Hans in Luck

by Felix Hoffmann (Retold By, Illustrator), Jacob Grimm, Wilhelm Grimm

When his seven years' wages in gold proves too heavy, Hans trades it for one thing after another until he arrives home empty-handed but convinced he is a lucky man.

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Fiction, Fantasy, German Literature

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1812

Reviews

[Amina (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I started reading, it made no sense at all.. How did he exchange the pad of silver he gained after 7 years of hard work for a horse and then a horse for a cow and then a cow for a pig and again a pig for a goose and in the end a goose for a stone, and how could these people be so mean to take that much advantage of his naïveté, but in the end, you find out how smart Hans was, by not letting meterial things affect him, he wanted to be free, no strings attached and this, I think is the purpose of life

[Famma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its a wonderful tale with a deep meaning of freedom. when I was reading it I thought what rubbish how can one be so stupid and exchange lump of silver for horse, horse for cow, cow for pig, pig for goose and goose for a stone. But I was wrong about his foolishness,he wanted to be free from burden of care and worry of material items. It shows how people took advantage of his naivety but Hans has other motive and didn't care.

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”
― Dalai Lama XIV

[Vaishali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though literary scholar Jacob Grimm amassed his famous compendium by collecting folktales across Europe, there's no doubting his own contributions as a masterful storyteller. For instance, check out this tale's magnificently crafted opening... hardly the recitation of an illiterate village bumpkin:

"Some men are born to good luck. All they do or try comes right. All that falls to them is so much gain. All their geese are swans, all their cards are trumps. Toss them which way you will, they will always, like poor Puss (in Boots), alight upon their legs, and always move on so much the faster. The world may very likely not always think of them as they think of themselves, but what care they for the world? What can it know about the matter?"

Upon close inspection of this story, there is a recipe for Han's luck:
1. He's very hard-working in the beginning
2. He's eternally positive and kind throughout
3. His needs are very simple
4. He has many difficult situations, but because of his heart, he attracts generous human beings
5. He looks for opportunities, and outright asks for deals.

[Skate Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far, among all the Grimm's fairytales I've been reading, this one's my fave. :) It's profound and reminds us that material things are not which matter most in life, it's being able to be happy and contented and free.

[Eimear · Rating 3 out of 5]

How very easy the road to good luck is

[Zain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't understand the story at all - until I read someone else's review. Then what was a two star story to me became three.

[Rao Javed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. I am speechless.

[Saffron Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This rating is for the edition retold and illustrated by Felix Hoffmann.

[Jinx:The:Poet {the LiteraryWanderer & WordRoamer} · Rating 4 out of 5]

HANS IN LUCK:"Some men are born to good luck..." This is the story of Hans, a seemingly foolish young man who gets everything handed to him and then quickly looses it all very quickly. However, it is a tale filled with wisdom, even though it was a bit on the slow side. The ending was interesting, if a bit ironic. This was an enjoyable story, albeit a bit tedious. It was suitable for children. MORAL: Be grateful. Happiness does not come from material possessions. Freedom is more valuable than mere objects. Be optimistic. True happiness is being contented with what you have... [RATING: 4.5 STARS]

[Alberto Ceballos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a short but very enjoyable tale. Hans is an example of a truly happy and thankful human being. This story can teach a big lesson to each one of us. Luck and happiness can pretty much depend on our own selves, we just need to have a healthy mind and love every thing that is around us, not focusing on sorrow and materialism. It all can pretty much depend on our perception.

This is totally worth the very few minutes that you will spend reading it.

[ReadingSloph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd sort of tale and is very short but by the end of the tale I found Hans true meaning of trading the things that he has.
At the start I believed that Hans had been stupid but by the end of the novel I see Hans' true motivation in what he has done and I also believe that this tale has taught me something in a sense that many things can be a burden.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this at the beginning of the Grimm Fairy tales and was one of the ones that kind of bored me.

[❆ Crystal ❆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. It was just okay.

[Sukriti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jacob Grimm, alongside his brother Wilhelm, is renowned for compiling "Grimm's Fairy Tales," a collection of German folktales. This book is a captivating journey into the heart of folklore, presenting a mixture of enchanting and sometimes dark stories that have fascinated readers for generations. Grimm's work is not just a mere collection of tales; it's a profound exploration of the human condition, morals, and the cultural heritage of Germany. The stories range from the well-loved "Cinderella" and "Snow White" to the less known but equally intriguing tales. Each story is a masterpiece of fantasy, imbued with timeless themes and moral lessons, making this book a valuable treasure for both young and adult readers. Jacob Grimm's contribution through this compilation has left an indelible mark on literature and continues to inspire the imagination of readers worldwide.

[Damian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fool who sees the silver lining. Ignorance is bliss and it worked out for Hans since he couldn't see how he may have been taken advantage of. On the one hand, Hans entered the trades knowing what he was losing, but he had the wrong idea about a couple things. If he knew he couldn't ride a horse well, then he shouldn't have bought it. He also should have known about a cow's age and its usefulness.

In the end, Hans was in no great need of anything and he had no regrets. The things he had proved more trouble than he expected. Luckily, he didn't starve too much. Some of the townspeople appeared to know Hans so they likely knew his foolish nature too.

[Amelia Bujar · Rating 1 out of 5]

FULL REVIEW ON MY WEBSITE
https://thebookcornerchronicles.com/2...

The original tale is much better but also darker then the version kids see.

It is different but not that different from what you might remember from first hearing this tale as a kid.

The plot here are very good but also dark which is the mix which I personally like a lot.

The writing style here was very old and you could feel the vibe of old the Europe which was amazing for me.

[April Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing short story about a young man named Hans, who has just completed his apprenticeship and is eager to go home to see his mother. He is given a large lump of gold as payment. But as he travels, he winds up trading his gold for a horse, the horse for a cow and so on. With each trade, he considers himself more fortunate for the deal. The reader may or may not agree but in the end he is content with his fate. One of the better tales, and could make for a fun debate.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Puts one in mind of the Buddhist ethos - or something anyway - about relinquishing all material attachments to achieve true self realisation. It’s not quite as wanky as I made it seem like. This was interesting to see coming from a Germanic perspective.

[Vipula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short story with deep meaningful ending. Reader can take many lessons from such a short story about greed, naïveté, material possessions, and ultimately the meaning of life.
A brilliant short story.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happiness is so easy for the optimists among us... be optimistic; see good in everything that happens; happiness is certain to be with you all along your way in life!

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a great little story by Grimm, it teaches a good moral and was interesting.

[Jalen Tranbarger]

Hans had worked seven years with a miller and decides that seven years has been enough. Hans was given a piece of gold the size of his head as pay, and he went on his way back home. On his way home, he runs into multiple disasters which leads him to lose all of his gold. When he returns home, he is caught up on all of the village news, prepared his favorite supper, and the most comfortable chair in the world. He felt as if he was the luckiest young man in the world.