The Young Giant

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

Age6–11
Reading time12 min
LevelAdvanced

Introduction

This strongman tale has been told across Europe for centuries, and folklorists file it under tale type ATU 650A, “Strong Hans.” Why retell it as a fable? Because at its heart it already carries two virtues that Chinese folk wisdom holds dear: the value of a promise — “a word once spoken cannot be chased back even by four horses” — and the belief that greed and cruelty bring their own punishment. The young giant asks for no gold, only for “a few kicks” as wages. That odd request is really a test of character: honest masters can face it, while greedy ones tremble. China, too, has its tales of mighty men — the hero Xiang Yu, who could lift a bronze tripod, and the monk Lu Zhishen, who tore a willow from the ground — yet the old stories never praise strength alone; they always pair great power with a sense of right and wrong. This Grimm tale speaks the same language. One note for curious readers: in the Brothers Grimm's own collection this story keeps its rough peasant humor — no prince, no princess, no softening. The hero outwits a stingy smith and a cheating bailiff the way a village hero should. As you read, point out that the giant never harms a good person; his blows fall only on the greedy. Then ask your child why the cheating couple end up floating in the sky — it is not their weight that lifts them, but their broken word.

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The Young Giant - A thumb-sized boy is carried off by a giant, fed for six years, and grows into a mighty man who can pull up the strongest oak trees with ease. - Scene Illustration 1 — A thumb-sized boy is carried off by a giant, fed for six years, and grows into a mighty man who can pull up the strongest oak trees with ease.

Long ago, a countryman had a son no bigger than a thumb. Year after year the boy stayed that tiny size and never grew a hair's breadth. One day the father set out to plough his field, and the little one begged, “Father, take me with you.” “You?” laughed the father. “You are no help in the field, and you might get lost.” The little boy began to cry, so the father put him in his pocket and carried him along.

In the field the father stood the boy in a fresh furrow. As the boy sat there, a huge giant came over the hill. “Do you see that great monster?” said the father, hoping to frighten the child. “He has come to carry you off!”

But the giant's long legs covered the ground in two strides. In a moment he stood in the furrow. He picked up the tiny boy between two fingers, looked at him for a while, and walked away without a word. The poor father stood speechless with fear. He thought he would never see his son again.

The giant carried the boy home and fed him with giant's food. The boy grew tall and strong, just like a giant. After two years the old giant took him into the forest to test his strength. “Pull yourself up a stick,” he said. The boy tore a young tree out of the ground, roots and all. “That is not enough,” thought the giant. He fed the boy for two more years.

When they tried again, the boy pulled an old tree out of the earth with ease. Still the giant wanted more, so he fed the boy for two more years. Then he said, “Now pull me up a proper stick.” The boy heaved the strongest oak in the wood out of the ground, and the trunk split in two. He thought nothing of it. “That will do,” said the giant. “You are finished now.” And he carried the young giant back to the very field where he had found him.

The Young Giant - The young giant returns to his parents, ploughing and harrowing the field in a flash, but his huge appetite stuns them; when every iron staff snaps, he sets out into the world. - Scene Illustration 2 — The young giant returns to his parents, ploughing and harrowing the field in a flash, but his huge appetite stuns them; when every iron staff snaps, he sets out into the world.

There stood the father, walking behind his plough. The young giant went up to him. “Well, Father,” he said, “do you see what a fine man your son has become?” The farmer was afraid. “No, no,” he said. “You are not my son. Leave me alone.” “But I am your son,” said the young man. “Let me do your work. I can plough better than you.” The farmer let go of the plough and stepped back. The young man took it in one hand and pressed down. His grip was so strong that the share sank deep into the earth.

“Stop!” cried the farmer. “You will ruin the field.” So the young man unhitched the horses and pulled the plough himself. “Go home, Father,” he said, “and tell Mother to prepare a big meal.” Then he ploughed all two acres alone, and after that he harrowed the whole field with two harrows at once.

When he was done, he went into the forest and pulled up two oak trees. He laid them across his shoulders, hung a harrow and a horse at each end, and carried the whole load home as lightly as a bundle of straw. When his mother saw him, she cried out, “What a frightful giant! Go away! You are not our son!”

The young man said nothing. He led the horses into the stable and gave them oats and hay. Then he sat down and said, “Mother, I am hungry. Is the food ready?” She brought in two huge dishes, enough for herself and her husband for a whole week. The young man ate it all. “Is there any more?” he asked. She brought an enormous pot of food. He finished that too, and still his stomach was not full.

“Father,” he said, “I can see I will never get enough to eat in this house. Get me a strong iron staff, one I cannot break across my knee, and I will go out into the world.” The farmer was glad to hear it. He fetched a staff so thick that two horses could barely drag it. The young man snapped it in half like a dry twig. Then four horses brought an even thicker bar. He broke that too.

At last eight horses dragged home the thickest bar of all. The young man took it, broke a piece off the end, and sighed. “Father,” he said, “you will never find the staff I want. I will stay here no longer.” And he walked away from home.

