Gripper for a toy, - with a base body, - with a first gripping body and a second gripping body, which are both connected by means of a respective gripping body connecting joint (5, 7) to the base body and can be moved between a release position with an opened gripper and a gripping position with a closed gripper, - wherein at least one of the gripping bodies (3, 4) is formed as a lever body and has: -- a jaw portion and -- a lever portion - wherein the associated gripping body connecting joint is arranged between the jaw portion and the lever portion, characterized by - a control rod, which is connected to the two gripping bodies (3, 4) by means of a respective control rod connecting joint (12, 13) and, when the gripper is open, is arranged between the two gripping bodies (3, 4) in a freely accessible jaw encompassing region and can be moved by contact with an item to be gripped between -- a control rod release position with an opened gripper and -- a control rod gripping position with a closed gripper, and - a gripping body prestressing device with a compression spring unit, which is supported on the two gripping bodies (3, 4) and is articulated thereto -- wherein the compression spring unit is arranged in such a way that, in the release position, a force action line of the compression spring unit crosses a connecting line between the two gripping body connecting joints (5, 7) and thus keeps the gripper open, -- wherein the control rod is arranged in such a way that when the control rod is moved from the control rod release position into the control rod gripping position, a support point of the compression spring unit on at least one of the gripping bodies passes through the connecting line between the two gripping body connecting joints (5, 7). - with a base body, - with a first gripping body and a second gripping body, which are both connected by means of a respective gripping body connecting joint (5, 7) to the base body and can be moved between a release position with an opened gripper and a gripping position with a closed gripper, - wherein at least one of the gripping bodies (3, 4) is formed as a lever body and has: -- a jaw portion and -- a lever portion -- a jaw portion and -- a lever portion - wherein the associated gripping body connecting joint is arranged between the jaw portion and the lever portion, - a control rod, which is connected to the two gripping bodies (3, 4) by means of a respective control rod connecting joint (12, 13) and, when the gripper is open, is arranged between the two gripping bodies (3, 4) in a freely accessible jaw encompassing region and can be moved by contact with an item to be gripped between -- a control rod release position with an opened gripper and -- a control rod gripping position with a closed gripper, and -- a control rod release position with an opened gripper and -- a control rod gripping position with a closed gripper, and - a gripping body prestressing device with a compression spring unit, which is supported on the two gripping bodies (3, 4) and is articulated thereto -- wherein the compression spring unit is arranged in such a way that, in the release position, a force action line of the compression spring unit crosses a connecting line between the two gripping body connecting joints (5, 7) and thus keeps the gripper open, -- wherein the control rod is arranged in such a way that when the control rod is moved from the control rod release position into the control rod gripping position, a support point of the compression spring unit on at least one of the gripping bodies passes through the connecting line between the two gripping body connecting joints (5, 7). -- wherein the compression spring unit is arranged in such a way that, in the release position, a force action line of the compression spring unit crosses a connecting line between the two gripping body connecting joints (5, 7) and thus keeps the gripper open, -- wherein the control rod is arranged in such a way that when the control rod is moved from the control rod release position into the control rod gripping position, a support point of the compression spring unit on at least one of the gripping bodies passes through the connecting line between the two gripping body connecting joints (5, 7).