The Devoted Friend
by Oscar Wilde · from The Happy Prince, and Other Tales
Adapted Version
The Water rat sat by the pond. The Duck swam with her babies. The Linnet sat in a tree.
"What is a good friend?" the Duck asked.
"A good friend helps me!" said the Water rat. "Friends must do things for me!"
The Linnet looked down. "I know a friend story," he said. "Do you want to hear it?"
"Yes," said the Water rat. "Tell me."
"A man named Hans lived," the Linnet said. "Hans was very kind. He had a small house. He had a nice garden. He grew many flowers. Red roses. Yellow roses. Purple flowers and white flowers. His garden was the best."
Hans had a friend. His friend was the Miller. The Miller was big and rich.
The Miller came to Hans's garden often. He took Hans's flowers. He took Hans's fruit. He put plums in his pockets.
"Friends share all!" the Miller said.
Hans smiled. "Yes," Hans said. "You are a good friend." Hans shared happily. He gave and gave. The Miller took and took. But Hans did not mind.
Then winter came. It was very cold. Hans had no flowers to sell. He had no fruit. He was hungry. He ate old, dry pears. He went to bed cold.
"Hans is poor now," he told his wife. "I will not go. Poor people want to be alone. I will wait for spring."
His wife sat by the warm fire. "You are so kind," she said.
The Miller's son asked, "Father, where is Hans? Is he cold? Can I give him my food?"
"No!" the Miller said. "Hans might see our warm fire. He might see our good food. He might want our things. That is bad. I am his best friend. I know what is good for Hans."
The son was very sad.
Spring came. The sun was warm again. Hans's garden grew new flowers. The Miller came to visit. He took a big bunch of flowers.
"Hans!" the Miller said. "You are my best friend. I will give you my old cart!"
Hans was very happy. "Thank you!" he said.
"First," the Miller said, "fix my roof." Hans wanted to work in his garden. But he said, "Yes, Miller."
Hans worked on the roof all day. It was hard work. The sun was hot. His garden waited. His flowers needed water.
The next day, the Miller came back. Hans took sheep to mountain all day. He was very tired.
Hans always helped the Miller. He carried heavy bags of flour. He took things to the market. He fixed the Miller's fence. Hans was very, very tired.
His garden became sad. The flowers were dry. Some flowers died. Hans had no time for his garden. But he said, "Miller is my best friend. He will give me his cart."
One night, a big storm came. The wind was loud. The rain was heavy. Hans sat by his small fire.
Someone knocked on the door. It was the Miller.
"Hans! My son fell down! He is hurt! Go get the doctor!"
"Yes, Miller," Hans said. "Can I take your lantern? It is very dark."
"No!" the Miller said. "My lantern is new. You cannot have it."
"I will go in the dark," Hans said.
Hans put on his big coat. He put on his red cap. He walked into the storm. It was very dark. The wind was very strong. The rain hit his face. Hans was brave. He walked for a long time. He found the doctor's house. He knocked on the door.
"Who is there?" the doctor asked.
"It is Hans," he said. "The Miller's son is hurt."
The doctor got on his horse. He rode fast. Hans walked behind him. But the storm was very bad. The rain fell and fell. Hans could not see. The doctor rode away. Hans was lost. He walked on the dark land. He fell into a deep hole. Hans did not come back.
People found Hans the next day. All were very sad. All liked Hans.
They had a sad day for Hans. The Miller walked in front. He wore a long black coat. He cried into a big cloth.
After the sad day, the Miller sat down. He ate cake. He drank warm wine.
"Poor me," the Miller said. "I was going to give Hans my cart. Now who will take it? It is old. It is broken. No one wants it. I will never give things away again."
He was sad about the cart. He was not sad about Hans.
The Linnet stopped talking. The Water rat was quiet. Then he was angry.
"This story has a lesson!" the Water rat said. "I do not like lessons! Pooh!" He went into his hole.
The Duck swam up. "The Water rat is silly," she said.
