Hans in Luck

Author: Brothers Grimm

Age5–10
Reading time10 min
LevelIntermediate

Introduction

In folklore this tale belongs to the international type known as 'Lucky Hans' (ATU 1415), and the Brothers Grimm placed it as number 83 in their collection. It stands apart from most of their stories: there is no magic, no witch, and no villain—only a good-natured young man making one losing trade after another on his way home. For this reason readers have argued over it for centuries. Some see Hans as a complete simpleton who trades a fortune down to nothing; others see him as the only truly wise man in the story, one who knows how to set down his burdens and be content with whatever comes. At the end Hans says he must have been 'born with a caul' and calls himself a 'Sunday-child'—both are old European folk beliefs that a baby born wrapped in part of the birth membrane, or born on a Sunday, would enjoy lifelong luck. Rather than telling your child straight away that Hans is foolish, let them feel the question for themselves: who is happier—the Hans weighed down by gold, or the Hans walking home with empty hands?

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Hans had served his master for seven years, so he said to him, "Master, my time is up; now I should be glad to go back home to my mother; give me my wages." The master answered, "You have served me faithfully and honestly; as the service was so shall the reward be;" and he gave Hans a piece of gold as big as his head. Hans pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket, wrapped up the lump in it, put it on his shoulder, and set out on the way home.

As he went on, always putting one foot before the other, he saw a horseman trotting quickly and merrily by on a lively horse. "Ah!" said Hans quite loud, "what a fine thing it is to ride! There you sit as on a chair; you stumble over no stones, you save your shoes, and get on, you don't know how."

The rider, who had heard him, stopped and called out, "Hollo! Hans, why do you go on foot, then?"

"I must," answered he, "for I have this lump to carry home; it is true that it is gold, but I cannot hold my head straight for it, and it hurts my shoulder."

"I will tell you what," said the rider, "we will exchange: I will give you my horse, and you can give me your lump."

"With all my heart," said Hans, "but I can tell you, you will have to crawl along with it."

The rider got down, took the gold, and helped Hans up; then gave him the bridle tight in his hands and said, "If you want to go at a really good pace, you must click your tongue and call out, "Jup! Jup!"

Hans was heartily delighted as he sat upon the horse and rode away so bold and free. After a little while he thought that it ought to go faster, and he began to click with his tongue and call out, "Jup! Jup!" The horse put himself into a sharp trot, and before Hans knew where he was, he was thrown off and lying in a ditch which separated the field from the highway. The horse would have gone off too if it had not been stopped by a countryman, who was coming along the road and driving a cow before him.

Hans got his limbs together and stood up on his legs again, but he was vexed, and said to the countryman, "It is a poor joke, this riding, especially when one gets hold of a mare like this, that kicks and throws one off, so that one has a chance of breaking one's neck. Never again will I mount it. Now I like your cow, for one can walk quietly behind her, and have, over and above, one's milk, butter and cheese every day without fail. What would I not give to have such a cow." - "Well," said the countryman, "if it would give you so much pleasure, I do not mind giving the cow for the horse." Hans agreed with the greatest delight; the countryman jumped upon the horse, and rode quickly away.

Hans drove his cow quietly before him, and thought over his lucky bargain. "If only I have a morsel of bread -- and that can hardly fail me -- I can eat butter and cheese with it as often as I like; if I am thirsty, I can milk my cow and drink the milk. Good heart, what more can I want?"

When he came to an inn he made a halt, and in his great content ate up what he had with him -- his dinner and supper -- and all he had, and with his last few farthings had half a glass of beer. Then he drove his cow onwards along the road to his mother's village.

As it drew nearer mid-day, the heat was more oppressive, and Hans found himself upon a moor which it took about an hour to cross. He felt it very hot and his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth with thirst. "I can find a cure for this," thought Hans; "I will milk the cow now and refresh myself with the milk." He tied her to a withered tree, and as he had no pail he put his leather cap underneath; but try as he would, not a drop of milk came. And as he set himself to work in a clumsy way, the impatient beast at last gave him such a blow on his head with its hind foot, that he fell on the ground, and for a long time could not think where he was.

By good fortune a butcher just then came along the road with a wheel-barrow, in which lay a young pig. "What sort of a trick is this?" cried he, and helped the good Hans up. Hans told him what had happened. The butcher gave him his flask and said, "Take a drink and refresh yourself. The cow will certainly give no milk, it is an old beast; at the best it is only fit for the plough, or for the butcher." - "Well, well," said Hans, as he stroked his hair down on his head, "who would have thought it? Certainly it is a fine thing when one can kill a beast like that at home; what meat one has! But I do not care much for beef, it is not juicy enough for me. A young pig like that now is the thing to have, it tastes quite different; and then there are the sausages!"

