it was she who committed the murder, not the stepmother. How does the step-mother hide the deed and body? By putting the meat into a soup, and feeding the soup to the boys father, while the daughter hides the bones in the boughs of the juniper tree. The boys spirit goes into a bird, and sings for three items; a gold chain, a pair of dancing shoes and a millstone. The bird sings of the step-mothers treachery, gives the gold chain to his father, the dancing shoes to his stepsister, and drops the millstone on the step-mothers head. The boy is brought back to life, and one of Grimms most dysfunctional families sets about living their extremely unusual lives.