The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn

Author: A Brothers Grimm Tale · Retold as a Fable by DozyStories

  • Age8–12
  • Reading time14 min
  • LevelAdvanced

Introduction

This story comes from the Brothers Grimm, and folklorists give it the number ATU 569. We retell it as a Chinese-style fable because, deep down, it already has a fable's bones. Three brothers go out to seek their fortune. The two eldest see a hill of silver and then a hill of gold, and each stops, satisfied. Only the youngest refuses to settle, because he believes something better may be waiting ahead. That stubborn faith is the opposite of the man in the old Chinese tale who waits by a tree stump for another hare to dash itself against it: fortune, the fable says, is not a gift that falls from the sky, but a prize for the feet that keep walking. A fable is short, and every line points at how we should live, which makes it a perfect frame for this question. Yet the hero of the second half is no one to copy. Once the treasures are his, he wins by trickery and force, and in the end he blows the horn that buries the king and his own wife. This gives us a hard lesson about power: you may win the kingdom, but you may lose the people who matter. In the old Chinese tale of the snipe and the clam, two fighters destroy each other while a third takes the prize — ask your child who the real winner is when force meets force. Let the story end there, and let the child answer.

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The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn - Three poor brothers set out to seek their fortune; the two eldest stop at hills of silver and gold, while the youngest walks on and finds a magic cloth that fills itself with food. - Scene Illustration 1
Three poor brothers set out to seek their fortune; the two eldest stop at hills of silver and gold, while the youngest walks on and finds a magic cloth that fills itself with food.
Long ago, three brothers shared one small, poor house. Their luck grew worse day by day. At last they had nothing to eat or drink. "We cannot live like this," they said. "Let us go out into the world and find our fortune." So they set off. They walked many roads and crossed many fields, but no good luck came their way.
One day they came to a great forest. In the middle of it stood a hill. When they came near, they saw that the whole hill was silver. "Here is the luck I wanted," said the oldest brother. "I want nothing more." He filled his pockets with silver and went home.
But the other two said, "We want more than silver." They did not touch the hill and walked on. After two more days they came to a hill made of gold. The second brother stopped and thought for a long time. "Shall I take the gold and go home, or shall I keep walking?" At last he filled his pockets with gold, said goodbye to his brother, and went home too.
The third brother did not care about the gold at all. "I will not give up my chance," he said. "Something better may be waiting for me." He walked on for three days. Then he came to a forest even bigger than the first. It seemed to have no end. He found nothing to eat or drink, and he was nearly worn out.
He climbed a tall tree to look for the end of the forest. But as far as he could see, there were only treetops. He was very hungry, and he started to climb down. "If only I could have one full meal," he thought.
When he reached the ground, he was amazed. A table stood under the tree, covered with hot food. He did not ask who had made it. He sat down and ate until he was full. Then he folded the pretty cloth and put it in his pocket. "It would be a pity to leave it here," he thought. That evening he was hungry again. He spread the cloth on the ground and said, "Little cloth, give me food." At once the table was full of good dishes. Now he knew it was a wishing-cloth. Still, one cloth was not enough to send him home. He wanted to walk on and follow his luck.
The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn - The youngest treats a charcoal burner to a fine meal and trades his cloth for an old knapsack that summons soldiers at a tap, then sends the soldiers to fetch the cloth back. - Scene Illustration 2
The youngest treats a charcoal burner to a fine meal and trades his cloth for an old knapsack that summons soldiers at a tap, then sends the soldiers to fetch the cloth back.
One night he came to a lonely wood. There he met a charcoal burner, black with soot, working beside his kiln. A few potatoes sat by the fire for his supper. "Good evening, friend," said the young man. "How do you live here all alone?"
"One day is like another," said the charcoal burner. "Potatoes every night. Would you like some? You can be my guest." "Thank you," said the young man, "but I will not take your supper. If you can make do with what I have, let me be the host this time."
The charcoal burner laughed. "Who will cook for you? You carry nothing, and there is no one within two hours' walk who could give you a bite." "The food will come," said the young man, "and it will be better than anything you have ever tasted." He took the cloth out of his knapsack and spread it on the ground. "Little cloth, set the table." In a moment the table was full of steaming meat and hot dishes. The charcoal burner stared with wide eyes, and then he ate with both hands.
When every plate was clean, the charcoal burner smiled. "That cloth of yours has won my heart. In this forest nobody ever cooks me a good meal. Let me trade with you. In that corner hangs an old soldier's knapsack. It looks shabby, but wonderful power lies hidden in it. I have no use for it now, so I will give it to you for your cloth."
"First tell me what that power is," said the young man. "Gladly," said the charcoal burner. "Tap it with your hand, and a corporal steps out with six soldiers, armed from head to foot. They will do whatever you command."
"Then let us trade," said the young man. He gave the cloth to the charcoal burner, put on the knapsack, and said goodbye. After a short walk he tapped the knapsack. Seven soldiers stood before him at once. "What does our master wish?" asked the corporal. "Go to that charcoal burner," said the young man, "and bring back my wishing-cloth." The soldiers turned and left, and soon they returned with the cloth. He sent them away and walked on, hoping for still better luck.
The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn - He plays the same trick on two more charcoal burners, winning a cannon-firing hat and a wall-toppling horn, until all three treasures are his. - Scene Illustration 3