The Linnet said, "It is hard to tell a story with a lesson. Some people do not want to learn." He looked at the Duck. "A real friend helps you. And you help them. A real friend does not just take. A real friend is kind."
The Duck nodded. "Yes," she said. "That is true."
Original Story
The Devoted Friend.
One morning the old Water-rat put his head out of his hole. He had bright beady eyes and stiff grey whiskers and his tail was like a long bit of black india-rubber. The little ducks were swimming about in the pond, looking just like a lot of yellow canaries, and their mother, who was pure white with real red legs, was trying to teach them how to stand on their heads in the water.
“You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on your heads,” she kept saying to them; and every now and then she showed them how it was done. But the little ducks paid no attention to her. They were so young that they did not know what an advantage it is to be in society at all.
“What disobedient children!” cried the old Water-rat; “they really deserve to be drowned.”
“Nothing of the kind,” answered the Duck, “every one must make a beginning, and parents cannot be too patient.”
“Ah! I know nothing about the feelings of parents,” said the Water-rat; “I am not a family man. In fact, I have never been married, and I never intend to be. Love is all very well in its way, but friendship is much higher. Indeed, I know of nothing in the world that is either nobler or rarer than a devoted friendship.”
“And what, pray, is your idea of the duties of a devoted friend?” asked a Green Linnet, who was sitting in a willow-tree hard by, and had overheard the conversation.
“Yes, that is just what I want to know,” said the Duck; and she swam away to the end of the pond, and stood upon her head, in order to give her children a good example.
“What a silly question!” cried the Water-rat. “I should expect my devoted friend to be devoted to me, of course.”
“And what would you do in return?” said the little bird, swinging upon a silver spray, and flapping his tiny wings.
“I don’t understand you,” answered the Water-rat.
“Let me tell you a story on the subject,” said the Linnet.
“Is the story about me?” asked the Water-rat. “If so, I will listen to it, for I am extremely fond of fiction.”
“It is applicable to you,” answered the Linnet; and he flew down, and alighting upon the bank, he told the story of The Devoted Friend.
“Once upon a time,” said the Linnet, “there was an honest little fellow named Hans.”
“Was he very distinguished?” asked the Water-rat.
“No,” answered the Linnet, “I don’t think he was distinguished at all, except for his kind heart, and his funny round good-humoured face. He lived in a tiny cottage all by himself, and every day he worked in his garden. In all the country-side there was no garden so lovely as his. Sweet-william grew there, and Gilly-flowers, and Shepherds’-purses, and Fair-maids of France. There were damask Roses, and yellow Roses, lilac Crocuses, and gold, purple Violets and white. Columbine and Ladysmock, Marjoram and Wild Basil, the Cowslip and the Flower-de-luce, the Daffodil and the Clove-Pink bloomed or blossomed in their proper order as the months went by, one flower taking another flower’s place, so that there were always beautiful things to look at, and pleasant odours to smell.
“Little Hans had a great many friends, but the most devoted friend of all was big Hugh the Miller. Indeed, so devoted was the rich Miller to little Hans, that he would never go by his garden without leaning over the wall and plucking a large nosegay, or a handful of sweet herbs, or filling his pockets with plums and cherries if it was the fruit season.
“‘Real friends should have everything in common,’ the Miller used to say, and little Hans nodded and smiled, and felt very proud of having a friend with such noble ideas.
“Sometimes, indeed, the neighbours thought it strange that the rich Miller never gave little Hans anything in return, though he had a hundred sacks of flour stored away in his mill, and six milch cows, and a large flock of woolly sheep; but Hans never troubled his head about these things, and nothing gave him greater pleasure than to listen to all the wonderful things the Miller used to say about the unselfishness of true friendship.
“So little Hans worked away in his garden. During the spring, the summer, and the autumn he was very happy, but when the winter came, and he had no fruit or flowers to bring to the market, he suffered a good deal from cold and hunger, and often had to go to bed without any supper but a few dried pears or some hard nuts. In the winter, also, he was extremely lonely, as the Miller never came to see him then.