"Hark ye, Hans," said the butcher, "out of love for you I will exchange, and will let you have the pig for the cow." - "Heaven repay you for your kindness!" said Hans as he gave up the cow, whilst the pig was unbound from the barrow, and the cord by which it was tied was put in his hand.

Hans went on, and thought to himself how everything was going just as he wished; if he did meet with any vexation it was immediately set right. Presently there joined him a lad who was carrying a fine white goose under his arm. They said good morning to each other, and Hans began to tell of his good luck, and how he had always made such good bargains. The boy told him that he was taking the goose to a christening-feast. "Just lift her," added he, and laid hold of her by the wings; "how heavy she is -- she has been fattened up for the last eight weeks. Whoever has a bit of her when she is roasted will have to wipe the fat from both sides of his mouth." - "Yes," said Hans, as he weighed her in one hand, "she is a good weight, but my pig is no bad one."

Meanwhile the lad looked suspiciously from one side to the other, and shook his head. "Look here," he said at length, "it may not be all right with your pig. In the village through which I passed, the Mayor himself had just had one stolen out of its sty. I fear -- I fear that you have got hold of it there. They have sent out some people and it would be a bad business if they caught you with the pig; at the very least, you would be shut up in the dark hole."

The good Hans was terrified. "Goodness!" he said, "help me out of this fix; you know more about this place than I do, take my pig and leave me your goose." - "I shall risk something at that game," answered the lad, "but I will not be the cause of your getting into trouble." So he took the cord in his hand, and drove away the pig quickly along a by-path.

The good Hans, free from care, went homewards with the goose under his arm. "When I think over it properly," said he to himself, "I have even gained by the exchange; first there is the good roast-meat, then the quantity of fat which will drip from it, and which will give me dripping for my bread for a quarter of a year, and lastly the beautiful white feathers; I will have my pillow stuffed with them, and then indeed I shall go to sleep without rocking. How glad my mother will be!"

As he was going through the last village, there stood a scissors-grinder with his barrow; as his wheel whirred he sang -- "I sharpen scissors and quickly grind, My coat blows out in the wind behind." Hans stood still and looked at him; at last he spoke to him and said, "All's well with you, as you are so merry with your grinding." - "Yes," answered the scissors-grinder, "the trade has a golden foundation. A real grinder is a man who as often as he puts his hand into his pocket finds gold in it. But where did you buy that fine goose?"

"I did not buy it, but exchanged my pig for it." "And the pig?" "That I got for a cow." "And the cow?" "I took that instead of a horse." "And the horse?" "For that I gave a lump of gold as big as my head." "And the gold?" "Well, that was my wages for seven years' service." "You have known how to look after yourself each time," said the grinder. "If you can only get on so far as to hear the money jingle in your pocket whenever you stand up, you will have made your fortune."

"How shall I manage that?" said Hans. "You must be a grinder, as I am; nothing particular is wanted for it but a grindstone, the rest finds itself. I have one here; it is certainly a little worn, but you need not give me anything for it but your goose; will you do it?"

"How can you ask?" answered Hans. "I shall be the luckiest fellow on earth; if I have money whenever I put my hand in my pocket, what need I trouble about any longer?" and he handed him the goose and received the grindstone in exchange. "Now," said the grinder, as he took up an ordinary heavy stone that lay by him, "here is a strong stone for you into the bargain; you can hammer well upon it, and straighten your old nails. Take it with you and keep it carefully."

Hans loaded himself with the stones, and went on with a contented heart; his eyes shone with joy. "I must have been born with a caul," he cried; "everything I want happens to me just as if I were a Sunday-child."

Meanwhile, as he had been on his legs since daybreak, he began to feel tired. Hunger also tormented him, for in his joy at the bargain by which he got the cow he had eaten up all his store of food at once. At last he could only go on with great trouble, and was forced to stop every minute; the stones, too, weighed him down dreadfully. Then he could not help thinking how nice it would be if he had not to carry them just then.

He crept like a snail to a well in a field, and there he thought that he would rest and refresh himself with a cool draught of water, but in order that he might not injure the stones in sitting down, he laid them carefully by his side on the edge of the well. Then he sat down on it, and was to stoop and drink, when he made a slip, pushed against the stones, and both of them fell into the water. When Hans saw them with his own eyes sinking to the bottom, he jumped for joy, and then knelt down, and with tears in his eyes thanked God for having shown him this favour also, and delivered him in so good a way, and without his having any need to reproach himself, from those heavy stones which had been the only things that troubled him.

"There is no man under the sun so fortunate as I," he cried out. With a light heart and free from every burden he now ran on until he was with his mother at home.

