"Brother Lustig" is a German Fairy Tale collected by The Brothers Grimm.
Lustig was a veteran soldier who encountered Saint Peter disguised as another veteran soldier, who asked Lustig to join him in his journey, and Lustig did so. During their travels they encountered sick people, which Peter managed to cure with his magic, and also raised a princess back from the dead, but Lustig became more greedy and deceiving on the way, and eventually they parted ways. When the news of another dead princess reached Lustig, he came to the king and told him that he can restore his daughter, so the king allowed him to do so. Lustig attempted to do the same thing Peter did to the first princess, but failed, then Peter came to his rescue and helped him to restore the girl, but he warned Lustig he shall accept no reward from the king. Lustig accepted no reward, but left some hints to the king he would like to his knapsack filled with gold. He encountered Peter again and he scolded him for disobeying his word, but then said whatever he wishes will teleport into his knapsack. Lustig arrived at a great castle which was said to be cursed because whoever sleeps in it dies. He decided to spend the night there, and during the night he was encountered by devils attacking him, he defeated them by wishing them into his knapsack and asking a blacksmith to strike it with hammers, and only one devil survived who went back to Hell. In the end Lustig reached Heaven, but Peter did not let him in. Lustig gave Peter the knapsack, then wished himself to be in the knapsack, so then he was in Heaven, and Peter could not kick him out.
The full story can be read at Grimmstories.com
Tropes:
- Back from the Dead: Saint Peter recovers a princess' life by chopping her limbs off, putting them in boiling water until all the flesh dropped off, and putting the remaining bones back to the body. Lustig attempts this with another princess, but mixes up the bones' places, then Peter helps him out, so the other princess lives again.
- Blatant Lies: Peter asks Lustig do not eat any of the lamb until he returns, and Lustig only eats the heart. When he returns, he only asks for the heart to eat, but Lustig tells him lambs do not have hearts. When Lustig is drowning in a river, Peter demands him to admit he ate the heart, but Lustig refuses.
- Historical Domain Character: Saint Peter is a character in the tale who disguises himself as someone else to test how honest Lustig is.
- Keep the Reward: Each time Peter cures someone, he rejects any reward he is given, but Lustig pressures him to accept it. When Lustig fails at restoring a princess' life, Peter helps him out and lets the royal family think Lustig was the one who did it, but Peter warns him do not accept any reward after.
- Protagonist Title: This tale is named after the central character.