The Whisphering Video

In a certain country there was once great lamentation over a deadly virus that caused great sickness, killed much of its people, and laid waste its economy. The President promised a large reward to anyone who would free the land from this plague; but the virus was able to mutate so quickly that no one could develop a medicine which could stop it. At last the President gave notice that whosoever should develop a medicine or vaccine that could kill or stop the virus should have his only daughter to wife.

Now there lived in the country two microbiologists, sons of a university professor, who declared themselves willing to undertake the hazardous enterprise; the elder, who was crafty and shrewd and had graduated top of his class from Harvard, out of pride; the younger, who was innocent and simple, and had barely squeeked by after 6 years at a public university, from a kind heart and lack of employment. The President said, "In order that you may be the more sure of defeating the virus, you must work in different laboratories." So the elder went in to his fancy, well appointed, government grand funded university laboratory at MIT, and the younger to his basement which he had stocked with laboratory equipment he had traded his most valuable comic books for on e-bay.

When the younger had worked for only a few weeks, a policeman showed up at his house. He held in his hand a piece of paper and said, "You have been accused of conducting illegal experiments and generating unhealthy smells by your neighbors." But the young man invited the policemen down to his basement whereupon he showed him exactly what he was doing, and explained his reasons for doing so. The Policeman was greatly pleased by what he saw and heard and left the young man alone saying. "I wish you great luck young man. Clearly your heart is pure and good. All of our lives upon you depend. Take this gun, and with it no harm shall come to you."

He thanked the Policeman, holstered the gun, and went on fearlessly.

Before long he had several candidate drugs, but his neighbors had suspected as much and they rushed at him trying to steal his work. He held the gun towards them, and in blind fury they ran so swiftly at him that he fired three rounds, so that each of their hearts were cloven in twain. Then he took the medicines in his cooler packed with dry ice and went to the capital to the President.

As he arrived at the Presidental palace, there stood within people who were making merry with wine and dancing. His elder brother had gone there first, and, thinking that after all the virus would be very difficult to defeat, he was going to drink until he felt brave or passed out, whichever came first. But when he saw his young brother coming out of the wood laden with his cooler, his envious, evil heart gave him no peace. He called out to him, "Come in, dear brother, rest and refresh yourself with a cup of wine or a shot of vodka. We also have Tequila if you would prefer."

The youth, who suspected no evil, went in and told him about the good Policeman who had given him the gun wherewith he had slain his thieving neighbors.

The elder brother kept him there until the evening, and then they drove away together, the elder brother behind the wheel, and the younger the passenger side. When in the darkness they came to a bridge over a great river, the elder brother slowed down just a bit; and when he was half-way across he gave him such a blow from the drivers seat that he careened out of the car over the side of the bridge and died. He sped away, took the cooler, and carried it to the King, pretending that he had invented the medicines within it; whereupon he obtained the President's daughter in marriage. And when his younger brother mysteriously disappeared he said, "His neighbors must have killed him," and every one believed it.

But as nothing remains hidden from security cameras, so this black deed also was to come to light.

Years afterwards a state tollworker was clearing out old toolbooths when he saw in the corner of one an old security system with video footage from the bridge, and on the system itself, a snow-white little triangular play button. He thought that it might have some interesting footage, so he clambered down, rewound the video tape, and hit play. And when he watched the video for the first time, to his great astonishment, the video showed the murder of the yonger brother by the older. Accompanying the video was an eerie soundtrack and as the footage played a whispered voice could be heard saying.

"Ah, friend, thou playest my tape!

Long has it lain inside the toll booth;

My brother slew me for the medicine,

And took for his wife the Presidents's young daughter."

"What a wonderful tape!" said the tollworker; "it tells the whole tale by itself; I must take it to the President." And when he came with it to the President the tape again began to play its little scene. The President understood it all, and caused the river below the bridge to be drained and dug up, and then the whole skeleton of the murdered man came to light. The wicked brother could not deny the deed, and was placed onto an electric chair and high voltage passed through him until dead. But the bones of the murdered man were laid to rest in a beautiful tomb near Arlington National Cemetary in a churchyard.

THE END

Author's postscript: As The Singing Bone is not one of Grimm's most recognizable tales I have included the full text of the original story below courtesy of seiyaku.com.

In a certain country there was once great lamentation over a wild boar that laid waste the farmer's fields, killed the cattle, and ripped up people's bodies with his tusks. The King promised a large reward to anyone who would free the land from this plague; but the beast was so big and strong that no one dared to go near the forest in which it lived. At last the King gave notice that whosoever should capture or kill the wild boar should have his only daughter to wife.

Now there lived in the country two brothers, sons of a poor man, who declared themselves willing to undertake the hazardous enterprise; the elder, who was crafty and shrewd, out of pride; the younger, who was innocent and simple, from a kind heart. The King said, "In order that you may be the more sure of finding the beast, you must go into the forest from opposite sides." So the elder went in on the west side, and the younger on the east.

When the younger had gone a short way, a little man stepped up to him. He held in his hand a black spear and said, "I give you this spear because your heart is pure and good; with this you can boldly attack the wild boar, and it will do you no harm."

He thanked the little man, shouldered the spear, and went on fearlessly.

Before long he saw the beast, which rushed at him; but he held the spear towards it, and in its blind fury it ran so swiftly against it that its heart was cloven in twain . Then he took the monster on his back and went homewards with it to the King.

As he came out at the other side of the wood, there stood at the entrance a house where people were making merry with wine and dancing. His elder brother had gone in here, and, thinking that after all the boar would not run away from him, was going to drink until he felt brave. But when he saw his young brother coming out of the wood laden with his booty, his envious, evil heart gave him no peace. He called out to him, "Come in, dear brother, rest and refresh yourself with a cup of wine."

The youth, who suspected no evil, went in and told him about the good little man who had given him the spear wherewith he had slain the boar.

The elder brother kept him there until the evening, and then they went away together, and when in the darkness they came to a bridge over a brook, the elder brother let the other go first; and when he was half-way across he gave him such a blow from behind that he fell down dead. He buried him beneath the bridge, took the boar, and carried it to the King, pretending that he had killed it; whereupon he obtained the King's daughter in marriage. And when his younger brother did not come back he said, "The boar must have killed him," and every one believed it.

But as nothing remains hidden from God, so this black deed also was to come to light.

Years afterwards a shepherd was driving his herd across the bridge, and saw lying in the sand beneath, a snow-white little bone. He thought that it would make a good mouth-piece, so he clambered down, picked it up, and cut out of it a mouth-piece for his horn. But when he blew through it for the first time, to his great astonishment, the bone began of its own accord to sing:

"Ah, friend, thou blowest upon my bone!

Long have I lain beside the water;

My brother slew me for the boar,

And took for his wife the King's young daughter."

"What a wonderful horn!" said the shepherd; "it sings by itself; I must take it to my lord the King." And when he came with it to the King the horn again began to sing its little song. The King understood it all, and caused the ground below the bridge to be dug up, and then the whole skeleton of the murdered man came to light. The wicked brother could not deny the deed, and was sewn up in a sack and drowned. But the bones of the murdered man were laid to rest in a beautiful tomb in the churchyard.