Vocabulary from "Hans in Luck"

12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.

wages(wage)B1

/ˈweɪdʒɪz/n.

Money that is paid regularly to someone for the work they do.

工钱；工资（尤指按时或按活计发放的报酬）。

Master, my time is up; now I should be glad to go back home to my mother; give me my wages.
主人，我的期限到了；现在我想回家看望母亲，请把我的工钱结给我吧。

faithfullyB1

/ˈfeɪθfəli/adv.

In a loyal way; doing what you should and keeping your promises.

忠实地；忠诚可靠地。

You have served me faithfully and honestly; as the service was so shall the reward be.
你侍奉我也算忠诚老实；既然服务得好，报酬也该如此。

trotting(trot)B1

/ˈtrɒtɪŋ/v.

(Of a horse) moving at a steady pace, faster than walking but slower than running.

（马）小跑；快步慢跑。

He saw a horseman trotting quickly and merrily by on a lively horse.
他看见一个骑马的人骑着一匹活泼的马，轻快而愉快地小跑着经过。

bridleB2

/ˈbraɪdl/n.

The set of leather straps put on a horse's head to control it.

马笼头；缰辔（套在马头上用来驾驭马的皮带）。

The rider got down, took the gold, and helped Hans up; then gave him the bridle tight in his hands.
骑手下了马，接过金子，扶汉斯上去；然后把缰绳紧紧地塞在他手里。

vexed(vex)B2

/vekst/adj.

Annoyed, worried, or upset about something.

恼火的；烦恼的；心烦意乱的。

Hans got his limbs together and stood up on his legs again, but he was vexed.
汉斯聚拢四肢，重新站了起来，但他很恼火。

bargainB1

/ˈbɑːrɡɪn/n.

A deal or agreement in which people exchange goods or services.

交易；买卖；成交的约定。

Hans drove his cow quietly before him, and thought over his lucky bargain.
汉斯赶着他的牛安安静静地向前走，回味着这笔幸运的交易。

oppressiveC1

/əˈpresɪv/adj.

(Of weather) unpleasantly hot and heavy, making you uncomfortable.

（天气）闷热难耐的；令人窒息的。

As it drew nearer mid-day, the heat was more oppressive.
临近中午，热气变得更加逼人。

clumsyB1

/ˈklʌmzi/adj.

Moving or doing things in an awkward way, often dropping or breaking things.

笨拙的；手脚不灵活的。

And as he set himself to work in a clumsy way, the impatient beast at last gave him such a blow on his head.
而且由于他笨手笨脚地摆弄，那不耐烦的畜生最后用后蹄在他头上狠狠踢了一脚。

suspiciouslyB2

/səˈspɪʃəsli/adv.

In a way that shows you do not trust someone or think something may be wrong.

怀疑地；带着不信任的神情。

Meanwhile the lad looked suspiciously from one side to the other, and shook his head.
此时，那少年怀疑地左顾右盼，摇了摇头。

terrifiedB1

/ˈterɪfaɪd/adj.

Very frightened; filled with fear.

非常害怕的；惊恐万分的。

The good Hans was terrified.
善良的汉斯吓坏了。

contentedB2

/kənˈtentɪd/adj.

Happy and satisfied with what you have.

心满意足的；知足的。

Hans loaded himself with the stones, and went on with a contented heart.
汉斯背起石头，怀着满足的心情继续赶路。

burdenB2

/ˈbɜːrdn/n.

A heavy load to carry; also something difficult or worrying you have to deal with.

负担；重担（既指沉重的东西，也指令人操心的事）。

With a light heart and free from every burden he now ran on until he was with his mother at home.
现在，他心情轻松，卸下了一切负担，一路跑回了家，回到了母亲身边。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

True contentment lies not in how much we own but in a light and untroubled heart—though the tale also invites the opposite reading, that a man too innocent of the world may be losing his fortune step by step.

Educational Value

Invites children to reflect on the relationship between wealth and happiness, nurturing contentment while exercising critical thinking—the very same story can be read as foolishly trading gold for stones, or as wisely letting go of every burden.

Tips for Parents

Discuss with your child: is Hans a fool, or a man at peace with himself? There is no correct answer—encouraging your child to give reasons matters more than memorising a moral.

Talk About It

Each trade seems to leave Hans worse off, yet he grows happier every time. Do you think he is foolish, or wise about life?
There is no villain and no magic in this story. Why does a man who has lost everything feel, at the end, like the luckiest person alive?
If you were given a lump of gold as big as your head, what would you do with it?
Are 'being happy' and 'owning a lot of things' the same thing? Can you give an example from your own life?
Hans ends up empty-handed but feels a great weight lifted. Have you ever felt lighter after letting go of something?