“‘There is no good in my going to see little Hans as long as the snow lasts,’ the Miller used to say to his wife, ‘for when people are in trouble they should be left alone, and not be bothered by visitors. That at least is my idea about friendship, and I am sure I am right. So I shall wait till the spring comes, and then I shall pay him a visit, and he will be able to give me a large basket of primroses and that will make him so happy.’
“‘You are certainly very thoughtful about others,’ answered the Wife, as she sat in her comfortable armchair by the big pinewood fire; ‘very thoughtful indeed. It is quite a treat to hear you talk about friendship. I am sure the clergyman himself could not say such beautiful things as you do, though he does live in a three-storied house, and wear a gold ring on his little finger.’
“‘But could we not ask little Hans up here?’ said the Miller’s youngest son. ‘If poor Hans is in trouble I will give him half my porridge, and show him my white rabbits.’
“‘What a silly boy you are!’ cried the Miller; ‘I really don’t know what is the use of sending you to school. You seem not to learn anything. Why, if little Hans came up here, and saw our warm fire, and our good supper, and our great cask of red wine, he might get envious, and envy is a most terrible thing, and would spoil anybody’s nature. I certainly will not allow Hans’ nature to be spoiled. I am his best friend, and I will always watch over him, and see that he is not led into any temptations. Besides, if Hans came here, he might ask me to let him have some flour on credit, and that I could not do. Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they should not be confused. Why, the words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.’
“‘How well you talk!’ said the Miller’s Wife, pouring herself out a large glass of warm ale; ‘really I feel quite drowsy. It is just like being in church.’
“‘Lots of people act well,’ answered the Miller; ‘but very few people talk well, which shows that talking is much the more difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also’; and he looked sternly across the table at his little son, who felt so ashamed of himself that he hung his head down, and grew quite scarlet, and began to cry into his tea. However, he was so young that you must excuse him.”
“Is that the end of the story?” asked the Water-rat.
“Certainly not,” answered the Linnet, “that is the beginning.”
“Then you are quite behind the age,” said the Water-rat. “Every good story-teller nowadays starts with the end, and then goes on to the beginning, and concludes with the middle. That is the new method. I heard all about it the other day from a critic who was walking round the pond with a young man. He spoke of the matter at great length, and I am sure he must have been right, for he had blue spectacles and a bald head, and whenever the young man made any remark, he always answered ‘Pooh!’ But pray go on with your story. I like the Miller immensely. I have all kinds of beautiful sentiments myself, so there is a great sympathy between us.”
“Well,” said the Linnet, hopping now on one leg and now on the other, “as soon as the winter was over, and the primroses began to open their pale yellow stars, the Miller said to his wife that he would go down and see little Hans.
“‘Why, what a good heart you have!’ cried his Wife; ‘you are always thinking of others. And mind you take the big basket with you for the flowers.’
“So the Miller tied the sails of the windmill together with a strong iron chain, and went down the hill with the basket on his arm.
“‘Good morning, little Hans,’ said the Miller.
“‘Good morning,’ said Hans, leaning on his spade, and smiling from ear to ear.
“‘And how have you been all the winter?’ said the Miller.
“‘Well, really,’ cried Hans, ‘it is very good of you to ask, very good indeed. I am afraid I had rather a hard time of it, but now the spring has come, and I am quite happy, and all my flowers are doing well.’
“‘We often talked of you during the winter, Hans,’ said the Miller, ‘and wondered how you were getting on.’
“‘That was kind of you,’ said Hans; ‘I was half afraid you had forgotten me.’
“‘Hans, I am surprised at you,’ said the Miller; ‘friendship never forgets. That is the wonderful thing about it, but I am afraid you don’t understand the poetry of life. How lovely your primroses are looking, by-the-bye!”
“‘They are certainly very lovely,’ said Hans, ‘and it is a most lucky thing for me that I have so many. I am going to bring them into the market and sell them to the Burgomaster’s daughter, and buy back my wheelbarrow with the money.’
“‘Buy back your wheelbarrow? You don’t mean to say you have sold it? What a very stupid thing to do!’
