Hans in Luck facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hans in Luck
1912 illustration by Robert Anning Bell
Folk tale
Name	Hans in Luck
Data
Country	Germany
Region	Cassel
Origin Date	1812
Published in	Grimm's Fairy Tales

"Hans in Luck" (German: Hans im Glück) is a famous fairy tale. It was written down by the Brothers Grimm, who collected many old German stories. This tale is known as Aarne-Thompson type 1415. This is a way to classify different kinds of folk tales.

The Story of Hans in Luck

Hans worked hard for seven years. He decided it was time to go home and see his mother. His boss paid him a large lump of gold. It was as big as his head! Hans wrapped the gold in a cloth. He started his journey home, jogging along. Soon, he felt very tired.

Hans and the Horse

Hans saw a man riding a horse. The horse looked so easy to travel on. Hans offered to trade his heavy gold for the horse. The man was happy and gave Hans the horse. Hans rode off, feeling pleased.

The horse suddenly ran very fast. Hans was thrown off! He then met a shepherd. The shepherd told Hans that a cow was better. A cow could give milk, cheese, and butter. It was also calmer. Hans traded his horse for the cow. He continued his journey. But the cow gave no milk at all.

Hans and the Pig

Hans was not happy with the cow. He then met a butcher. The butcher offered Hans a pig for his cow. Hans thanked the butcher for the pig. He started jogging again. He hoped the pig would be a good travel friend.

But then, Hans met a countryman. The countryman told Hans that the pig belonged to the squire. The squire was an important person. Hans could get into trouble for taking the pig. The countryman offered Hans a goose instead. Hans was happy to trade. He thought the goose would make a good roast. It would also give him goose fat.

Hans and the Grindstone

Hans stopped in a village. He met a scissor-grinder there. Hans told him his story. The scissor-grinder offered Hans a grindstone for his goose. He said a grindstone could help Hans earn money. Hans happily traded the goose for the grindstone.

Hans continued on his way. He was very tired carrying the heavy grindstone. He also had no money for food. Hans stopped for a drink by a river. The grindstone slipped and fell into the deep water. It was lost! Hans was happy to be free of the heavy stone. He felt free of all his troubles. He walked on to his mother's house. There, he told her his "lucky" tale.

Where the Story Comes From

"Hans in Luck" is a German folk tale. The Brothers Grimm wrote it down. They published it in their book Grimm's Fairy Tales in 1812.

Other Versions of the Story

The story of Hans in Luck has been made into other things:

• An animated film called Hans in Luck was made in 1978.
• An American composer named Omari Tau wrote a one-act opera. It is also called Hans In Luck and came out in 2011.