Hans married
by Brothers Grimm
Clever Hans and the Patches
Once, there was a boy named Hans. Hans did not have much. But Hans had a very clever uncle!
Uncle Fritz loved Hans very much. He wanted Hans to be happy. "I will find Hans a friend!" he said.
Uncle Fritz sat Hans by the warm fire. He gave Hans bread and milk. He gave Hans a shiny coin. "Stay here," said Uncle Fritz. "Eat your bread. I will come back soon."
Uncle Fritz walked to the big farm. He wore his old coat. It had many patches. He knocked on the door.
Farmer Braun opened the door. "Who are you?" he asked. "Does Hans have a house? Does Hans have land?"
Uncle Fritz smiled a big smile. "Oh yes!" he said. "Hans has a warm home!" Hans sat by the fire. "Hans has bread!" Hans had bread. "And patches!" said Uncle Fritz. "Hans has so many patches! Just like me!" He slapped his old coat. SLAP! SLAP! Farmer Braun saw the patches. He thought patches meant big fields.
"Many patches?" said Farmer Braun. "Good! Very good!" He shook hands with Uncle Fritz. "Yes! Hans can marry Greta!"
Hans and Greta had a big party. Everyone ate cake. Everyone was happy.
"Where is the farm?" asked Greta. "Can I see? I want to see!" She was very excited.
Hans put on his old coat. It had many patches! Red patches. Blue patches. Big patches and small patches.
They walked outside. Hans pointed at a field. "See that?" SLAP! He slapped a patch on his coat. "This patch is mine!"
He pointed at another field. "And that?" SLAP! He slapped another patch. "This one is mine too!"
SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! More patches. Greta looked at the coat. She looked at the fields. She looked at the coat again.
"Wait," said Greta. "You do not have fields. You have patches on your coat!"
Hans looked down. His face turned red. Uncle Fritz looked down too.
Then Greta laughed. She laughed and laughed. "That is so silly!" she said.
Uncle Fritz said, "I am sorry. I was not honest."
Hans smiled a small smile. "I am sorry too," he said.
Greta smiled. "It is okay," she said. "But no more tricks!"
They all sat down together. They shared bread and milk. They told silly stories. And they all became good friends.
From that day, Hans told the truth. The end.
Original Story
Hans married A fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm There was once upon a time a young peasant named Hans, whose uncle wanted to find him a rich wife. He therefore seated Hans behind the stove, and had it made very hot. Then he fetched a pot of milk and plenty of white bread, gave him a bright newly-coined farthing in his hand, and said, "Hans, hold that farthing fast, crumble the white bread into the milk, and stay where you are, and do not stir from that spot till I come back." - "Yes," said Hans, "I will do all that." Then the wooer put on a pair of old patched trousers, went to a rich peasant's daughter in the next village, and said, "Won't you marry my nephew Hans -- you will get an honest and sensible man who will suit you?" The covetous father asked, "How is it with regard to his means? Has he bread to break?" - "Dear friend," replied the wooer, "my young nephew has a snug berth, a nice bit of money in hand, and plenty of bread to break, besides he has quite as many patches as I have," (and as he spoke, he slapped the patches on his trousers, but in that district small pieces of land were called patches also.) "If you will give yourself the trouble to go home with me, you shall see at once that all is as I have said." Then the miser did not want to lose this good opportunity, and said, "If that is the case, I have nothing further to say against the marriage." So the wedding was celebrated on the appointed day, and when the young wife went out of doors to see the bridegroom's property, Hans took off his Sunday coat and put on his patched smock-frock and said, "I might spoil my good coat." Then together they went out and wherever a boundary line came in sight, or fields and meadows were divided from each other, Hans pointed with his finger and then slapped either a large or a small patch on his smock-frock, and said, "That patch is mine, and that too, my dearest, just look at it," meaning thereby that his wife should not stare at the broad land, but look at his garment, which was his own. "Were you indeed at the wedding?" - "Yes, indeed I was there, and in full dress. My head-dress was of snow; then the sun came out, and it was melted. My coat was of cobwebs, and I had to pass by some thorns which tore it off me, my shoes were of glass, and I pushed against a stone and they said, "Klink," and broke in two. * * * * *
Moral of the Story
Deception, even with good intentions, can lead to unexpected outcomes, and appearances can be misleading.
Characters
Hans ★ protagonist
Young peasant man
Attire: Initially a bright newly-coined farthing, white bread, and milk. Later, a patched smock-frock.
Simple, obedient, perhaps a little naive
The Uncle ◆ supporting
Older peasant man
Attire: Old patched trousers
Crafty, manipulative, eager to secure a good match for his nephew
The Rich Peasant's Daughter ◆ supporting
Healthy, robust young woman
Attire: Traditional peasant dress, perhaps adorned with some jewelry
Initially interested in wealth, later perhaps disillusioned
The Covetous Father ◆ supporting
Stout, prosperous-looking man
Attire: Well-made peasant clothing, indicating wealth
Greedy, materialistic, concerned with financial gain
The Narrator ○ minor
Implied to be disheveled and broken
Attire: Snow head-dress, cobweb coat, glass shoes
Observant, humorous, self-deprecating
Locations
Behind the Stove
A hot area behind a stove, with a pot of milk and white bread nearby.
Mood: Warm, staged, deceptive
Hans is placed here to appear wealthy and occupied.
Rich Peasant's House
The home of a rich peasant with a covetous father and a daughter of marriageable age.
Mood: Greedy, calculating
The uncle attempts to arrange a marriage based on false pretenses.
Boundary Lines of Fields and Meadows
Fields and meadows divided by boundary lines.
Mood: Deceptive, revealing
Hans attempts to deceive his wife about his wealth by pointing at patches on his clothing.
Story DNA
Moral
Deception, even with good intentions, can lead to unexpected outcomes, and appearances can be misleading.
Plot Summary
Hans's uncle devises a scheme to marry his nephew to a rich peasant's daughter. He sets Hans up with a farthing, milk, and bread, then convinces the covetous father that Hans is wealthy by using wordplay, referring to 'patches' of land and 'patches' on his own trousers. After the wedding, Hans, in a patched smock, shows his new wife his 'property' by pointing to land and slapping the patches on his clothes. The story then abruptly concludes with a surreal description of a wedding attendee's fantastical attire.
Themes
Emotional Arc
anticipation to mild confusion/amusement
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects a societal concern with wealth and property in marriage, and the use of wordplay is a common folk tale device.
Plot Beats (11)
- Hans's uncle decides to find him a rich wife.
- The uncle seats Hans behind a hot stove, gives him a farthing, milk, and bread, instructing him to stay put.
- The uncle, wearing patched trousers, visits a rich peasant's daughter to propose marriage for Hans.
- The covetous father asks about Hans's means.
- The uncle describes Hans's 'wealth' using wordplay: 'snug berth,' 'money in hand,' 'plenty of bread to break,' and 'as many patches as I have' (referring to land and clothing).
- The father, misunderstanding the 'patches' as land, agrees to the marriage.
- The wedding is celebrated.
- The young wife goes to see Hans's property.
- Hans changes into a patched smock-frock, saying he doesn't want to spoil his good coat.
- Hans points to land boundaries and slaps patches on his smock-frock, claiming, 'That patch is mine, and that too, my dearest.'
- The story abruptly ends with a fantastical, unrelated description of a wedding attendee's melting snow head-dress, torn cobweb coat, and broken glass shoes.