“‘Well, the fact is,’ said Hans, ‘that I was obliged to. You see the winter was a very bad time for me, and I really had no money at all to buy bread with. So I first sold the silver buttons off my Sunday coat, and then I sold my silver chain, and then I sold my big pipe, and at last I sold my wheelbarrow. But I am going to buy them all back again now.’
“‘Hans,’ said the Miller, ‘I will give you my wheelbarrow. It is not in very good repair; indeed, one side is gone, and there is something wrong with the wheel-spokes; but in spite of that I will give it to you. I know it is very generous of me, and a great many people would think me extremely foolish for parting with it, but I am not like the rest of the world. I think that generosity is the essence of friendship, and, besides, I have got a new wheelbarrow for myself. Yes, you may set your mind at ease, I will give you my wheelbarrow.’
“‘Well, really, that is generous of you,’ said little Hans, and his funny round face glowed all over with pleasure. ‘I can easily put it in repair, as I have a plank of wood in the house.’
“‘A plank of wood!’ said the Miller; ‘why, that is just what I want for the roof of my barn. There is a very large hole in it, and the corn will all get damp if I don’t stop it up. How lucky you mentioned it! It is quite remarkable how one good action always breeds another. I have given you my wheelbarrow, and now you are going to give me your plank. Of course, the wheelbarrow is worth far more than the plank, but true, friendship never notices things like that. Pray get it at once, and I will set to work at my barn this very day.’
“‘Certainly,’ cried little Hans, and he ran into the shed and dragged the plank out.
“‘It is not a very big plank,’ said the Miller, looking at it, ‘and I am afraid that after I have mended my barn-roof there won’t be any left for you to mend the wheelbarrow with; but, of course, that is not my fault. And now, as I have given you my wheelbarrow, I am sure you would like to give me some flowers in return. Here is the basket, and mind you fill it quite full.’
“‘Quite full?’ said little Hans, rather sorrowfully, for it was really a very big basket, and he knew that if he filled it he would have no flowers left for the market and he was very anxious to get his silver buttons back.
“‘Well, really,’ answered the Miller, ‘as I have given you my wheelbarrow, I don’t think that it is much to ask you for a few flowers. I may be wrong, but I should have thought that friendship, true friendship, was quite free from selfishness of any kind.’
“‘My dear friend, my best friend,’ cried little Hans, ‘you are welcome to all the flowers in my garden. I would much sooner have your good opinion than my silver buttons, any day’; and he ran and plucked all his pretty primroses, and filled the Miller’s basket.
“‘Good-bye, little Hans,’ said the Miller, as he went up the hill with the plank on his shoulder, and the big basket in his hand.
“‘Good-bye,’ said little Hans, and he began to dig away quite merrily, he was so pleased about the wheelbarrow.
“The next day he was nailing up some honeysuckle against the porch, when he heard the Miller’s voice calling to him from the road. So he jumped off the ladder, and ran down the garden, and looked over the wall.
“There was the Miller with a large sack of flour on his back.
“‘Dear little Hans,’ said the Miller, ‘would you mind carrying this sack of flour for me to market?’
“‘Oh, I am so sorry,’ said Hans, ‘but I am really very busy to-day. I have got all my creepers to nail up, and all my flowers to water, and all my grass to roll.’
“‘Well, really,’ said the Miller, ‘I think that, considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, it is rather unfriendly of you to refuse.’
“‘Oh, don’t say that,’ cried little Hans, ‘I wouldn’t be unfriendly for the whole world’; and he ran in for his cap, and trudged off with the big sack on his shoulders.
“It was a very hot day, and the road was terribly dusty, and before Hans had reached the sixth milestone he was so tired that he had to sit down and rest. However, he went on bravely, and as last he reached the market. After he had waited there some time, he sold the sack of flour for a very good price, and then he returned home at once, for he was afraid that if he stopped too late he might meet some robbers on the way.
“‘It has certainly been a hard day,’ said little Hans to himself as he was going to bed, ‘but I am glad I did not refuse the Miller, for he is my best friend, and, besides, he is going to give me his wheelbarrow.’
