Hans in Luck

Hans had served his master for seven years. Then he said to him: "Master, my time is up. Now I'd like to go home to my mother. Please give me my wages." His master said, "You have served me faithfully and honestly. As the service was, so shall the wages be," and he gave him a lump of gold as big as Hans's head. Hans took his handkerchief out of his pocket, wrapped the lump in it, put it on his shoulder and set off for home.

As he walked along, always putting one foot in front of the other, he saw a horseman trotting cheerfully along. "Ah," said Hans out loud, "what a fine thing riding is! You sit as if you were on a chair, you don't stumble over any stones, you don't wear out your shoes, and you get along without knowing how." The horseman heard him, stopped and called: "Hey, Hans, why are you walking?" "I have to, because I'm carrying this lump. It's gold, but it's so heavy that I can't hold my head up, and it's crushing my shoulder." "I'll tell you what," said the horseman, "let's swap. I'll give you my horse, and you give me your lump." "With all my heart," said Hans, "but I warn you, it's hard to carry." The horseman got down, took the gold, helped Hans onto the horse, put the reins in his hands and said, "If you want to go fast, click your tongue and say 'Hup! Hup!'"

Hans's heart was full of joy as he sat on the horse and rode along so freely. After a while he thought he would like to go faster, so he clicked his tongue and called, "Hup! Hup!" The horse broke into a gallop, and before Hans knew what was happening, he had been thrown off into a ditch between the fields. If a farmer driving a cow along the road had not stopped the horse, it would have run away. Hans picked himself up and got back on his feet, but he was very annoyed. He said to the farmer: "Riding is a poor joke, especially on a horse like this, which throws you down and could break your neck. I'll never ride again. Your cow is a fine thing; you can walk along comfortably behind it, and what's more, it gives you milk, butter and cheese every day. What wouldn't I give to have a cow like that!"

"If you like it so much, I'll swap my cow for your horse," said the farmer. Hans gladly agreed. The farmer mounted the horse and rode quickly away. Hans drove the cow along in front of him, quite content, thinking what a good bargain he had made: "As long as I have a slice of bread, and I'll never be short of that, I can eat butter and cheese whenever I like. If I'm thirsty, I'll milk the cow and drink milk. What more could my heart desire?"

When he came to an inn, he stopped and, in his great joy, ate all the food he had with him, lunch and supper together, and with his last few coins bought half a glass of beer. Then he drove his cow on towards his mother's village. Towards noon the heat grew stronger and stronger, and Hans found himself in the middle of a heath that would take an hour to cross. It was so hot that his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth with thirst. "I can fix that," he thought. "I'll milk the cow and drink the milk." He tied the cow to a dead tree and, since he had no pail, put his leather cap underneath it, but however hard he tried, not a drop of milk came out. And because he milked so clumsily, the impatient animal finally gave him such a kick on the head with one of its hind legs that he tumbled to the ground and for a while did not know where he was.

Luckily, just then a butcher came by, pushing a young pig in a wheelbarrow. "What's happened to you?" he asked, and he helped honest Hans to his feet. Hans told him what had happened. The butcher handed him his flask: "Drink and pull yourself together. This cow won't give any more milk; she's an old beast. At best she's fit for pulling a plough or for the butcher." "Well, well," said Hans, "who would have thought it? But I don't much like beef; it isn't juicy enough. Ah, if only I had a young pig like that! It tastes quite different, and you can make sausages too." "Listen, Hans," said the butcher, "for your sake I'll give you my pig. Give me the cow." "God reward your kindness," said Hans, and he gave him the cow, had the pig taken out of the barrow and took the rope in his hand.

Hans went on his way, thinking how everything was turning out as he wished; whenever he got into trouble, things put themselves right at once. Then a young fellow carrying a fine white goose under his arm joined him. They greeted each other and walked along. Hans told him about his luck and what good swaps he had made. The young fellow told him he was taking the goose to a christening feast. Then he looked around anxiously: "Listen, Hans, there may be trouble with your pig. In the village I just passed through, a pig was stolen from the mayor's sty. I'm afraid it's the one you have. If they catch you with it, it'll go badly for you; at the very least they'll throw you into a dark hole." Hans was frightened: "Oh heavens, help me! You know these parts better than I do. Take my pig and give me your goose." "It's a bit risky, but I don't want you to get into trouble," said the young fellow, and he took the rope and hurried off down a side road with the pig.

Honest Hans, freed from his worry, went on his way with the goose under his arm. "When I think about it properly," he said to himself, "I've done well out of this swap too. First a good roast, then all the fat that drips out, which I can spread on my bread, and then the lovely white feathers; I'll stuff my pillow with them and sleep without rocking. How glad my mother will be!"

As he passed through the last village, he saw a knife-grinder turning his wheel and singing. Hans stopped to watch him: "You must be doing well at grinding, since you're so cheerful." "Yes," said the grinder, "my trade is a golden one. A good grinder always finds money when he puts his hand in his pocket. But where did you get that fine goose?" Hans told him his whole story. "You've done well for yourself every time," said the grinder. "Now if you could just manage to hear money jingling in your pocket every time you stand up, your luck would be complete." "How can I do that?" "You must become a grinder like me. All you need is a grindstone, and the rest comes by itself. I have one here; it's a little worn, but it's a good stone. You need give me nothing but your goose." Hans gave him the goose, took the stone and went on his way full of joy: "I must have been born lucky! Everything I wish for comes true."

But he had been walking since morning and was beginning to get tired, and hunger was gnawing at him. The stone, too, was very heavy. When he came to a well, he wanted to rest and drink the cool water. He put the stone on the edge of the well, but as he bent down to drink, he knocked against it, and the stone fell into the well and was gone. When Hans saw the stone sink into the depths, he jumped for joy, knelt down with tears in his eyes and thanked God for showing him this kindness too, and for freeing him from the heavy stone that had been such a burden, without him having to blame himself for anything. "There's no one under the sun as lucky as I am!" he cried. With a light heart, free of every load, he ran on until he reached his mother's house.

His mother met him at the door and hugged him joyfully. Hans told her about his seven years, the lump of gold, the horse, the cow, the pig, the goose and the stone. His mother smiled: "My son, you have nothing left in your hands, but your face is so bright that it's as if you'd brought home all the gold in the world." Hans laughed too: "Mother, I did bring my luck home. I'm safe and sound, light-hearted, and here with you. Could there be any greater riches than that?"