Grimms fairy tales Hans In Luck

Hull’s in luck from Grimm’s fairy tales

by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm translated by

Edgar Taylor and Marian Edwardes

some men are born to good luck all they

do or try comes right all that falls to

them is so much gain all the geese are

swans all their cards are trumps toss

them which way you will they will always

like porpoise a light upon their legs

and only move on so much the faster the

world may very likely not always think

of them as they think of themselves but

what care they for the world what can it

know about the matter one of these lucky

things was neighbor Hans 7 long years he

had worked hard for his master at last

he said master my time is up I must go

home and see my poor mother once more so

pray pay me my wages and let me go when

the master said you have been a faithful

and good servant Hans so your pay she’ll

be handsome

then he gave him a lump of silver as big

as his head Hans took out his

pocket-handkerchief put the piece of

silver into it threw it over his

shoulder and jogged off on his Road

homewards as he went lazily on dragging

one foot after another a man came in

sight trotting gaily along on a capital

horse ah said Hans aloud what a fine

thing it is to ride on horseback there

he sits as easy and happy as if he was

at home in the chair by his fireside he

trips against no stones saves shoe

leather and gets on he hardly knows how

Hans did not speak so softly but the

horseman heard it all and said well

friend why do you go on foot then ah

said he I have this load to carry to be

sure it is silver but it is so heavy

that I can’t hold up my head and you

must know it hurts my shoulder sadly Wow

what do you say of making an exchange

said the horsemen I will give you my

horse and you shall give me the silver

which will save you a great deal of

trouble in carrying such a heavy load

about with you with all my heart said

Hans but as you are so kind to me I must

tell you one thing you will have a weary

task to draw that silver about with you

however the horseman got off took the

silver helped Hans up gave him the

bridle into one hand and the whip into

the other and said when you want to go

very fast smack your lips loudly

together and cry Jeep Hans was delighted

as he sat on the horse drew himself up

squared his elbows turned out his toes

cracked his whip and rode merrily off

one minute whistling a merry tune and

another singing no cares and no sorrow a

fig for your morrow will laugh and be

merry sing a dawn dairy

after a time he thought he should like

to go a little faster so he smacked his

lips and cried Jeep away went the horse

full gallop and before Hans knew what he

was about he was thrown off when lay on

his back by the roadside

his horse would have run off if a

shepherd who was coming by driving a cow

and not stopped it

Hans soon came to himself and got up on

his legs again sadly vexed and said to

the shepherd this riding is no joke when

a man has the luck to get upon a beast

like this that stumbles and flings him

off as if he would break his neck

however I’m off now once for all

I like your cow now a great deal better

than this smart beast that played me

this trick and has spoiled my best coat

you see in this puddle which by the by

smells not very like a nosegay one can

walk along at once leisure behind that

cow keep good company and have milk

butter cheese every day into the bargain

what would I give to have such a prize

well said the Shepherd if you are so

fond of her the how you will change my

cow for your horse I like to do good to

my neighbors even though I lose by it

myself

done said Hans merrily was a noble heart

that good man has thought he then the

Shepherd jumped upon the horse wished

Hans and the cow good morning and away

he rode Hans brushed his coats wiped his

face and hands rested awhile and then

drove off his cow quietly when thought

his bargain a very lucky one if I have

only a piece of bread and I certainly

shall always be able to get that I can

wherever I like eat my buttered and

cheese with it and when I am thirsty I

can milk my cow and drink the mooc and

what can i wish for more when he came to

an inn he halted ate up all his bread

and gave away his last penny for a glass

of beer when he had rested himself he

set off again driving his cow towards

his mother’s village but the heat grew

greater as soon as noon came on till at

last as he found himself on a wide heath

that would take him more than an hour to

cross he began to be so hot and parched

that his tongue clave to the roof of his

mouth now I can find a cure for this

thought he now I will milk my cow and

quench my thirst so he tied her to the

stump of a tree and held his leather cap

to milk into but not a drop was to be

had who would have thought that this cow

which was to bring him milk and butter

and cheese was all that time utterly dry

Hans had not thought of looking to that

while he was trying his luck in milking

and managing the matter very clumsily

the uneasy beast began to think him very

troublesome and at last gave him such a

kick on the head as knocked him down

and there he lay a long wild senseless

luckily a butcher soon came by driving a

pig in a wheelbarrow ah what is the

matter with you my man said the butcher

as he helped him up Hans told him what

had happened how he was dry and wanted

to milk his cow but found the cow was

dry too then the butcher gave him a

flask of a saying there drink and

refresh yourself your cow will give no

milk don’t you see she is an old Beast

and good for nothing but the

slaughterhouse alas alas said Hans who

would have thought it what a shame to

take my horse and give me only a dry cow

if I kill her what will she be good for

