Hans in Luck

Hans worked for his master for seven years.When the seven years ended, his master gave him a big lump of gold as pay.Hans put the gold on his shoulder and started walking home to see his mother.

Soon his shoulder hurt, and a man rode by on a fast horse.“I wish I had a horse like that,” Hans said.The man said, “Let’s trade! You give me your gold, and I will give you my horse.”

Hans happily traded his heavy gold for the horse and rode away.But the horse was wild, and it threw Hans onto the road.A farmer with a cow saw what happened and offered to trade his cow for the horse.

Hans thought, “Now I will have milk, butter, and cheese every day!” and made the trade.But the old cow gave no milk at all, and when Hans tried to milk her, she kicked him.A butcher walking by with a fat pig heard Hans’s trouble and traded the pig for the useless cow.

Next, Hans met a man carrying a white goose, who said the pig might be stolen and traded him the goose instead.Hans carried the goose happily, thinking of the soft feathers and the good dinner it would make.In the next village, a grinder sharpening knives told Hans that a grindstone could make him rich, and Hans traded away his goose for two heavy stones.

Tired from carrying the heavy stones, Hans stopped to drink from a well, and the stones slipped and fell into the water.“How lucky I am!” Hans said, for now his hands and his back were finally free.He walked the rest of the way home with a light heart, and told his mother it was the luckiest day of his life.