Hans in Luck

By: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Background of the Author’s:

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were born in 1785 and 1786 near Frankfurt,
Germany. In their early twenties, they began the linguistic studies
that would culminate in their collected editions of folk- and fairy
tales. They got their stories from peasants and villagers, and
sometimes from already-published works from other cultures. Jacob
did much of the research; Wilhelm put the stories into literary
form.

Characters:
Here are the following characters in the Fairy Tale/Folk Tale:
Hans: The protagonist of the story. He is a simple-minded and
optimistic fellow who embarks on a journey after trading his
possessions for something he considers more valuable at each step,
ultimately ending up with nothing but a piece of gold.
Hans's mother: Although she is not present throughout the story,
Hans mentions her several times. She's the one who sends him off
with a lump of gold.

The butcher: Hans first trades his lump of gold to the butcher for
something he finds more valuable—a piece of meat.
The horse dealer: He trades his meat for a horse, as he believes
the horse would be a better possession to have.
The farmer: The next trade is made with the farmer, who takes the
horse and gives Hans a cow in return.
The shepherd: In exchange for the cow, Hans receives a pig from
the shepherd.
The shepherdess: Finally, Hans trades the pig to a shepherdess for
a goose, which he considers his greatest acquisition yet.
The grinding mill: In the end, Hans loses the goose when it gets
caught in the wheel of a grinding mill.

Plot:
Hans is a somewhat simple young man who considers himself to be
very lucky.

After seven years of hard work, Hans tells his employer that he
wants to go home to see his mother. Hans' employer pays him by
giving him a lump of silver as big as his head. Hans wraps the
lump of silver in a cloth and begins his long walk home. When he
sees a man on a horse, Hans says aloud that he wishes he had a
horse too. The horseman agrees to sell Hans the horse in exchange
for his lump of silver.
Hans rides the horse slowly for some time. When he decides to make
the horse go faster, Hans falls off it. Cursing the horse, Hans
says that wishes he were rid of it. At that moment, a farmer with
a cow happens to be passing. The farmer says that he will take
Hans' horse in exchange for his cow. Hans is delighted to have a
cow that he thinks will provide him with milk, butter and cheese.

When he gets thirsty, Hans attempts to milk the cow. No milk comes
out of its udder. A butcher with a pig happens to be passing. The
butcher tells Hans that he will never get any milk from the cow
because it is too old and is now fit for nothing but slaughtering.
Hans complains that he does not like the taste of beef and says
that he much prefers pork. The butcher says that he will swap his
pig for Hans' cow.
A peasant carrying a goose sees Hans. The peasant says that a local
landowner's pig has recently been stolen and that the authorities
are looking for the thief. He says that Hans runs the risk of being
arrested if he is seen with a pig. The peasant agrees to take the
pig from Hans and gives him the goose in return.

Hans comes across a grinder, who sharpens knives and other such
implements. The grinder is happily singing. He explains to Hans
that he is doing that because, like all grinders, he is rich. The
grinder admires Hans' goose and asks him where he got it. Hans
tells the grinder the whole story of how he started off with a
lump of silver as big as his head and how through a series of
exchanges he came to have a goose. The grinder congratulates Hans
on his good fortune and says that if he wants to stay lucky, he
should become a grinder too. The grinder agrees to sell Hans a
used grindstone in exchange for his goose. The stone that he gives
Hans is just an ordinary rock that he picked up off the ground.

The rock is very heavy and carrying it slows down Hans' progress
considerably. When he is not far from home, Hans feels thirsty
again and stops at a river to drink. The rock falls into the river
and is lost. Hans is delighted to be rid of the heavy stone.
Feeling luckier than ever, Hans continues his journey home and
looks forward to telling his mother all about his good fortune.

Conflict of the Fairy Tale/Folk Tale:

Hans' experience is defined by a series of unexpected events and
situations that put into question his initial preconceptions.
Every agreement he makes creates a new situation, which is
frequently unanticipated. For example, swapping the lump of money
for a horse, then a cow, and so on. Throughout Hans' journey,
unforeseen situations produce friction and tension.
Theme:
The fairy tale Hans in Luck is frequently described as ironic,
challenging the conventional rags to riches story. Hans
eventually expresses a sense of release as he returns home
unburdened, giving up riches and position in favor of gladly
dealing away his discovered treasures. In this reading of the
narrative, the anti-materialistic message is emphasized by
highlighting Hans's satisfaction with simplicity and rejection
of standard success metrics.

Application in real life or self:

Despite losing his possessions, Hans values the relationships he

forms along the journey. This section of the story highlights the
importance of prioritizing relationships over material
possessions. In our own lives, it is easy to become distracted
with the pursuit of money or success while disregarding those who
are truly important to us. Hans in Luck tells us to use time and
effort to creating solid connections with friends, family, and the
community. Become strong and don’t be sad about losing material
things, God will provide just believe and pray to him. He will
help you with your circumstances in life because God loves us.
Then build again you lose, you can gain your lost just don’t give
up, work as much as you can, you will be rewarded for your working
hard.