He plays the same trick on two more charcoal burners, winning a cannon-firing hat and a wall-toppling horn, until all three treasures are his.
By sunset he met a second charcoal burner, who was getting his supper ready by the fire. "If you can eat plain potatoes with salt and no butter," said the sooty man, "come and sit with me." "No," said the young man. "Tonight you are my guest." He spread his cloth, and fine dishes covered the table in a moment. They ate and drank and enjoyed themselves.
When the meal was over, the charcoal burner said, "On that shelf stands an old worn-out hat, and it has a strange power. Put it on and turn it round on your head, and cannons go off as if twelve were fired at once. They shoot down everything, and nobody can stand against them. I have no use for the hat, so I will gladly give it to you for your cloth."
That pleased the young man very much. He put on the hat and left the cloth behind. But as soon as he walked away, he tapped his knapsack, and his soldiers fetched the cloth back. "One thing follows another," he thought. "It feels as if my luck has not run out yet."
He was not wrong. After a whole day of walking, he came to a third charcoal burner. Like the others, he asked the young man to share plain potatoes, but the young man let him eat from the wishing-cloth instead. The charcoal burner loved the food so much that at last he offered a horn for it — a horn with quite different power from the hat.
When anyone blew the horn, all walls and fortifications fell down, and every town and village lay in ruins. Nothing could stand against it, and the young man knew at once that he wanted it.
He gave the cloth to the charcoal burner, but later he sent his soldiers to take it back. So at last he owned all three treasures: the knapsack, the hat, and the horn. "Now I have everything a man could wish for," he said. "It is time to go home and find out how my brothers are doing."
The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn - Back home, his brothers mock him and drive him out; in a rage he summons an army, beats his brothers, routs the king's troops, and forces the king to give him the princess. - Scene Illustration 4
Back home, his brothers mock him and drive him out; in a rage he summons an army, beats his brothers, routs the king's troops, and forces the king to give him the princess.
When he came home, he found that his brothers had built a fine house with their silver and gold, and they lived at ease. He called on them. But he came in a ragged coat, with a shabby hat on his head and an old knapsack on his back. His brothers would not believe he was their brother. "You say you are the one who turned his back on silver and gold?" they sneered. "He would come home in a carriage, splendid as a king — not looking like a beggar." And they drove him out of the house.
He flew into a rage. He tapped his knapsack. In a moment a hundred and fifty soldiers stood before him, armed from head to foot. He ordered them to surround his brothers' house. Two soldiers took hazel sticks and beat the two rude men until they knew who he was. A great commotion broke out. People came running to help the brothers, but against the soldiers they could do nothing.
Word of this reached the king, and he was very angry. He sent a captain with his troops to drive this troublemaker out of the town. But the man with the knapsack soon gathered a larger force. They beat back the captain and his soldiers and sent them home with bloody noses.
"This vagabond is not tamed yet," said the king. The next day he sent an even bigger force, but they did even worse. The young man called out more soldiers, and to finish the fight quickly he turned his hat twice on his head. The heavy cannons began to roar, and the king's men were routed and scattered.
"And now," he said, "I will not stop fighting until the king gives me his daughter for a wife and lets me rule the whole kingdom in his name." He sent this message to the king. The king said to his daughter, "We must give in. What else can I do? If I want peace and my crown, I must give you away."
The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn - The princess steals his knapsack and his hat, but with the last horn he blows the palace down, buries the king and his daughter, and makes himself king. - Scene Illustration 5
The princess steals his knapsack and his hat, but with the last horn he blows the palace down, buries the king and his daughter, and makes himself king.
So the wedding was held. But the king's daughter was ashamed of her new husband. He was only a common man, with a shabby hat on his head and an old knapsack on his back. She wanted to be rid of him, and she thought about it day and night. At last she said to herself, "Can his wonderful power lie in that knapsack?" So she pretended to love him and was very kind to him. When his heart softened, she said, "If only you would put down that ugly knapsack. It makes you look so poor that I am ashamed of you."
"Dear heart," he said, "that knapsack is my greatest treasure. While I carry it, no power on earth can frighten me." And he told her what the knapsack could do. Then she threw herself into his arms, as if to kiss him, and quickly lifted the knapsack from his shoulders and ran away with it. When she was alone, she tapped it and ordered the soldiers to seize their old master and throw him out of the palace.
The soldiers obeyed, and the false wife sent more men to chase him out of the country. Without the little hat he would have been lost. But as soon as his hands were free, he turned the hat twice. The cannons began to thunder and knocked everything down. At last the king's daughter had to come and beg for mercy.
She pleaded so sweetly and promised to change her ways that he let himself be persuaded and forgave her. She was friendly to him and acted as if she loved him dearly. After a time she coaxed another secret out of him: even if someone took the knapsack, they could do nothing against him while the old hat was still his. As soon as she knew that, she waited until he fell asleep, took the hat, and threw it out into the street.
But the horn was still his. In a great rage he blew it with all his strength. In that moment all the walls, the towers, the towns, and the villages came crashing down, and the king and his daughter were crushed beneath the stones. If he had kept blowing even a little longer, the whole world would have turned to ruins, with not one stone left upon another. After that nobody stood against him, and he named himself king over the whole land. But the old tale leaves us one thought: a throne won by force may stand tall, yet it never warms the heart.

