Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates

Hans Brinker tying on his sister Gretel's ice skates, in an illustration by Théophile Schuler from the 1876 French translation of the novel
Author	Mary Mapes Dodge
Illustrator	F. O. C. Darley and Thomas Nast
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Children's novel
Publisher	James O'Kane
Publication date	1865
Pages	347 (original edition)

Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates is a famous novel written by American author Mary Mapes Dodge. It was first published in 1865. The story takes place in the Netherlands, also known as Holland.

The book paints a vivid picture of Dutch life in the early 1800s. It's also a story about being honorable and brave when you are young. The title refers to the beautiful silver skates given to the winner of an ice-skating race. Hans Brinker hopes to win these skates. This book helped introduce the sport of speed skating to people in America.

The novel is also well-known for sharing the popular story of a young Dutch boy. This boy saves his country by plugging a dike (a wall that holds back water) with his finger.

About the Book's Creation

Mary Mapes Dodge wrote Hans Brinker when she was 34 years old. She had never actually visited the Netherlands before writing the book. Her inspiration came from reading history books about the Dutch Republic.

Dodge also did a lot of research about the country. She even got information from her Dutch neighbors, the Scharffs. In a later edition of the book, Dodge wrote that the story of Hans Brinker's father was based on a real event.

Some character names in the book sound German, not Dutch. For example, "Gretel" is German, while the Dutch name is "Grietje." In Dutch versions of the book, names were changed to sound more real to Dutch children.

The book quickly became a huge success. In its first year, it sold more copies than almost any other book. Only Charles Dickens' Our Mutual Friend sold more. Hans Brinker has been printed continuously since then. It is still a classic children's book today.

Story of Hans Brinker

The story is set in Holland. It follows 15-year-old Hans Brinker and his younger sister, Gretel. They are poor but hardworking and honest. They dream of joining the big ice skating race in December. This race takes place on the canal.

Hans and Gretel have only handmade wooden skates. This means they have little chance of winning. Still, the idea of the race and the prize of silver skates excites them.

Hans's Family Challenges

Hans's father, Raff Brinker, had a serious head injury from falling off a dike. This accident left him very ill. He often forgot things and sometimes had angry outbursts. Because of this, he could not work.

Mrs. Brinker, Hans, and Gretel all had to work to support their family. People in their community sometimes looked down on them because they were poor.

A Doctor's Help

One day, Hans meets the famous surgeon Dr. Boekman. Hans bravely asks the doctor to help his father. Dr. Boekman is known for being grumpy. He had been sad since his wife died and his son disappeared. Also, his fees were very expensive.

However, Hans's plea eventually convinces Dr. Boekman to examine Mr. Brinker. The doctor finds that pressure on Mr. Brinker's brain is causing his illness. A risky and expensive surgery could cure him. This surgery involves making a small hole in the skull.

Sacrifice and Success

Hans works hard to earn money. He first buys Gretel a pair of good steel skates for the race. Later, he earns enough for his own skates. But instead, he offers the money to Dr. Boekman. He wants to pay for his father's operation.

Dr. Boekman is deeply moved by Hans's kind act. He decides to perform the surgery for free. This allows Hans to buy good skates for himself.

During the race, Hans shows his true character. He gives up his chance to win the boys' race to help a friend. Gretel, however, wins the girls' race. She receives the special prize: the beautiful Silver Skates.

A Happy Ending

Mr. Brinker's surgery is a great success. He gets his health and memory back. Dr. Boekman also changes. He becomes less grumpy. He is even reunited with his lost son, thanks to Mr. Brinker's unexpected help.

The Brinker family's luck improves even more. Mr. Brinker's savings, which were thought to be lost ten years ago, are found. The Brinker parents live a long and happy life. Dr. Boekman helps Hans go to medical school. Hans grows up to become a successful doctor. Gretel also has a happy adult life.

Movie Adaptations

Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates has been made into several films and plays. These adaptations often focus on the exciting ice-skating competition as the main event.