“Early the next morning the Miller came down to get the money for his sack of flour, but little Hans was so tired that he was still in bed.
“‘Upon my word,’ said the Miller, ‘you are very lazy. Really, considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, I think you might work harder. Idleness is a great sin, and I certainly don’t like any of my friends to be idle or sluggish. You must not mind my speaking quite plainly to you. Of course I should not dream of doing so if I were not your friend. But what is the good of friendship if one cannot say exactly what one means? Anybody can say charming things and try to please and to flatter, but a true friend always says unpleasant things, and does not mind giving pain. Indeed, if he is a really true friend he prefers it, for he knows that then he is doing good.’
“‘I am very sorry,’ said little Hans, rubbing his eyes and pulling off his night-cap, ‘but I was so tired that I thought I would lie in bed for a little time, and listen to the birds singing. Do you know that I always work better after hearing the birds sing?’
“‘Well, I am glad of that,’ said the Miller, clapping little Hans on the back, ‘for I want you to come up to the mill as soon as you are dressed, and mend my barn-roof for me.’
“Poor little Hans was very anxious to go and work in his garden, for his flowers had not been watered for two days, but he did not like to refuse the Miller, as he was such a good friend to him.
“‘Do you think it would be unfriendly of me if I said I was busy?’ he inquired in a shy and timid voice.
“‘Well, really,’ answered the Miller, ‘I do not think it is much to ask of you, considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow; but of course if you refuse I will go and do it myself.’
“‘Oh! on no account,’ cried little Hans and he jumped out of bed, and dressed himself, and went up to the barn.
“He worked there all day long, till sunset, and at sunset the Miller came to see how he was getting on.
“‘Have you mended the hole in the roof yet, little Hans?’ cried the Miller in a cheery voice.
“‘It is quite mended,’ answered little Hans, coming down the ladder.
“‘Ah!’ said the Miller, ‘there is no work so delightful as the work one does for others.’
“‘It is certainly a great privilege to hear you talk,’ answered little Hans, sitting down, and wiping his forehead, ‘a very great privilege. But I am afraid I shall never have such beautiful ideas as you have.’
“‘Oh! they will come to you,’ said the Miller, ‘but you must take more pains. At present you have only the practice of friendship; some day you will have the theory also.’
“‘Do you really think I shall?’ asked little Hans.
“‘I have no doubt of it,’ answered the Miller, ‘but now that you have mended the roof, you had better go home and rest, for I want you to drive my sheep to the mountain to-morrow.’
“Poor little Hans was afraid to say anything to this, and early the next morning the Miller brought his sheep round to the cottage, and Hans started off with them to the mountain. It took him the whole day to get there and back; and when he returned he was so tired that he went off to sleep in his chair, and did not wake up till it was broad daylight.
“‘What a delightful time I shall have in my garden,’ he said, and he went to work at once.
“But somehow he was never able to look after his flowers at all, for his friend the Miller was always coming round and sending him off on long errands, or getting him to help at the mill. Little Hans was very much distressed at times, as he was afraid his flowers would think he had forgotten them, but he consoled himself by the reflection that the Miller was his best friend. ‘Besides,’ he used to say, ‘he is going to give me his wheelbarrow, and that is an act of pure generosity.’
“So little Hans worked away for the Miller, and the Miller said all kinds of beautiful things about friendship, which Hans took down in a note-book, and used to read over at night, for he was a very good scholar.
“Now it happened that one evening little Hans was sitting by his fireside when a loud rap came at the door. It was a very wild night, and the wind was blowing and roaring round the house so terribly that at first he thought it was merely the storm. But a second rap came, and then a third, louder than any of the others.
“‘It is some poor traveller,’ said little Hans to himself, and he ran to the door.
“There stood the Miller with a lantern in one hand and a big stick in the other.
“‘Dear little Hans,’ cried the Miller, ‘I am in great trouble. My little boy has fallen off a ladder and hurt himself, and I am going for the Doctor. But he lives so far away, and it is such a bad night, that it has just occurred to me that it would be much better if you went instead of me. You know I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, and so, it is only fair that you should do something for me in return.’
