English Original
Hans had served his master for seven years. "Master, my time is up," he said. "I should be glad to go back home to my mother; give me my wages." The master answered, "You have served me faithfully and honestly; as the service was so shall the reward be." He gave Hans a piece of gold as big as his head. Hans wrapped it in his handkerchief, put it on his shoulder, and set out for home.
As he walked, he saw a horseman trotting merrily by. "Ah!" said Hans. "What a fine thing it is to ride! You sit as on a chair; you stumble over no stones, you save your shoes."
The rider stopped. "Hollo! Hans, why do you go on foot?"
"I must," answered Hans. "I have this lump of gold to carry. It hurts my shoulder."
"I will tell you what," said the rider. "We will exchange: I will give you my horse, and you give me your gold."
"With all my heart," said Hans. The rider took the gold, helped Hans onto the horse, and gave him the bridle. "If you want to go fast, click your tongue and call out, 'Jup! Jup!'"
Hans was delighted. After a while, he wanted to go faster. He clicked his tongue and cried, "Jup! Jup!" The horse broke into a sharp trot and threw Hans into a ditch. A countryman driving a cow stopped the horse.
Hans stood up, vexed. "This riding is a poor joke! I like your cow. One can walk quietly behind her and have milk, butter, and cheese every day."
"Well," said the countryman, "if it pleases you, I will give you the cow for the horse." Hans agreed with delight. The countryman jumped on the horse and rode away.
Hans drove his cow and thought of his lucky bargain. "If I have bread, I can eat butter and cheese. If I am thirsty, I can milk my cow. What more can I want?"
At an inn, he ate all his food in his contentment. Then he continued his journey.
As noon approached, the heat grew oppressive. Hans was thirsty. "I will milk the cow and refresh myself," he thought. He tied her to a withered tree and tried to milk into his leather cap, but not a drop came. The impatient cow kicked him on the head, and he fell to the ground.
A butcher with a young pig in his wheelbarrow came along and helped him up. Hans told his story. The butcher gave him a drink. "That cow is old," he said. "It will give no milk. It is only fit for the butcher."
"Well, well," said Hans. "Beef is not juicy enough for me. A young pig like yours is the thing to have!"
"Hans," said the butcher, "out of love for you, I will exchange my pig for your cow." Hans thanked him and took the pig.
Hans went on, thinking how everything went as he wished. A lad carrying a fine white goose joined him. Hans boasted of his good bargains. The lad said he was taking the goose to a feast. "How heavy she is," he said. "She has been fattened for eight weeks."
"Yes," said Hans, weighing the goose. "She is heavy, but my pig is no bad one."
The lad looked around suspiciously. "It may not be all right with your pig," he whispered. "The Mayor in the last village had a pig stolen. If they catch you with it, you will be shut up."
Hans was terrified. "Help me! Take my pig and give me your goose."
"I shall risk it," said the lad. He took the pig and hurried away.
Hans, free from care, went on with the goose. "I have gained by the exchange," he thought. "Roast meat, fat for my bread, and feathers for my pillow. How glad my mother will be!"
In the last village, he met a scissors-grinder singing by his barrow. "All's well with you," said Hans.
"Yes," answered the grinder. "My trade has a golden foundation. But where did you buy that fine goose?"
"I exchanged my pig for it."
"And the pig?"
"For a cow."
"And the cow?"
"For a horse."
"And the horse?"
"For a lump of gold as big as my head."
"And the gold?"
"My wages for seven years' service."
"You have known how to look after yourself," said the grinder. "If you can hear money jingle in your pocket, you will have made your fortune."
"How shall I manage that?" asked Hans.
"You must be a grinder like me. You need only a grindstone. I have one here, a little worn. Give me your goose for it."
"How can you ask?" cried Hans. "I shall be the luckiest fellow on earth!" He gave the goose and received the grindstone.
"Here is a strong stone into the bargain," said the grinder, handing him an ordinary heavy stone. "You can hammer on it."
Hans loaded himself with the stones and went on, contented. "I must have been born lucky!" he cried.
But soon, tired and hungry, the stones weighed him down dreadfully. He crept to a well to rest and drink. He carefully placed the stones on the edge, sat down, and reached for water. He slipped, pushed the stones, and both fell into the well.
Hans saw them sink. He jumped for joy, knelt down, and thanked God for delivering him from his burden.
"There is no man under the sun so fortunate as I!" he cried. With a light heart, he ran home to his mother.