The Young Giant - He apprentices himself to a smith for no wages, only two blows every fortnight; his first hammer blow sinks the anvil, he kicks the miser over four haystacks, and leaves with the thickest iron bar. - Scene Illustration 3 — He apprentices himself to a smith for no wages, only two blows every fortnight; his first hammer blow sinks the anvil, he kicks the miser over four haystacks, and leaves with the thickest iron bar.

The young man traveled on, telling people that he was a smith's apprentice. He came to a village where a greedy smith lived. This smith never did a kindness to anyone and wanted everything for himself. “Do you need a helper?” asked the young man. “Yes,” said the smith, and he looked the strong fellow over. “What wages do you want?”

“Not a single coin,” said the young man. “Only this: every fortnight, when the other men are paid, you must take two blows from me.” The miser was delighted, for he would save a lot of money. The next morning the young man struck his first blow. The hot iron flew apart, and the anvil sank so deep into the ground that no one could pull it out.

The smith flew into a rage. “You are useless to me!” he shouted. “What will you take for that one blow?” “Only a very small one,” said the young man. He lifted his foot and kicked the smith over four haystacks. Then he picked the thickest iron bar in the smithy, took it in his hand like a walking stick, and went on his way.

The Young Giant - He serves a bailiff for three kicks a year, sleeping late yet finishing work first; the bailiff tries to crush him with a millstone and send him to a haunted mill, but he escapes both traps unharmed. - Scene Illustration 4 — He serves a bailiff for three kicks a year, sleeping late yet finishing work first; the bailiff tries to crush him with a millstone and send him to a haunted mill, but he escapes both traps unharmed.

After a long walk the young man came to a small farm. He asked the bailiff whether he needed a head-servant. “You look like a strong fellow,” said the bailiff. “What wages do you want for a year?” “No money at all,” said the young man. “Only this: every year you must take three blows from me.” The bailiff was a grasping man too, so he agreed at once.

The next morning everyone went to the wood to fetch timber. But the head-servant stayed in bed. “Go on without me,” he growled. “I will be back before any of you.” He slept two more hours, cooked himself a pot of pea broth, and only then harnessed the horses. On the way he piled trees and brushwood across the ravine and made a barricade that no horse could pass.

In the wood he tore up two of the biggest trees and loaded them on his cart. When he came back to the barricade, the other servants were still stuck there. “You see?” he laughed. “If you had waited for me, you would be home by now.” Then he unhitched his own horses, laid them on top of the cart, and hauled the whole load over the barricade with his bare hands. In the yard he showed the bailiff one of the trees. “Is this not a fine bundle of firewood?” The bailiff told his wife, “This servant is a treasure. He sleeps late, but he is always home first.”

A year passed, and the servants came to take their wages. The head-servant asked for his three blows. But the bailiff was afraid, and he begged and pleaded. “I would sooner be your servant myself,” he said, “than take those blows.” But the young man said, “No. I want what we agreed on.” Then the bailiff's clerks gave him a wicked idea. “Send him down the well to clean it,” they said, “and roll a millstone down on his head.”

So the head-servant climbed down the well, quite willingly. The men rolled the biggest millstone over the edge. It fell on his head, but he only called up, “Drive those hens away! They are throwing sand into my eyes!” When he finished his work, he climbed out with the millstone around his neck. “See what a handsome necktie I am wearing!” he said. Then the clerks whispered again: “Send him to the haunted mill at night. No one who goes in after dark ever comes out alive.”

So the young man carried eight bushels of corn to the mill. The miller warned him, but he only said, “You go to bed. I can manage.” At eleven o'clock a great table came in by itself, with wine and roast meat upon it. Invisible fingers picked up the knives and forks. The young man was hungry, so he sat down and ate with them. Then every candle went out at once, and something boxed his ears. He boxed right back, and the two traded blows all night long. At daybreak the fighting stopped. “I ate my fill,” said the young man, “and I gave back every blow I took.” The miller was overjoyed and offered him a great reward, but the young man refused the money. He carried the flour home and said to the bailiff, “The task is done. Now I will take my wages.”

The Young Giant - The bailiff tries to run from his debt and is kicked into the sky; his wife, who will not take the blow, is kicked even higher. The two float in the air, unable to reach each other, while the young giant picks up his iron bar and walks on. - Scene Illustration 5 — The bailiff tries to run from his debt and is kicked into the sky; his wife, who will not take the blow, is kicked even higher. The two float in the air, unable to reach each other, while the young giant picks up his iron bar and walks on.

When the bailiff heard this, he was beside himself with fear. Sweat ran down his forehead in drops. He opened a window to get some air. Before he knew what was happening, the head-servant gave him such a kick that he flew out of the window into the sky. Nobody ever set eyes on him again.

Then the young man turned to the bailiff's wife. “If he does not come back,” he said, “the next blow is for you.” “No, no, I could never bear it!” she cried, and she opened the other window. He kicked her too, and since she was the lighter of the two, she flew even higher than her husband.