“‘Certainly,’ cried little Hans, ‘I take it quite as a compliment your coming to me, and I will start off at once. But you must lend me your lantern, as the night is so dark that I am afraid I might fall into the ditch.’
“‘I am very sorry,’ answered the Miller, ‘but it is my new lantern, and it would be a great loss to me if anything happened to it.’
“‘Well, never mind, I will do without it,’ cried little Hans, and he took down his great fur coat, and his warm scarlet cap, and tied a muffler round his throat, and started off.
“What a dreadful storm it was! The night was so black that little Hans could hardly see, and the wind was so strong that he could scarcely stand. However, he was very courageous, and after he had been walking about three hours, he arrived at the Doctor’s house, and knocked at the door.
“‘Who is there?’ cried the Doctor, putting his head out of his bedroom window.
“‘Little Hans, Doctor.’
“’What do you want, little Hans?’
“‘The Miller’s son has fallen from a ladder, and has hurt himself, and the Miller wants you to come at once.’
“‘All right!’ said the Doctor; and he ordered his horse, and his big boots, and his lantern, and came downstairs, and rode off in the direction of the Miller’s house, little Hans trudging behind him.
“But the storm grew worse and worse, and the rain fell in torrents, and little Hans could not see where he was going, or keep up with the horse. At last he lost his way, and wandered off on the moor, which was a very dangerous place, as it was full of deep holes, and there poor little Hans was drowned. His body was found the next day by some goatherds, floating in a great pool of water, and was brought back by them to the cottage.
“Everybody went to little Hans’ funeral, as he was so popular, and the Miller was the chief mourner.
“‘As I was his best friend,’ said the Miller, ‘it is only fair that I should have the best place’; so he walked at the head of the procession in a long black cloak, and every now and then he wiped his eyes with a big pocket-handkerchief.
“‘Little Hans is certainly a great loss to every one,’ said the Blacksmith, when the funeral was over, and they were all seated comfortably in the inn, drinking spiced wine and eating sweet cakes.
“‘A great loss to me at any rate,’ answered the Miller; ‘why, I had as good as given him my wheelbarrow, and now I really don’t know what to do with it. It is very much in my way at home, and it is in such bad repair that I could not get anything for it if I sold it. I will certainly take care not to give away anything again. One always suffers for being generous.’”
“Well?” said the Water-rat, after a long pause.
“Well, that is the end,” said the Linnet.
“But what became of the Miller?” asked the Water-rat.
“Oh! I really don’t know,” replied the Linnet; “and I am sure that I don’t care.”
“It is quite evident then that you have no sympathy in your nature,” said the Water-rat.
“I am afraid you don’t quite see the moral of the story,” remarked the Linnet.
“The what?” screamed the Water-rat.
“The moral.”
“Do you mean to say that the story has a moral?”
“Certainly,” said the Linnet.
“Well, really,” said the Water-rat, in a very angry manner, “I think you should have told me that before you began. If you had done so, I certainly would not have listened to you; in fact, I should have said ‘Pooh,’ like the critic. However, I can say it now”; so he shouted out “Pooh” at the top of his voice, gave a whisk with his tail, and went back into his hole.
“And how do you like the Water-rat?” asked the Duck, who came paddling up some minutes afterwards. “He has a great many good points, but for my own part I have a mother’s feelings, and I can never look at a confirmed bachelor without the tears coming into my eyes.”
“I am rather afraid that I have annoyed him,” answered the Linnet. “The fact is, that I told him a story with a moral.”
“Ah! that is always a very dangerous thing to do,” said the Duck.
And I quite agree with her.
Story DNA
Moral
True friendship is reciprocal and selfless, not a means to exploit others for personal gain.
