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 or farm worker, especially in the past.
农民；农夫（尤指旧时的）。
There was once upon a time a young peasant named Hans, whose uncle wanted to find him a rich wife.
从前有一个叫汉斯的年轻农民，他的叔叔想给他找个有钱的妻子。
A closed device for heating a room or cooking.
炉子；火炉。
He therefore seated Hans behind the stove, and had it made very hot.
于是他让汉斯坐在炉子后面，把炉火烧得很旺。
Went and brought back something or someone.
去取来；去拿来。
Then he fetched a pot of milk and plenty of white bread, gave him a bright newly-coined farthing in his hand.
然后他拿来一罐牛奶和许多白面包，塞给汉斯一枚崭新的硬币。
A small coin of very little value used in Britain long ago.
法寻（旧时英国面值极小的硬币）。
"Hans, hold that farthing fast, crumble the white bread into the milk, and stay where you are."
"汉斯，抓紧这枚硬币，把白面包掰碎放进牛奶里，待在原地。"
A person who tries to win someone in marriage; here, a matchmaker.
求婚者；此处指说亲的媒人。
Then the wooer put on a pair of old patched trousers, went to a rich peasant's daughter in the next village.
接着，这位媒人穿上一条打满补丁的旧裤子，去邻村找一位富农的女儿。
Having or showing good judgement; reasonable.
明智的；通情达理的。
"Won't you marry my nephew Hans -- you will get an honest and sensible man who will suit you?"
"你不愿意嫁给我的侄子汉斯吗——你会得到一个诚实又懂事、和你很般配的丈夫。"
Greedily wanting money or things that belong to others.
贪财的；贪婪的。
The covetous father asked, "How is it with regard to his means? Has he bread to break?"
那个贪财的父亲问道："他的家境如何？他有面包掰吗？"
Pieces of cloth sewn over holes — and, in the local dialect, small plots of land (the pun of the story).
补丁；在当地方言中又指'小块土地'（本篇的双关所在）。
"My young nephew has plenty of bread to break, besides he has quite as many patches as I have."
"我那年轻侄子有很多面包可掰，此外他的'补丁'和我一样多。"
A person who loves money and hates to spend it.
吝啬鬼；守财奴。
Then the miser did not want to lose this good opportunity.
于是那个吝啬鬼不想错过这个好机会。
A man on his wedding day, or just about to be married.
新郎。
When the young wife went out of doors to see the bridegroom's property, Hans took off his Sunday coat and put on his patched smock-frock.
当年轻的妻子出门去查看新郎的财产时，汉斯脱下了周日的礼服，换上了他那件打满补丁的罩衫。
A line that marks the edge of an area of land.
边界；地界。
Wherever a boundary line came in sight, or fields and meadows were divided from each other, Hans pointed with his finger.
每当看到地界线，或者田野和草地被划分开的地方，汉斯就用手指着。
The fine threads of a spider's web, especially an old dusty one.
蜘蛛网（尤指陈旧的）。
My coat was of cobwebs, and I had to pass by some thorns which tore it off me.
我的外套是蜘蛛网做的，路过荆棘丛时被扯掉了。
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?
