Don’t drink, or you’ll become a deer…

This lovingly drawn illustration is by Johnny Gruelle and was created in 1914. It shows a key scene from the Grimm’s fairy tale “Little Brother and Little Sister”: The little sister sits by the well and urgently warns her thirsty brother not to drink from the enchanted water – for whoever tastes it will be transformed into a deer. But the little brother is so exhausted and thirsty that he can no longer resist. As soon as he has tasted the enchanted water, the misfortune happens – before his sister’s eyes, he turns into a deer. From now on, the little sister accompanies her little brother in his deer form, they hide in the forest and face many adventures together. Despite all the hardship, the deep sibling love remains the heart of this old tale.

Johnny Gruelle was known for his imaginative, detailed drawings that retain their magic to this day. This motif, over 100 years old, has also retained its original, authentic charm. We deliberately did not digitally alter the image to preserve the drawing’s special aura.

After the purchase you can use the motif for your own creative printing projects – please note: exclusively for private use. Detailed information can be found in the “Download Dos and Don’ts” tab.

A little tip for everyone: The illustration looks particularly beautiful on matte natural paper. A smooth surface that is white but not too bright white is ideal. This is how the colors come into their own.