Plot Summary
A Water-rat, Duck, and Linnet debate friendship, leading the Linnet to tell the story of Hans, a kind gardener, and his 'devoted friend,' the wealthy Miller. The Miller constantly exploits Hans, taking his produce and demanding labor, all while spouting hypocritical platitudes about true friendship. Hans, naive and loyal, sacrifices his own well-being for the Miller. During a terrible storm, the Miller sends Hans to fetch a doctor for his son, refusing to lend him a lantern, which leads to Hans's tragic death. At Hans's funeral, the Miller only laments the inconvenience of Hans's death and the now useless wheelbarrow he had 'as good as given' to Hans.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to tragedy
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Oscar Wilde often used fairy tales to critique Victorian society's materialism and hypocrisy, particularly regarding charity and social responsibility.
Plot Beats (15)
- A Water-rat, Duck, and Linnet discuss friendship, with the Water-rat defining it as others being devoted to him.
- The Linnet begins a story about little Hans, a kind gardener, and his 'devoted friend', Hugh the Miller.
- The Miller frequently takes flowers and produce from Hans's garden, claiming 'real friends should have everything in common'.
- During winter, Hans suffers greatly from poverty, while the Miller avoids him, rationalizing that people in trouble should be left alone.
- The Miller's son suggests inviting Hans over, but the Miller refuses, fearing Hans might become envious or ask for flour on credit.
- In spring, the Miller visits Hans, taking primroses and immediately asking Hans to mend his barn roof, promising his old wheelbarrow in return.
- Hans works all day on the roof, neglecting his own garden, then is asked to drive the Miller's sheep to the mountain the next day.
- Hans continues to be sent on numerous errands and tasks for the Miller, constantly neglecting his own garden and livelihood.
- One stormy night, the Miller demands Hans fetch the Doctor for his injured son, refusing to lend Hans his new lantern.
- Hans, without a lantern, struggles through the storm, eventually reaching the Doctor's house.
- The Doctor rides off, with Hans trudging behind, but Hans gets lost in the worsening storm and drowns in a deep hole on the moor.
- Hans's body is found, and he is given a funeral, with the Miller acting as the chief mourner.
- At the inn after the funeral, the Miller laments Hans's death only because he had 'as good as given him my wheelbarrow' and now doesn't know what to do with it.
- The Linnet concludes the story, and the Water-rat, angry that it has a moral, shouts 'Pooh!' and retreats into his hole.
- The Duck comments on the Water-rat's character, and the Linnet notes the danger of telling stories with morals.
Characters
The Water-rat ◆ supporting
A small, sleek water-rat with a compact, agile body. His fur is likely dark grey or brown, typical of a water-rat, and he has a long, thin tail described as being like a 'bit of black india-rubber'.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To maintain his comfortable, solitary existence and to be entertained or flattered. He seeks to validate his own narrow worldview.
Flaw: Extreme selfishness and inability to understand true generosity or self-sacrifice. He is blind to the moral implications of actions.
He remains unchanged, rejecting the moral of the story and retreating into his hole, reinforcing his self-centered nature.
Self-centered, opinionated, dismissive, easily annoyed, and superficial. He values friendship only for what he can gain from it and lacks empathy.
Image Prompt & Upload
An old water-rat, male, with sleek dark grey fur, bright small beady eyes, and stiff grey whiskers. His tail is long and thin, like black india-rubber. He is peeking out from a circular hole in the ground, with a dismissive, slightly annoyed expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Duck ◆ supporting
A pure white duck with real red legs, a typical domestic duck build, plump and graceful in water.
Attire: None, as she is an animal.
Wants: To raise her children properly, teach them social graces, and maintain a pleasant, untroubled social environment.
Flaw: A slight naivete and a tendency to avoid uncomfortable truths or 'dangerous' morals.
Remains consistent as a patient, maternal figure, offering a contrasting perspective to the Water-rat.
Patient, maternal, somewhat naive, and concerned with social standing (for her children). She is empathetic but also cautious about 'dangerous' things like morals.
Image Prompt & Upload
A pure white domestic duck, female, with bright red legs and a yellow bill. She is gracefully paddling in calm water, surrounded by several small, fluffy yellow ducklings. She has a gentle, patient expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Green Linnet ◆ supporting
A small, agile bird with green plumage, typical of a European green linnet. He has tiny wings.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To share wisdom and illustrate moral truths through storytelling.
