Hans in Luck is a classic fairy tale from Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm. It tells the story of Hans, a young man who has worked faithfully for seven years and finally receives a large lump of gold as his wages.
On his journey home to see his mother, Hans makes one exchange after another. He trades his heavy gold for a horse, the horse for a cow, the cow for a pig, the pig for a goose, and finally the goose for a grindstone. Each time, Hans believes he has made an even better bargain.
Although Hans seems to lose more and more valuable possessions, he never stops feeling happy. By the end of his journey, he has nothing left to carry—and he is delighted.
This humorous Grimm fairy tale explores happiness, contentment, optimism, and the value of letting go of things that make life difficult.
Hans in Luck: A Grimm Fairy Tale – Free Printable
Original Story
Hans had served his master faithfully for seven years. At the end of those seven years, he went to his master and said,
“Master, my time is up. I want to go home and see my mother, so please give me my wages.”
“You have served me truly and faithfully,” said his master. “You deserve your wages.”
Then he gave Hans a lump of gold as large as his head.
Excerpt from: Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm, illustrated by Walter Crane, translated by Lucy Crane, Macmillan and Company, 1886.
Hans took out his handkerchief, wrapped the heavy gold in it, placed the bundle on his shoulder, and began walking home.
As he walked along the road, he saw a man riding a lively horse.
“Oh!” cried Hans. “How wonderful it must be to ride a horse! You can sit comfortably, you do not have to walk over stones, your shoes do not wear out, and you can travel so quickly!”
The horseman heard Hans and called to him,
“Well, Hans, why are you walking?”
“I cannot help it,” said Hans. “I have this enormous lump of gold to carry. It is valuable, but it is so heavy that my shoulder hurts.”
“I have an idea,” said the horseman. “Let us make an exchange. I will give you my horse, and you can give me your gold.”
“With all my heart!” said Hans.
The horseman took the gold and helped Hans onto the horse.
“When you want the horse to go faster,” he explained, “click your tongue and say, ‘Gee-up!’”
Hans rode away happily.
After a while, he wanted to go faster, so he clicked his tongue and cried,
“Gee-up!”
The horse suddenly began to trot.
Before Hans knew what was happening, he was thrown from the horse and landed in a ditch beside the road.
Luckily, a passing peasant caught the horse.
Hans stood up, feeling sore and disappointed.
“Riding is not as wonderful as I thought,” he said. “This horse nearly broke my neck! Your cow, however, looks like something really useful. I could walk comfortably beside her, and she would give me milk, butter, and cheese. What would I give to have such a cow!”
“Well,” said the peasant, “if it would make you happy, I would be willing to exchange my cow for your horse.”
Hans agreed immediately.
The peasant rode away on the horse, and Hans happily continued toward home, leading the cow.
“With a cow,” he thought, “I will have everything I need. I can have butter and cheese with my bread, and if I become thirsty, I can milk the cow. What more could I want?”
Later, Hans stopped at an inn. He ate all the food he had brought with him and spent his last two farthings on some beer.
Then he continued on his way.
By the middle of the day, the sun was hot, and Hans was crossing a dry heath. He became very thirsty.
“Never mind,” he said. “I have the perfect solution. I will milk my cow.”
Hans tied the cow to a dry tree, took off his leather cap to use as a small bucket, and tried to milk her.
But not a single drop of milk came out.
Hans tried again, but he was not very good at it.
Suddenly, the impatient cow kicked him in the head, and Hans fell to the ground.
Fortunately, a butcher came along with a young pig in a wheelbarrow. He helped Hans to his feet and gave him a drink from his flask.
“The cow will not give you milk,” said the butcher. “She is old and is only useful for carrying heavy loads or for being slaughtered.”
Hans scratched his head.
“Well, who would have thought it? I suppose cow meat can be useful, but I don’t like it very much. A young pig would be much better. Think of all the sausages!”
The butcher smiled.
“Then I will make another exchange. Give me your cow, and I will give you my pig.”
“Heaven reward such kindness!” cried Hans.
He handed over the cow and took the pig.
Hans continued happily along the road, convinced that everything was working out exactly as he wished.
After a while, he met a peasant carrying a beautiful white goose.
They greeted each other, and Hans told him about all the lucky exchanges he had made.
The peasant explained that he was taking the goose to a christening feast.
“Just feel how heavy it is,” he said. “It has been growing fat for eight weeks. Imagine how delicious it will be when roasted!”
“Yes, it certainly is a fine goose,” said Hans. “But my pig is not bad either.”
The peasant looked around carefully.
“I am afraid there may be a problem with your pig,” he whispered. “In the village I just passed through, a pig was stolen from the bailiff’s yard. I fear that this could be the stolen pig. If they catch you with it, you could be thrown into a dark prison.”
Poor Hans grew pale with fear.
“For heaven’s sake, help me!” he cried. “I am a stranger here. Take my pig and give me your goose.”
The peasant agreed.
He quickly took the pig away down a small path, while Hans continued toward home carrying the goose.
