Hans Married
Introduction
'Hans Married' is the 84th tale in Grimm, a very short 'language joke' (in German, a Schwank). Almost all its fun rests on a single word: 'patches.' The German word for 'patch' happens, in certain regional dialects, also to mean 'a small plot of land' — so the uncle making the match for Hans, slapping the patches on his ragged trousers, boasts that 'my nephew has as many patches as I do,' and thereby delights the money-minded rich father into believing Hans owns broad acres. The Brothers Grimm knew such a pun loses its flavour in another language, and even added a parenthetical note in the text to explain it. These witty little tales of 'a greedy person undone by their own greed' were among the most popular bits of village entertainment in Europe. Better still is the ending: the teller solemnly claims he too attended the wedding, wearing a hat of snow (melted the moment the sun came out), a coat of cobwebs (torn off by brambles), and shoes of glass (which struck a stone and snapped in two) — this is the 'nonsense sign-off' many folk tales use, a smiling wink to the listener: this was only a bit of fun, so don't take it as true. Read it half to learn the cleverness of the pun, and half to enjoy the folly of greed.
Vocabulary from "Hans Married"
12 key words from this story with definitions and original context sentences for language learners.
A poor farmer who works a small piece of land.
农民；农夫。
There was once a young peasant named Hans, and his uncle was determined to find him a rich wife.
从前有个年轻的农夫叫汉斯，他叔叔一心要给他说一门有钱的亲事。
Having firmly decided to do something.
下定决心的；坚决的。
There was once a young peasant named Hans, and his uncle was determined to find him a rich wife.
从前有个年轻的农夫叫汉斯，他叔叔一心要给他说一门有钱的亲事。
An old British coin worth very little.
法寻（旧时英国的小额硬币）。
He pressed a bright new farthing into the young man's hand.
他把一枚亮闪闪的新法寻塞进侄子手里。
To break something into small soft pieces.
弄碎；掰碎。
"Hold that coin tight, crumble the bread into the milk, and do not move from this spot until I come back."
“这枚钱攥紧了，把面包掰碎泡进奶里，我回来之前别挪窝。”
Mended with small pieces of cloth sewn on.
打了补丁的。
The uncle pulled on an old pair of patched trousers and walked over to the next village, where a rich peasant had a daughter.
叔叔套上一条打满补丁的旧裤子，走到邻村一户有钱的农家，那家有个女儿。
Able to make good, reasonable decisions.
明事理的；懂事的。
"You would be getting an honest, sensible young man who would suit her well."
“你得的可是个老实又懂事的年轻人，配她正合适。”
Wanting much more money or food than you need.
贪婪的；贪心的。
The father was a greedy man, and his first question was about money.
那位父亲是个贪财的人，头一个问题就是钱。
The money and property a person owns.
财产；家底。
"What are his means," he asked, "and has he bread enough to break?"
“他有什么家底，”他问，“够不够掰得起面包？”
Warm, small and comfortable.
舒适的；温暖安逸的。
"My dear friend," the uncle replied, "my young nephew has a snug place of his own and a nice bit of money in hand."
“我的好朋友，”叔叔答道，“我这侄子有一处舒舒服服的落脚地，手上还攒着一笔不错的钱。”
Someone who loves money and hates to spend it.
吝啬鬼；守财奴。
The miser did not want to let such a chance slip away.
这位吝啬鬼可不愿意放过这么好的机会。
A line that shows where one piece of land ends.
边界；地界。
Wherever a boundary line came into sight, or a field was divided from the meadow beside it, Hans pointed with his finger.
凡是望见一道地界，或是一片田和旁边的草场分开的地方，汉斯就伸出手指一指。
The fine nets that spiders make.
蜘蛛网。
My coat was woven of cobwebs, and I had to pass through a hedge of thorns that tore it off my back.
我的外套是蛛网织的，路过一排荆棘，一下就被扯走了。
Reading Together & Learning More
The Moral
This is a short comedy that makes us laugh through a pun, and rather than teaching a lesson it satirises one thing: greed makes a person blind. The rich peasant father, who cares only about whether the other side has money and land, is led round in circles by a witty play on 'patches = plots of land' — and it is precisely his own greedy eagerness to marry up and count only wealth that blinds him, so that he cannot even see the glaring holes in a ragged pair of trousers. The story wants us to laugh and remember: when someone's head is full of nothing but getting a bargain, that is exactly when they are easiest to lead by the nose.
Educational Value
This is a perfect example for meeting the 'pun' (one word with two meanings, used to make a joke): the whole trick rests on the word 'patches' — meaning both the patches on clothes and, in the local dialect, 'small plots of land.' Use it to play word games with your child and hunt for similar puns in Chinese. The story is also good for talking about 'the price of greed': the rich father, thinking only of money, is undone by his own greed. And the closing lines about 'a hat of snow, a coat of cobwebs, shoes of glass' are the sort of 'nonsense ending' common in folk tales, used precisely to tell listeners: this is only a bit of fun, so don't take it for truth.
Tips for Parents
This one is clean, light, and has nothing frightening; its only 'threshold' is that the humour depends on grasping a 'pun,' so it suits children over 8 who can enjoy wordplay. When reading, be sure to make the key point clear: the matchmaker slaps the 'patches' on his trousers and says 'my nephew has as many patches as I do,' while in the local speech 'patches' also means 'small plots of land' — one word, two meanings, and the trick is done. This kind of joke is the hardest to carry across in translation, and the Chinese can only hint at it with quotation marks — a nice opening to chat with your child about 'why some jokes stop being funny in another language.' The absurd ending about 'a snow hat, a cobweb coat, and glass shoes' is the old tall-tale sign-off of folk stories; read it with a flourish and let your child laugh.
Talk About It
- The whole trick rests on the word 'patches' — meaning both the patches on clothes and 'a small plot of land.' Can you think of another example of 'one word with two meanings'?
- The rich father cares only about whether Hans has money and land, and ends up fooled. Do you think he was fooled by bad luck, or did his own greed do him in?
- Everything the uncle says is technically 'not a lie' (he really does have as many patches as he claims). Does 'using true words to mislead someone' still count as deceiving them?
- How will Hans's wife eventually discover the truth? When she does, do you think she'll be angry at Hans, or angrier at her own money-loving father?
- The story ends with the teller wearing a snow hat and a cobweb coat. Why do you think the author closes with something so obviously impossible?