中文翻译
汉斯为主人服务了七年。他说：“主人，我的期限到了。我想高兴地回家看我母亲；请把我的工钱给我。”主人回答说：“你忠诚老实地为我服务；付出怎样的服务，就得到怎样的回报。”他给了汉斯一块和他头一样大的金子。汉斯用手帕把它包起来，扛在肩上，动身回家。
他走着走着，看见一个骑马的人欢快地小跑而过。“啊！”汉斯说。“骑马是多好的事啊！你像坐在椅子上一样；你不会被石头绊倒，还省鞋子。”
骑手停了下来。“喂！汉斯，那你怎么步行呢？”
“我必须这样，”汉斯回答。“我得扛着这块金子。它弄得我肩膀疼。”
“我告诉你，”骑手说。“我们交换吧：我把我的马给你，你把你的金子给我。”
“衷心愿意，”汉斯说。骑手拿走了金子，帮汉斯上了马，并把缰绳递给他。“如果你想跑得快，就咂咂舌头喊‘驾！驾！’”
汉斯很高兴。过了一会儿，他想走得更快些。他咂咂舌头喊道：“驾！驾！”马猛地小跑起来，把汉斯甩进了沟里。一个赶着牛的乡下人拦住了马。
汉斯站起来，很恼火。“这骑马可真没意思！我喜欢你的牛。人可以安静地跟在她后面走，每天还有牛奶、黄油和奶酪。”
“好吧，”乡下人说，“如果你乐意，我用牛换你的马。”汉斯高兴地同意了。乡下人跳上马骑走了。
汉斯赶着他的牛，想着这笔幸运的交易。“只要我有面包，我就能吃黄油和奶酪。如果我渴了，我可以挤牛奶。我还能要什么呢？”
在一家客栈，他心满意足地吃光了所有食物。然后他继续赶路。
临近中午，天气越来越闷热。汉斯口渴了。“我要挤点牛奶来解渴，”他想。他把牛拴在一棵枯树上，试图把奶挤进他的皮帽子里，但一滴奶也没有。不耐烦的牛用后蹄踢了他的头，他倒在地上。
一个推着手推车、车上载着一头小猪的屠夫路过，扶他起来。汉斯讲述了他的经历。屠夫给他喝了点东西。“那头牛老了，”他说。“它挤不出奶了。只适合宰了吃肉。”
“哎呀，哎呀，”汉斯说。“牛肉对我来说不够多汁。像你这样的小猪才是好东西！”
“汉斯，”屠夫说，“出于对你的好意，我用我的猪换你的牛。”汉斯谢过他，接过了猪。
汉斯继续走，想着一切如何如他所愿。一个夹着一只肥美白鹅的小伙子加入了他。汉斯吹嘘着自己划算的交易。小伙子说他要带鹅去参加宴会。“她多重啊，”他说。“她已经养肥了八个星期。”
“是的，”汉斯掂量着鹅说。“她很重，但我的猪也不差。”
小伙子怀疑地环顾四周。“你的猪可能来路不正，”他低声说。“上一个村的村长刚丢了一头猪。如果他们抓到你带着它，你会被关起来的。”
汉斯吓坏了。“帮帮我！拿走我的猪，把你的鹅给我。”
“我得冒点险，”小伙子说。他拿过猪，匆匆离开了。
汉斯无忧无虑地带着鹅继续走。“这次交换我又赚了，”他想。“有烤肉，有滴下来的油可以抹面包，还有羽毛可以塞枕头。我母亲该多高兴啊！”
在最后一个村子，他遇到一个磨刀匠在他的手推车旁唱歌。“你过得真不错，”汉斯说。
“是的，”磨刀匠回答。“我这行当有金饭碗。不过你在哪儿买到这么肥的鹅？”
“我用我的猪换的。”
“猪呢？”
“用牛换的。”
“牛呢？”
“用马换的。”
“马呢？”
“用一块和我头一样大的金子换的。”
“金子呢？”
“我干了七年活的工钱。”
“你每次都知道怎么照顾自己，”磨刀匠说。“如果你能听到口袋里钱叮当响，你就发财了。”
“我该怎么做到呢？”汉斯问。
“你必须像我一样当个磨刀匠。你只需要一块磨石。我这儿有一块，有点旧了。用你的鹅来换吧。”
“这还用问吗？”汉斯喊道。“我将是世界上最幸运的人！”他交出鹅，接过了磨石。
“这块结实的石头算添头，”磨刀匠说着，递给他一块普通的重石头。“你可以在上面锤东西。”
汉斯背着石头继续走，心满意足。“我一定是生来幸运！”他喊道。
但很快，他又累又饿，石头沉重地压着他。他慢慢挪到一口井边想休息喝水。他小心翼翼地把石头放在井沿上，坐下来，俯身去喝水。他滑了一下，碰到了石头，两块石头都掉进了井里。
汉斯看着它们沉下去。他高兴得跳起来，跪下来，感谢上帝让他摆脱了负担。
“天底下没有比我更幸运的人了！”他喊道。他心情轻松地跑回家找母亲去了。