# The Godfather explained — Household Tales

> Chapter companion for Household Tales by Jacob Grimm.

## What happens

A poor man with many children dreams that he should ask the first stranger he meets to be his child's godfather. The stranger gives him a glass of water that can heal the sick depending on where Death stands by the patient. The man becomes a famous healer but eventually visits the godfather's strange house, where he sees bizarre sights that the godfather dismisses as ordinary things. When the man reveals he saw the godfather with long horns, the godfather angrily denies it, and the man flees in fear.

## Themes in this chapter

### Promises and Their Consequences

The godfather's gift of healing water comes with a condition tied to Death's position, and the man's curiosity about the godfather's true nature leads to a frightening confrontation.

### Magic and the Supernatural

The healing water, the dream that guides the man, and the godfather's horned appearance and strange household all involve supernatural elements.

## Character check-ins

### the poor man

The father who seeks a godfather for his newborn child and receives healing water.

### the stranger

The mysterious godfather who gives the man healing water and later reveals a strange household.

### Death

Appears at the patient's head or feet to determine whether healing is possible.

## Key lines

> The stranger presented him with a little glass of water, and said, “This is a wonderful water, with it thou canst heal the sick, only thou must see where Death is standing. If he is standing by the patient’s head, give the patient some of the water and he will be healed, but if Death is standing by his feet, all trouble will be in vain, for the sick man must die.”

The stranger gave the man a small glass of water, explaining that it could cure the sick, but only if Death stood at the patient's head; if Death stood at the feet, the patient would die regardless.

_This establishes the magical rule that governs the man's healing ability._

> On the first flight of stairs, the broom and shovel were disputing, and knocking each other about violently. He asked them, “Where does the godfather live?” The broom replied, “One flight of stairs higher up.”

On the first staircase, a broom and shovel were fighting noisily. When the man asked for the godfather, the broom directed him to go up another flight.

_The bizarre household objects speak and behave like people, hinting at the godfather's supernatural nature._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se/chapters/the-godfather
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se/chapters