Lucky Hans (1)

Lucky Hans (1)

Once upon a time, there was a boy called Hans who had served his apprenticeship in a far-off village.

At the end of the seven years he had learned his trade, and asked his master if he might go home to see his mother.

" Oh, yes, gladly, " said his master, " and, because you have worked so well, here is your payment in full. "

And to Hans's astonishment, the good man gave him a big lump of silver.

" Thank you master so kindly, " grinned Hans.
Waving farewell, he put the silver lump in his red spotted handkerchief and set off for his own village.

He had only walked a few miles when the sun rose high in the sky, the day became uncomfortably hot, and the silver lump grew heavir and heavier.

(1/11) 

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Lucky Hans (2)

Lucky Hans (2)

" Oh, how tired I am ! " groaned Hans, sinking down to rest in the shade of the hedge.
He hadn't been sitting there long when a man turned the corner riding a white-maned horse.

" How comfortable he looks, " thought Hans, " and I am so weary. "

Reaching the lad, the horseman pulled up.
" What ails thee, boy ? " he cried, his blue eyes twinkling.

" My feet and my back. For I have travelled far, " groaned Han.
And then an idea came to him.
" Will you change your horse for this lump of silver ? " he asked.
" I'm going home to my village and the burden is so heavy, I shall never get there. "

The horseman stared at Hans, unable to believe his ears, and then a slow smile spared over his face.
" Surely, I will, " he said.

(2/11)

Lucky Hans (3)

Lucky Hans (3)

Dismounting, he said, " Now, when you want to go fast, all you have to do is shout ' gee-up ' and click your tongue against your teeth. It'll gallop like the wind, and you'll be home in no time. "

" Thenks, Sir, " said Hans, climbing on to the horse's back, and off they trotted, leaving the man chuckling to himself at his good fortune.

Soon the horse stopped trotting and slowed to an amble but, whatever Hans did, it would not go any faster.

Suddenly, Hans remembered the man's word, and thought he would try the remedy.

" Gee-up ! " he shouted, clicking his tongue against his teeth.

Off shot the horse, galloping along at a tremendous rate, hooves clattering and mane flying in the wind.
This was too much for Hans.

(3/11)

Lucky Hans (4)

Lucky Hans (4)

He lost his grip of the reins, flew up into the air and somer-saulted into the ditch, quite winded.

The horse would have gone on for ever, if it hadn't been stopped by a drover leading a cow along the road.

" Ouch ! " cried Hans, struggling painfully out of ditch, " that horse will be the death of me. Will you change it for your cow ? I'd like a quieter life, I think, and some fresh milk would be just the thing to moisten my lips. "

The drover stared at Hans, just as the horseman had done, and then a slow smile spread over his face as he said:
" Surely I will."
Handing the cow's tethering rope over to Hans, and mounting the horse, he cantered up the hill, chuckling over his good fortune. 

(4/11)

Lucky Hans (5)

Lucky Hans (5)

Hans led the cow along the road a short distance and, feeling thirsty, decided to have some of her milk.

But what could he use for a bucket ?
As he had nothing else, he took off one of his boots, and bending down stretched out his hands to begin milking.

But before he knew what had happened, Hans found himself flying through the air for the second time that morning, except that the cow's kick landed him in the hedge, instead of the ditch.

At that moment, who should turn the corner but a man with a pig tied to string; he looked from the cow to Hans and began to grin.

" It's all very well for you to laugh, " Hans complained from the hedge, " but that cow is so fierce I can't handle her. Your pig looks quiet and tame. Will you exchange the cow for it ? "

(5/11)

Lucky Hans (6)

Lucky Hans (6)

The pig-man stared at Hans, unable to believe his ears, but before the boy could change his mind, he tied the pig to a tree and made off with the cow, chuckling at his good fortune.

But that pig was not so tame or so quiet as it looked.

It ran hither and thither, grunting and snuffling and winding the string round and round Hans' legs until the poor boy was quite tied up.

While he was struggling with the snorting porker, a man turned the corner with a fine fat plump goose tucked under his arm.

When he saw Hans, he roared with laughter.
" Ho ho ! " he chuckled.
" He he he, " he chortled.

" It's all very well for you to laugh, " said Hans.
" But this pig is too lively for me. Will you change it for your fine fat goose ? I could manage that, tucked under my arm. "

(6/11)

Lucky Hans (7)

Lucky Hans (7)

The goose-man stared, unable to believe his ears, and then as soon as Hans had untangled himself, thrust the goose into the boy's hands and hurried off, dragging the pig behind him, and chuckling at his good fortune.

But Hans thought all the good fortune was his when he remembered how his mother liked roast goose, to say nothing of all the fluffy white feathers which would make a pillow for her.

So on he marched, well pleased with his bargain.

(7/11)

Lucky Hans (8)

Lucky Hans (8)

Towards evening, as the sun was setting, Hans came upon a man grinding knives by the side of the road.
He was singing so cheerfully at this work that Hans stopped and spoke :
" You seem very happy, sir, " he said.

" Of course I am, " said the knife-grinder, " with a stone like this I never lack for money. "

Then he noticed the goose tucked under Han's arm.

" Where did you get that fine goose ? " he asked.

" I change it for a pig. "

" And the pig ? "

" I changed it for a cow. "

" And the cow ? "

" I changed it for a horse. "

" And the horse ? "

" I changed it for a lump of silver. "

" A lump of silver ? And where did you get that ? "

" For seven years' hard work for my master. "

(8/11)

Lucky Hans (9)

Lucky Hans (9)

The knife grinder laughed loudly.
" You could earn as much as that silver in a week, if you had a stone like mine and sharpened knives on it for a living. "

Hans gaped at the knife-grinder, thinking hard.
" Is that so ? " he breathed at last.
" kind sir ? Will you change your stone for this fine fat goose ? "

" That I will, " the knife-grinder replied jovially.

But while Hans smoothed the goose's feathers and bade her good-bye, the man hid his grindstone and gave Hans a big ordinary stone that he had picked up from the roadside.

Hans thanked him, and wishing him a very good night, set off on the remainder of his journey to his home village.

(9/11)

Lucky Hans (10)

Lucky Hans (10)

But it had been a long day, full of excitement and surprises, Hans grew tired as he staggered along under the stone's weight.

Seeing a pond and feeling very thirsty, he laid the stone on the brink as he knelt to drink of the water.

As he supped, the stone slipped, fell into the water, and Hans , starting up, watched it sink slowly into the clear depths.

" Well, " he thought to himself, " no matter. It really was much too heavy to carry. How lucky I am. Now I have nothing to worry about. I can get home to my mother all that much faster and sooner. "

(10/11)

Lucky Hans (11 完)

Lucky Hans (11)

And so, with a light heart, he sped on and reached his mother's door just as the moon rose above the branches of the trees round the cottage.

" Hans ! My darling boy ! " she cried when she saw her dear son standing in the porch.
" Come in. Supper is nearly ready ! "

Hans was so happy to see his mother and to be home again.

So they sat down together and enjoyed their meal, while Hans told his mother all of his strange adventures, and all of things that had happened to him since he left home.

(11/11 完)