" Hans in Luck " - The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm

HANS had served his master for seven years, when he one day said to him : ' Master, my time is up, I want to go home to my mother ; please give me my wages,'

His master answered, ' You have served me well and faithfully, and as the service has been, so shall the wages be ' ; and he gave him a lump of gold as big as his head.

Hans took out his pocket-handkerchief and tied up the gold in it, and then slung the bundle over his shoulder, and started on his homeward journey.

As he walked along, just dragging one foot after the other, a man on horseback appeared, riding, fresh and gay, along on his spirited horse.

' Ah ! ' said Hans, quite loud as he passed, ' what a fine thing riding must be. You are as comfortable as if you were in an easy-chair ; you don't stumble over any stones ; you save your shoes, and you get over the road you needn't bother how.'

The horseman, who heard him, stopped and said, ' Hullo, Hans, why are you on foot ? '

' I can't help myself,' said Hans, ' as I have this bundle to carry home. It is true that it is a lump of gold, but I can hardly hold my head up for it, and it weighs down my shoulder frightfully.'

' I '11 tell you what,' said the horseman, ' we will change. I will give you my horse, and you shall give me your bundle.'

' With all my heart,' said Hans ; ' but you will be rarely burdened with it.*

The horseman dismounted, took the gold, and helped Hans up, put the bridle into his hands, and said : ' When you want to go very fast, you must click your tongue and cry " Gee-up, Gee-up.""'

Hans was deHghted when he found himself so easily riding along on horseback. After a time it occurred to him that he might be going faster, and he began to click with his tongue, and to cry ' Gee-up, Gee-up.' The horse broke into a gallop, and before Hans knew where he was, he was thrown off into a ditch which separated the fields from the high road. The horse would have run away if a peasant coming along the road leading a cow had not caught it. Hans felt himself all over, and picked himself up ; but he was very angry, and said to the peasant : ' Riding is poor fun at times, when you have a nag like mine, which stumbles and throws you, and puts you in danger of breaking your neck. I will never mount it again. I think much more of that cow of yours. You can walk comfortably behind her, and you have her milk into the bargain every day, as well as butter and cheese. What would I not give for a cow like that ! '

' Well,' said the peasant, ' if you have such a fancy for it as all that, I will exchange the cow for the horse.'

Hans accepted the offer with delight, and the peasant mounted the horse and rode rapidly off.

Hans drove his cow peacefully on, and thought what a lucky bargain he had made. ' If only I have a bit of bread, and I don't expect ever to be without that, I shall always have butter and cheese to eat with it. If I am thirsty, I only have to milk my cow and I have milk to drink. My heart ! what more can you desire ? '

When he came to an inn he made a halt, and in great joy he ate up all the food he had with him, all his dinner and his supper too, and he gave the last coins he had for half a glass of beer. Then he went on further in the direction of his mother's village, driving his cow before him. The heat was overpowering, and, as midday drew near, Hans found himself on a heath which it took him an hour to cross. He was so hot and thirsty, that his tongue was parched and clung to the roof of his mouth.

' This ean easily be set to rights,' thought Hans. ' I will milk my cow and sup up the milk.' He tied her to a tree, and as he had no pail, he used his leather cap instead ; but, try as hard as he liked, not a single drop of milk appeared. As he was very clumsy in his attempts, the impatient animal gave him a severe kick on his forehead with one of her hind legs. He was stunned by the blow, and fell to the ground, where he lay for some time, not knowing where he was.

Happily just then a butcher came along the road, trundling a young pig in a wheel-barrow.

' What is going on here ? ' he cried, as he helped poor Hans up.

Hans told him all that had happened.

The butcher handed him his flask, and said : ' Here, take a drink, it will do you good. The cow can't give any milk I suppose ; she must be too old, and good for nothing but to be a beast of burden, or to go to the butcher.'

' Oh dear ! ' said Hans, smoothing his hair. ' Now who would ever have thought it ! Killing the animal is all very well, but what kind of meat will it be ? For my part, I don't like cow's flesh ; it 's not juicy enough. Now, if one had a nice young pig like that, it would taste ever so much better ; and then, all the sausages ! '

' Listen, Hans ! ' then said the butcher, ' for your sake I will exchange, and let you have the pig instead of the cow.'