I hate cow beef it is not tender enough

for me if it were a pig now like that

fat gentleman you are driving along at

his ease one could do something with it

it would at any rate make sausages well

said the butcher I don’t like to say no

when one is asked to do a kind name

anything to please you I will change and

give you my fine fat pig for the cow

helman reward you for your kindness and

self-denial said Hans as he gave the

butcher of the cow and taking the pig

off the wheelbarrow drove it away

holding it by the string that was tied

to its leg

so on he jogged and all seemed now to go

right with him he had met with some

misfortunes to be sure but he was now

well repaid for all how could it be

otherwise with such a traveling

companion as he had at last God

the next man he met was a countryman

carrying a fine white goose the

countryman stopped to ask what was

o’clock this led to further chat and

Hans told him all his luck how he had

had so many good bargains and how all

the world went gay and smiling with him

the countryman then began to tell his

tale and said he was going to take the

goose to a christening

she’ll said he how heavy it is and yet

it is only 8 weeks old

whoever roasts and eats it will find

plenty of fat upon it it has lived so

well you are right said Hans as he

waited in his hand but if you talk of

fat my Pig is no trifle meantime the

countryman began to look grave and shook

his head hark ye said he my brother

friend you seem a good sort of fellow so

I can’t help doing you a kind turn your

Pig may get you into a scrape in the

village I just came from the squire has

had a pig stolen out of his sty I was

dreadfully afraid when I saw you that

you had got the Squires Pig if you have

and they catch you it will be a bad job

for you the least they will do will be

to throw you into the horse pond can you

swim poor Hans was sadly frightened good

man cried he pray get me out of this

scrape I know nothing of where the pig

was either bred or born but he may have

been the Squires for aught I can tell

you know this country better than I do

take my pig and give me the goose why I

ought to have something into the bargain

said the countryman give a fat goose for

a pig indeed tis not everyone would do

so much for you as that however I will

not be hard upon you as you are in

trouble then he took the string in his

hand and drove off the pig by a side

path while Hans went all the way home

words free from care after all thought

he that trap is pretty well taken in I

don’t care who is pig it is

but wherever it came from it has been a

very good friend to me

I have much the best of the bargain

first there will be a capital roast then

the fat will find me in goose grease for

six months and then there are all the

beautiful white feathers I will put them

into my pillow and then I am sure I will

sleep soundly without rocking how happy

my mother will be talk of a pig indeed

give me a fine fat goose as he came to

the next village he saw a

scissors-grinder with his wheel working

and singing for he land or Dale so happy

I Rome work light and live well all the

world is my home

then whoso Bly so merry as I

[Music]

Hans stood looking on for a while and at

last said you must be well-off master

grinder you seem so happy at your work

yes said the other mine is a golden

trade a good grinder never puts his hand

into his pocket without finding money in

it but where did you get that beautiful

goose I did not buy it I gave a pig for

it

oh and where did you get the pig I gave

a cow for it and the cow I gave a horse

for it and the horse why gave a lump of

silver as big as my head for it and the

silver though I worked hard for that

seven long years you have thrillin well

in the world hitherto said the grinder

now if you could find money in your

pocket whenever you put your hand in it

your fortune would be made very true but

how is that to be managed how why you

must turn grinder like myself said the

other you only want a grindstone the

rest will come of itself here is one

that is but little the worse for wear I

could not ask more than the value of

your goose for it will you buy well how

can you ask said Hans I should be the

happiest man in the world if I could

have money whenever I put my hand in my

pocket Oh what could I want more

there’s the goose now said the grinder

as he gave him a common rough stone that

lay by his side this is a most capital

stone do but work it well enough and you

can make an old nail cut with it

Hans took bestowed and went his way with

a light heart his eyes sparkled for joy

and he said to himself surely I must

have been born in a lucky hour

everything I could want or wish for

comes of itself people are so kind they

seem really to think I’d do them a favor

and letting them make me rich and giving

me good bargains meantime he began to be

tired and hungry too for he had given

away his last penny and his joy at

getting the cow at last he could go no

farther for the stone tired him sadly

and he dragged himself to the side of a

river that he might take a drink of

water and rest a while so he laid the

stone carefully by his side on the bank

but as he stooped down to drink he

forgot it pushed it a little and down it

rolled plump into the stream for a while

he watched it sinking in the deep clear

water then sprang up and danced for joy

then again fell upon his knees and

thanked heaven with tears in his eyes

for its kindness in taking away his only

plague the ugly heavy stone how happy am

I cried he nobody was ever so lucky as I

then up he got with a light heart free

from all his troubles and walked all

until he reached his mother’s house and

told her how very easy the road to good

luck was

and of Hans in luck