He is not my
father.” When the King heard that, he got up, and asked who they were. Then said she, “I am thy wife, and that is thy son, Sorrowful.” And he
saw her living hands, and said, “My wife had silver hands.” She
answered, “The good God has caused my natural hands to grow again;” and
the angel went into the inner room, and brought the silver hands, and
showed them to him. Hereupon he knew for a certainty that it was his
dear wife and his dear child, and he kissed them, and was glad, and
said, “A heavy stone has fallen from off mine heart.” Then the angel of
God gave them one meal with her, and after that they went home to the
King’s aged mother. There were great rejoicings everywhere, and the
King and Queen were married again, and lived contentedly to their happy
end. 32 Clever Hans

The mother of Hans said, “Whither away, Hans?” Hans answered, “To
Grethel.” “Behave well, Hans.” “Oh, I’ll behave well. Good-bye,
mother.” “Good-bye, Hans.” Hans comes to Grethel, “Good day, Grethel.”
“Good day, Hans. What dost thou bring that is good?” “I bring nothing,
I want to have something given me.” Grethel presents Hans with a
needle. Hans says, “Good-bye, Grethel.” “Good-bye, Hans.”

Hans takes the needle, sticks it into a hay-cart, and follows the cart
home. “Good evening, mother.” “Good evening, Hans. Where hast thou
been?” “With Grethel.” “What didst thou take her?” “Took nothing; had
something given me.” “What did Grethel give thee?” “Gave me a needle.”
“Where is the needle, Hans?” “Stuck it in the hay-cart.” “That was ill
done, Hans. Thou shouldst have stuck the needle in thy sleeve.” “Never
mind, I’ll do better next time.”

“Whither away, Hans?” “To Grethel, mother.” “Behave well, Hans.” “Oh,
I’ll behave well. Good-bye, mother.” “Good-bye, Hans.”

Hans comes to Grethel. “Good day, Grethel.” “Good day, Hans. What dost
thou bring that is good?” “I bring nothing; I want to have something
given to me.” Grethel presents Hans with a knife. “Good-bye, Grethel.”
“Good-bye Hans.” Hans takes the knife, sticks it in his sleeve, and
goes home. “Good evening, mother.” “Good evening, Hans. Where hast thou
been?” “With Grethel.” “What didst thou take her?” “Took her nothing,
she gave me something.” “What did Grethel give thee?” “Gave me a
knife.” “Where is the knife, Hans?” “Stuck in my sleeve.” “That’s ill
done, Hans, thou shouldst have put the knife in thy pocket.” “Never
mind, will do better next time.” “Whither away, Hans?” “To Grethel,
mother.” “Behave well, Hans.” “Oh, I’ll behave well. Good-bye, mother.”
“Good-bye, Hans.”

Hans comes to Grethel. “Good day, Grethel.” “Good day, Hans. What good
thing dost thou bring?” “I bring nothing, I want something given me.”
Grethel presents Hans with a young goat. “Good-bye, Grethel.”
“Good-bye, Hans.” Hans takes the goat, ties its legs, and puts it in
his pocket. When he gets home it is suffocated. “Good evening, mother.”
“Good evening, Hans. Where hast thou been?” “With Grethel.” “What didst
thou take her?” “Took nothing, she gave me something.” “What did
Grethel give thee?” “She gave me a goat.” “Where is the goat, Hans?”
“Put it in my pocket.” “That was ill done, Hans, thou shouldst have put
a rope round the goat’s neck.” “Never mind, will do better next time.”

“Whither away, Hans?” “To Grethel, mother.” “Behave well, Hans.” “Oh,
I’ll behave well. Good-bye, mother.” “Good-bye, Hans.” Hans comes to
Grethel. “Good day, Grethel.” “Good day, Hans. What good thing dost
thou
bring?” “I bring nothing, I want something given me.” Grethel presents
Hans with a piece of bacon. “Good-bye, Grethel.” “Good-bye, Hans.”

Hans takes the bacon, ties it to a rope, and drags it away behind him. The dogs come and devour the bacon. When he gets home, he has the rope
in his hand, and there is no longer anything hanging to it. “Good
evening, mother.” “Good evening, Hans.” “Where hast thou been?” “With
Grethel.” “What didst thou take her?” “I took her nothing, she gave me
something.” “What did Grethel give thee?” “Gave me a bit of bacon.”
“Where is the bacon, Hans?” “I tied it to a rope, brought it home, dogs
took it.” “That was ill done, Hans, thou shouldst have carried the
bacon on thy head.” “Never mind, will do better next time.” “Whither
away, Hans?” “To Grethel, mother.” “Behave well, Hans.” “I’ll behave
well. Good-bye, mother.” “Good-bye, Hans.”

Hans comes to Grethel. “Good day, Grethel.” “Good day, Hans.” “What
good thing dost thou bring?” “I bring nothing, but would have something
given.” Grethel presents Hans with a calf. “Good-bye, Grethel.”
“Good-bye, Hans.”

Hans takes the calf, puts it on his head, and the calf kicks his face. “Good evening, mother.” “Good evening, Hans. Where hast thou been?”
“With Grethel.” “What didst thou take her?” “I took nothing, but had
something given me.” “What did Grethel give thee?” “A calf.” “Where
hast thou the calf, Hans?” “I set it on my head and it kicked my face.”
“That was ill done, Hans, thou shouldst have led the calf, and put it
in the stall.” “Never mind, will do better next time.”

“Whither away, Hans?” “To Grethel, mother.” “Behave well, Hans.” “I’ll
behave well. Good-bye, mother.” “Good-bye, Hans.”

Hans comes to Grethel. “Good day, Grethel.” “Good day, Hans. What good
thing dost thou bring?” “I bring nothing, but would have something
given.” Grethel says to Hans, “I will go with thee.”

Hans takes Grethel, ties her to a rope, leads her to the rack and binds
her fast. Then Hans goes to his mother. “Good evening, mother.” “Good
evening, Hans. Where hast thou been?” “With Grethel.” “What didst thou
take her?” “I took her nothing.” “What did Grethel give thee?” “She
gave me nothing, she came with me.” “Where hast thou left Grethel?” “I
led her by the rope, tied her to the rack, and scattered some grass for
her.” “That was ill done, Hans, thou shouldst have cast friendly eyes
on her.” “Never mind, will do better.”

Hans went into the stable, cut out all the calves’ and sheep’s eyes,
and threw them in Grethel’s face. Then Grethel became angry, tore
herself loose and ran away, and became the bride of Hans. 33 The Three Languages

An aged count once lived in Switzerland, who had an only son, but he
was stupid, and could learn nothing. Then said the father, “Hark thee,
my son, I can get nothing into thy head, let me try as I will. Thou
must go from hence, I will give thee into the care of a celebrated
master, who shall see what he can do with thee.” The youth was sent
into a strange town, and remained a whole year with the master. At the
end of this time, he came home again, and his father asked, “Now, my
son, what hast thou learnt?” “Father, I have learnt what the dogs say
when they bark.” “Lord have mercy on us!” cried the father; “is that
all thou hast learnt? I will send thee into another town, to another
master.” The youth was taken thither, and stayed a year with this
master likewise.