“Come over to me!” called the husband. “You come to me!” she answered. “I cannot reach you.” And there the two of them hung in the air, neither able to reach the other. Whether they are still hanging there, nobody knows. But the young giant picked up his iron bar and went on his way. For the fable teaches us this: true strength lies not in mighty arms, but in a man who keeps his word.

Vocabulary from "The Young Giant"

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

strides(stride)B2

/straɪdz/n.

Long steps taken when walking fast.

大步；阔步。

But the giant's long legs covered the ground in two strides.
谁知话音未落，巨人已站在垄沟里。

speechlessB2

/ˈspiːtʃləs/adj.

Too surprised or afraid to speak.

说不出话的；哑口无言的。

The poor father stood speechless with fear.
父亲吓呆了，站在那里，好半天出不了声。

heaved(heave)C1

/hiːvd/v.

Pulled or lifted something heavy with great effort.

（用力）举起，拽起。

The boy heaved the strongest oak in the wood out of the ground, and the trunk split in two.
孩子抓住林中最粗壮的橡树，轻轻一拽，连树干都裂成了两半。

gripB2

/ɡrɪp/n.

The way you hold something tightly with your hand.

紧握；握力。

His grip was so strong that the share sank deep into the earth.
年轻人一只手按住犁把——手劲太大，犁铧一下子扎进土里老深。

harrowed(harrow)C1

/ˈhærəʊd/v.

Broke up and leveled ploughed soil with a spiked frame.

（用耙）耙地。

Then he ploughed all two acres alone, and after that he harrowed the whole field with two harrows at once.
他一个人犁完了两亩地，又套上两张耙，把整块地细细耙了一遍。

frightfulB2

/ˈfraɪtfʊl/adj.

Very frightening or ugly to look at.

可怕的；吓人的。

When his mother saw him, she cried out, “What a frightful giant! Go away! You are not our son!”
母亲在院里见了，惊叫起来：“好个吓人的大个子！走开走开，你不是我们的儿子！”

snapped(snap)B2

/snæpt/v.

Broke something suddenly with a sharp sound.

（咔嚓一声）折断。

The young man snapped it in half like a dry twig.
年轻人往膝上一搁——咔嚓一声，像折豆秸一样断成两截。

miserB2

/ˈmaɪzə/n.

A person who hates spending money and keeps everything for himself.

吝啬鬼；守财奴。

The miser was delighted, for he would save a lot of money.
吝啬鬼听了正中下怀——这样能省下多少工钱！

anvilC1

/ˈænvɪl/n.

The heavy iron block on which a smith hammers hot metal.

铁砧。

The hot iron flew apart, and the anvil sank so deep into the ground that no one could pull it out.
师傅刚夹出烧红的铁条，年轻人头一锤下去，铁条四下飞散，铁砧直陷进地里，再也拔不出来。

bailiffB2

/ˈbeɪlɪf/n.

A man who manages a farm or estate for its owner.

庄头；田庄管事。

He asked the bailiff whether he needed a head-servant.
走了好些日子，他来到一座小田庄，问庄头要不要长工头。

barricadeC1

/ˌbærɪˈkeɪd/n.

A pile of things built to block a road or path.

路障；障碍物。

On the way he piled trees and brushwood across the ravine and made a barricade that no horse could pass.
路过一道峡谷，他停下马车，搬来树木柴枝，垒起一道高障，任什么马也过不去。

hauled(haul)B2

/hɔːld/v.

Pulled or dragged something heavy with effort.

（用力）拖，拉。

Then he unhitched his own horses, laid them on top of the cart, and hauled the whole load over the barricade with his bare hands.
他卸下自己的马，把马放到车顶上，两手抓住车辕，连车带马一起拖过了障子。

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

True strength is not measured by mighty arms but by keeping your word and never bullying the weak. Those who scheme against others in greed end up caught in their own traps.

Educational Value

Children learn that strength should serve fairness, that keeping a promise matters more than brute force, and that greedy schemers end up caught in their own traps. The comic, exaggerated episodes make the value of honesty easy to remember.

Tips for Parents

After reading, ask your child: the giant is so strong, why does he only use his strength against greedy masters and never against good people? Then talk about why keeping a promise matters, and connect the lesson to everyday life.

Talk About It

The tiny boy is fed by a giant for six years and grows mighty. Do you think a person's abilities come mostly from birth or from practice?
The giant wants no money, only “three kicks.” Why do you think he sets such a strange rule?
The smith and the bailiff both try to cheat him, and both are kicked into the sky. Did they bring this on themselves?
The giant is so strong, yet he never bullies a good person. What do you think keeps him from becoming a bully?
If you one day had enormous strength, what would you use it for, and what rule would you set for yourself?

The Young Giant

Introduction

Vocabulary from "The Young Giant"

Reading Together & Learning More

The Moral

Educational Value

Tips for Parents

Talk About It

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