English Original
There was once a rich King who had three daughters. He loved fine trees, especially one apple tree. He declared that anyone who picked an apple from it should be buried a hundred fathoms underground.
At harvest time, the apples were red as blood. The King's youngest daughter, craving an apple, convinced her sisters that their father's threat didn't apply to them. She picked a large apple, and after all three tasted it, they sank deep into the earth.
When the King couldn't find them, he promised one daughter in marriage to whoever rescued them. Many searched, including three huntsmen. After eight days, they found an empty castle with a warm, laid table. They decided to stay, drawing lots to see who would guard the castle each day while the others searched.
The eldest stayed first. At noon, a tiny mannikin came begging for bread. When the huntsman gave him a piece, the mannikin dropped it and asked him to pick it up. As the huntsman stooped, the mannikin beat him with a stick. The same happened to the second brother the next day. They hid this from the youngest, whom they disliked and called "Stupid Hans."
On the third day, Hans stayed. When the mannikin repeated his trick, Hans refused to pick up the bread, saying, "If you won't take trouble for your bread, you don't deserve it." He then beat the angry mannikin, who cried out, "Stop! I'll tell you where the King's daughters are!"
The mannikin revealed he was an earth-elf and showed Hans a dry well. He warned that Hans's companions were dishonest, so Hans must act alone. The elf instructed Hans to be lowered in a basket with a bell and a hanger (a short sword). Below were three rooms, each with a princess forced to comb a many-headed dragon; Hans must cut off the heads. Then the elf vanished.
That evening, Hans told his brothers only that he had beaten a mannikin who revealed the princesses' location. Enraged, the brothers grew "green and yellow." The next day at the well, they drew lots to go down first. Both the eldest and second rang the bell to be pulled up immediately after descending a short way. Hans went last and descended fully.
He found the first princess combing a nine-headed dragon. He cut off the heads, and she embraced him, giving him a golden stomacher. He rescued the second princess from a five-headed dragon and the youngest from a four-headed one.
After sending the princesses up in the basket, Hans remembered the elf's warning. He sent up a large stone instead. His brothers cut the rope halfway, thinking they had killed him. They forced the princesses to claim credit and went to claim their brides.
Trapped below, Hans found a flute on the wall. Playing it summoned elves—one for each note. When the room was full, they asked his wish. He asked to return to daylight, and they flew him up by his hair.
He arrived at the palace during a wedding. The princesses fainted at the sight of him. The angry King imprisoned him, thinking he had harmed them. When the princesses revived, they begged for his release but said they could only tell their secret to the stove. The King listened at the door and heard the truth.
The King hanged the two treacherous brothers and gave his youngest daughter to Hans. The story ends with the narrator's quirky remark: "...and on that occasion I wore a pair of glass shoes, and I struck them against a stone, and they said, 'Klink,' and were broken."
中文翻译
从前，一位富有的国王有三个女儿。他喜爱各种美丽的树木，尤其钟爱一棵苹果树。他宣称，任何人若从这棵树上摘取苹果，都将被埋入地下百英寻深处。
收获时节，树上的苹果红如鲜血。国王的小女儿非常想吃一个苹果，她说服姐姐们，认为父亲的威胁不会针对她们。她摘了一个大苹果，三姐妹尝过后，便深深沉入了地底。
国王找不到女儿们，便许诺谁能救回她们，就可娶其中一位为妻。许多人前去寻找，包括三位猎人。八天后，他们发现了一座空城堡，里面摆着一桌仍在冒热气的丰盛菜肴。他们决定留下，通过抽签决定谁每天留守城堡，其他人则外出寻找。
最年长的猎人先留守。正午时分，来了一个小矮人讨要面包。猎人给了他一块，矮人却故意让面包掉在地上，要求猎人捡起来。当猎人弯腰时，矮人用棍子打了他。第二天，老二留守时遭遇了同样的事。他们都对最小的猎人汉斯隐瞒了此事，他们不喜欢汉斯，总叫他“笨汉斯”。
第三天，汉斯留守。当矮人故技重施时，汉斯拒绝捡起面包，说道：“如果你连为自己的面包费点力气都不肯，那你就不配得到它。”他反而把这个发怒的矮人痛打了一顿。矮人哭喊道：“住手！我告诉你国王的女儿们在哪里！”
矮人透露自己是地精，并带汉斯看了一口枯井。他警告说汉斯的同伴不怀好意，汉斯必须独自行动。地精指导汉斯带着一个铃铛和一把短剑（hanger），坐在一个大篮子里被放下去。井下有三个房间，每个房间里都有一位公主被迫为一条多头龙梳理头发；汉斯必须砍下龙头。说完，地精就消失了。
晚上，汉斯只告诉哥哥们他打了一个矮人，矮人透露了公主们的下落。哥哥们气得脸色发青。第二天在井边，他们抽签决定谁先下去。老大和老二都是刚下去一点就摇铃被拉了上来。汉斯最后下去，他下到了井底。
他找到第一位公主，她正在为一条九头龙梳头。汉斯砍下了龙头，公主拥抱了他，并送给他一个纯金的胸饰。接着，他从一条五头龙那里救出了二公主，从一条四头龙那里救出了小公主。
将公主们依次用篮子送上去后，汉斯想起了地精的警告。他放了一块大石头进篮子。他的哥哥们在篮子升到一半时割断了绳子，以为杀死了他。他们胁迫公主们说是自己救了她们，然后去向国王邀功请婚。
汉斯被困在井下，发现墙上挂着一支笛子。吹奏笛子召来了精灵——每吹一个音符就多一个。当房间挤满精灵时，他们问汉斯有何愿望。他说想回到地面见到日光，精灵们便揪着他的头发带他飞了上去。
他抵达王宫时，一场婚礼正要举行。公主们一看到他便晕倒了。国王大怒，以为他伤害了女儿们，便将他关进监狱。公主们苏醒后，恳求国王释放他，但说她们只能把秘密告诉火炉。国王在门外偷听，得知了真相。
国王吊死了两个背信弃义的哥哥，并将小女儿许配给了汉斯。故事以叙述者一句古怪的评论结尾：“……在那次婚礼上，我穿了一双玻璃鞋，我把它踢到石头上，它‘叮当’一声就碎了。”