Vocabulary from "The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn"

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

fortuneB1
/ˈfɔːtʃuːn/n.

The good things that happen to you by luck, or wealth and success.

运气；好运，也指财富。

Let us go out into the world and find our fortune.

不如出去闯闯，寻自己的运道去。

amazedB1
/əˈmeɪzd/adj.

Very surprised.

非常惊讶的。

When he reached the ground, he was amazed.

谁知脚一落地，他大吃一惊：树下摆着一张桌子，上面热气腾腾，满是饭菜。

treetops(treetop)B2
/ˈtriːtɒps/n.

The highest branches and leaves of trees.

树梢；树冠。

But as far as he could see, there were only treetops.

他爬上一棵大树，想望望林子的边，可极目所至，除了树梢还是树梢。

shabbyB2
/ˈʃæbi/adj.

Old and worn, in poor condition.

破旧的；寒酸的。

He was only a common man, with a shabby hat on his head and an old knapsack on his back.

婚礼办了，可国王的女儿心里恼火：自己的丈夫竟是个戴破帽、背旧囊的平头百姓。

raggedB2
/ˈræɡɪd/adj.

Torn and worn out, like very old clothes.

破烂的；衣衫褴褛的。

But he came in a ragged coat, with a shabby hat on his head and an old knapsack on his back.

他穿着破衣裳、戴着旧帽子、背着旧背囊，两个哥哥死活不认他。

kilnC1
/kɪln/n.

An oven or furnace used for making charcoal or baking clay.

窑；炭窑。

There he met a charcoal burner, black with soot, working beside his kiln.

那人满身炭灰，正守着炭窑忙活，火边烤着几个土豆当晚饭。

steaming(steam)B2
/ˈstiːmɪŋ/adj.

Giving off hot steam or vapour.

冒着热气的。

In a moment the table was full of steaming meat and hot dishes.

眨眼间，炖肉烤肉热气腾腾地摆满了桌。

corporalC1
/ˈkɔːpərəl/n.

A soldier of low rank who commands a small group of soldiers.

班长；下士。

"What does our master wish?" asked the corporal.

班长问：“主人有何吩咐？”

commotionC1
/kəˈməʊʃn/n.

A sudden noisy disturbance among people.

骚动；喧闹。

A great commotion broke out.

街上顿时闹翻了天，众人跑来想帮那两个哥哥，可面对这些士兵，谁也无可奈何。

routed(rout)C1
/ˈraʊtɪd/v.

Defeated completely and forced to flee.

被打得大败而逃的。

The heavy cannons began to roar, and the king's men were routed and scattered.

大炮随即轰鸣，国王的人马被打得溃不成军。

mercyB2
/ˈmɜːsi/n.

Kindness shown to someone you have power over.

宽恕；仁慈。

At last the king's daughter had to come and beg for mercy.

大炮立刻轰鸣起来，把什么都轰倒。国王的女儿只得亲自前来求饶。

crushed(crush)B2
/krʌʃt/v.

Pressed or squeezed with great force, so that something breaks.

被压碎；被压扁。

In that moment all the walls, the towers, the towns, and the villages came crashing down, and the king and his daughter were crushed beneath the stones.

转眼之间，城墙、工事、城镇、村庄轰然倒塌，国王和他的女儿被压在了下面。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Turning down a small gain today can carry you farther tomorrow — but power used only for trickery and revenge may win you the world, and still lose you peace.

Educational Value

Children can learn the value of patience and far-sightedness from the youngest brother, and reflect on the two faces of power: winning by tricks and force feels exciting, but such a victory earns no true friends.

Tips for Parents

While reading, first ask: was the youngest brother foolish or wise to pass by the silver and gold? Then talk about the second half: does he grow happier by solving every problem with force and tricks? The ending is intense, so use it to discuss that might does not make right, and ask your child what they would do with the three treasures.

Talk About It

  1. The two elder brothers come home happy with silver and gold, but the youngest says, 'Something better may be waiting.' Is he wise, or too greedy? At which hill would you have stopped?
  2. The youngest keeps trading his cloth for treasures, then sends soldiers to take it back. Is this cleverness fair?
  3. The princess steals the knapsack and then the hat. But the youngest himself began with tricks and theft. Who is more in the wrong?
  4. In the end he blows the horn and brings the palace down. He wins the kingdom — but do you think he is happy? Could the story end in another way?
  5. If the three treasures were yours, what would you do with them?

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