Some film versions include:

• A 1958 live TV musical called Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates. It starred Tab Hunter as Hans.
• A 1962 Disney TV movie starring Rony Zeaner. It was shown in two parts in the U.S.
• A 1969 NBC TV musical film, with Robin Askwith playing Hans.
• A 1998 modern version called Brink!. This Disney Channel original movie is very different from the book. It takes place in Los Angeles, California. The story is about competitive inline skating, not ice skating. It stars Erik von Detten as Andy "Brink" Brinker.
• A 2020 Russian film, The Silver Skates. This movie is a loose retelling of the book. It is set in pre-Christmas St. Petersburg in 1899.

Popular Culture: The Boy and the Dike Legend

A short story within the novel has become very famous on its own. This story is read aloud in a schoolroom in England within the book. It tells of a Dutch boy who saves his country. He does this by putting his finger in a leaking dike. The boy stays there all night, even though it's cold. He waits until villagers find him and fix the dike.

In the book, this hero is called "The Hero of Haarlem" and is nameless. However, people sometimes mistakenly think Hans Brinker is this boy.

This small tale has led to many other versions and adaptations. American poet Phoebe Cary wrote a long poem about it. It was called "The Leak in the Dike" and was published in 1873. This poem is often found in poetry books for schoolchildren. Cary also gave the boy a name: Peter.

The tale has also inspired its own children's books, such as:

• The Hole in the Dike, by Norma Green (1974)
• The Boy Who Held Back the Sea, by Lenny Hort (1987)

Statues of the Dike Boy

For tourism purposes, statues of the fictional dike-plugging boy have been built in the Netherlands. You can find them in places like Spaarndam, Madurodam, and Harlingen. These statues are sometimes incorrectly called "Hans Brinker." Others are known as "Peter of Haarlem." It's important to know that the story of the dike-plugging boy is not widely known in the Netherlands. It's more of an American folk tale than a Dutch one.

Where the Dike Story Came From

Versions of the dike story existed before Hans Brinker was published. They appeared in several English publications starting in 1850.

In the United Kingdom, these included:

• Sharpe's London Journal of Entertainment and Instruction (1850): "The Little Hero of Haarlem"
• Eliza Cook's Journal (February 23, 1850): "The Brave Little Hollander"
• Beeton's Boys' Own magazine (1855): "The Little Dutch Hero"
• The 'Sixth' Standard Reader (1863): "The Little Dutch Hero"

In the U.S., they appeared in:

• Harper's Magazine (August 1850): "The Little Hero of Haarlem"
• The Ladies' Repository (1852): "The Little Hero of Haarlem"
• Literary Gem: Van Court's New Monthly Magazine (1854): "The Little Hero of Haarlem"
• Julia Matilda Olin's book, A Winter at Wood Lawn (1856)
• McGuffey's New High School Reader for Advanced Classes (1857): "The Little Hero of Haarlem"
• The Rhode Island Schoolmaster (1858): "The Boy at the Dike"
• Sargent's School Monthly (1858/1859): "The Boy at the Dike"

The real origin of the story is likely "Le Petit Éclusier" by French author Eugenie Foa. This story was first published in 1848. It later appeared in English as "The Little Dykeman" in Merry's Museum for Boys and Girls in 1868.

Even though Mary Mapes Dodge didn't invent the story of the boy and the dike, her novel made it incredibly famous. The small story of the nameless boy's bravery also highlights Hans Brinker's own heroic actions in the novel.

Images for kids

• 

  Tourism statue in Madurodam, Netherlands, of the nameless boy plugging a dike

• 

  Tourism monument in Spaarndam, created in 1950, which reads: "Dedicated to our youth to honor the boy who symbolizes the perpetual struggle of Holland against the water"

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  Statue in Harlingen, originally created in 1960 for a Bert Haanstra film, then donated to Harlingen

See also

In Spanish: Hans Brinker o los patines de plata para niños