“The more I think about it,” Hans said to himself, “the better this bargain becomes! First I can roast the goose. Then I can use its fat with bread. And its beautiful white feathers will make a soft pillow. My mother will be delighted!”
As Hans reached the final village before his home, he saw a knife-grinder working beside his barrow. His wheel was turning as he sharpened knives and scissors, and he sang happily about his trade.
Hans stopped and watched him.
“You seem very happy with your work,” said Hans.
“Yes,” replied the knife-grinder. “My trade is a good one. A successful grinder always has money in his pocket.”
Then he looked at Hans’s goose.
“Where did you get that beautiful goose?”
“I exchanged it for my pig,” said Hans.
“And where did you get the pig?”
“I exchanged it for a cow.”
“And the cow?”
“I exchanged it for a horse.”
“And the horse?”
“I gave a great lump of gold for it.”
“And the gold?”
“That was my wages for seven years of work.”
“You seem to have made some good bargains,” said the knife-grinder. “But imagine if every time you put your hand into your pocket, you found money there! Then you would truly be a lucky man.”
“How could I make that happen?” asked Hans.
“You could become a knife-grinder like me,” said the man. “All you need is a grindstone. I have one here. It is a little damaged, but I will exchange it for your goose.”
“How could I refuse?” cried Hans. “I will be the luckiest man in the world!”
So Hans gave the knife-grinder his goose and received the grindstone.
The knife-grinder then pointed to another heavy stone lying nearby.
“Take this one too,” he said. “It is strong and useful for hammering out old nails.”
Hans lifted the heavy stones and continued along the road.
“I must have been born under a lucky star!” he cried. “Whenever I wish for something, I get it!”
But after walking for some time, Hans became tired and hungry.
The stones were extremely heavy, and he could hardly carry them any farther.
At last, he reached a well.
“I will stop here and have a drink,” he decided.
Hans placed the stones carefully beside the well and knelt down to drink the fresh water.
As he leaned forward, he accidentally pushed the stones.
Splash!
Both stones fell into the well.
Hans watched them disappear into the water.
Then he jumped for joy.
“How lucky I am!” he cried. “Those stones were so heavy, and now I have been rid of them without any effort at all!”
Hans continued along the road without a care in the world.
At last, he reached his mother’s house.
“I really am the luckiest man under the sun!” he said.
And Hans went home happy.
What Children Can Learn From This Story
- Happiness does not always come from having more things. Hans becomes happier as he gets rid of possessions that make his journey difficult.
- Be grateful for what you have. Hans finds something positive in every situation instead of constantly complaining.
- Think carefully before making a trade. Hans is easily persuaded by other people’s offers and does not always understand the true value of what he gives away.
- A positive attitude can make difficult situations easier. Even after falling from a horse, being kicked by a cow, and carrying heavy stones, Hans continues to look for something good.
- Sometimes letting go can bring relief. At the end, Hans is delighted when the heavy stones disappear into the well because he no longer has to carry them.
Vocabulary
- Wages — Money paid to someone for work they have done.
- Lump — A solid piece of something, especially one that is not shaped regularly.
- Spirited — Full of energy and difficult to control.
- Trudging — Walking slowly and heavily, usually because you are tired.
- Peasant — A person who traditionally worked on a farm or lived in the countryside.
- Heath — An open area of uncultivated land covered mainly with low plants and shrubs.
- Butcher — A person who prepares and sells meat.
- Bailiff — An official who had authority or responsibilities in a particular area.
- Knife-grinder — A person whose job was to sharpen knives and other cutting tools.
- Grindstone — A heavy rotating stone used for sharpening or grinding tools.
Questions for Children
- Why did Hans leave his master’s service after seven years?
- What happened when Hans exchanged his gold for the horse?
- Why did Hans decide that the cow was better than the horse?
- What happened when Hans tried to milk the cow?
- Why did Hans exchange his cow for the pig?
- What happened when the peasant warned Hans about the stolen pig?
- Why did Hans think the goose was a better bargain than the pig?
- What happened when Hans met the knife-grinder?
- Why did Hans feel happy when the heavy stones fell into the well?
- What was the lesson of the story?
- Do you think Hans was lucky, careless, or both? Why?
- Would you have made the same exchanges as Hans? Why or why not?
Moral / Lesson
Happiness is not always about having valuable possessions. Sometimes being grateful, optimistic, and free from unnecessary burdens can make us feel richer than owning a fortune.
Hans makes many foolish trades, and from a practical point of view, he loses something valuable each time. Yet he never stops believing that he has made a lucky bargain.
The story encourages children to think about the difference between wealth and happiness. It also reminds us to be grateful for what we have, to think carefully before making important decisions, and to recognize that sometimes letting go of a burden can bring great relief.
Hans may not be a perfect decision-maker, but his cheerful and optimistic nature allows him to reach home with a smile on his face.
Read more: Household Stories By the Brothers Grimm…
You must be logged in to post a comment.