Flaw: Perhaps a slight underestimation of how resistant some are to moral lessons.
Serves as the narrator and moral compass of the framing story, remaining consistent in his role.
Observant, wise, a storyteller, and a moralist. He is patient in trying to convey a lesson, even to an unwilling listener.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, vibrant green linnet, male, with tiny wings and bright, alert eyes. He is perched delicately on a slender, silver-colored willow branch, facing forward. His feathers are a rich, emerald green. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Hans ★ protagonist
A small, humble man of average height with a kind and good-humored disposition. His build is likely lean from manual labor in his garden.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing suitable for gardening and manual labor. This would include a sturdy linen shirt, perhaps a waistcoat, and practical trousers or breeches, all in muted, earthy tones like brown, grey, or cream. He owns a 'great fur coat' and a 'warm scarlet cap' for winter, and a 'muffler' for his throat.
Wants: To maintain his beautiful garden, to be a good friend, and to live a simple, contented life. He deeply values the concept of friendship.
Flaw: His extreme naivete and inability to recognize exploitation. His desire to be a 'devoted friend' makes him vulnerable to the Miller's manipulation.
He begins as a happy, hardworking gardener who is exploited by his 'friend' and ultimately dies due to his selfless devotion, never realizing the true nature of the Miller's 'friendship'.
Kind-hearted, generous, naive, hardworking, loyal, and easily flattered. He is devoted to his garden and his friends.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young adult peasant man, small in stature, with a funny round good-humoured face and kind, warm eyes. His hair is light brown and simply cut. He wears a cream linen shirt, a practical brown waistcoat, and sturdy grey trousers. He holds a small, well-worn gardening trowel in his hand. He has a gentle, earnest expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Hugh the Miller ⚔ antagonist
A big, rich man, likely stout or portly due to his wealth and comfortable lifestyle. His appearance suggests prosperity.
Attire: Rich, well-made clothing appropriate for a prosperous miller, but not overly ostentatious. Perhaps a sturdy wool coat in a dark color, a fine linen shirt, and good quality breeches or trousers. He wears a 'long black cloak' at Hans's funeral and carries a 'big pocket-handkerchief'.
Wants: To benefit from Hans's generosity and labor while expending as little as possible himself, all while maintaining a self-image of a 'devoted friend' with 'noble ideas'.
Flaw: His profound selfishness and hypocrisy, which ultimately lead to Hans's death and his own moral bankruptcy.
He remains unchanged, continuing his selfish behavior even after Hans's death, lamenting the loss of his wheelbarrow rather than his friend.
Hypocritical, selfish, manipulative, self-righteous, and utterly devoid of true empathy. He uses grand pronouncements about friendship to justify his exploitation of Hans.
Image Prompt & Upload
A big, stout adult man, a prosperous miller, with a self-satisfied and slightly pompous expression. He has dark, neatly combed hair and a well-trimmed beard. He wears a sturdy dark wool coat over a fine cream linen shirt, dark breeches, and polished leather boots. He holds a large, well-made wooden stick in one hand. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Miller's Wife ○ minor
A woman of comfortable means, likely well-fed and dressed, reflecting her husband's prosperity.
Attire: Comfortable, warm clothing suitable for a prosperous household. Perhaps a sturdy wool dress or skirt and bodice, in practical but good quality fabric, possibly with an apron. She is seated by a 'big pinewood fire'.
Wants: To maintain her comfortable life and affirm her husband's self-image.
Flaw: Her lack of independent thought or moral courage to challenge her husband's hypocrisy.
Remains a static character, serving to highlight the Miller's hypocrisy.
Complacent, agreeable, and perhaps somewhat naive or complicit in her husband's self-deception. She flatters him and seems to accept his twisted logic.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult woman, the miller's wife, with a placid, agreeable expression. She has dark hair neatly pulled back from her face. She wears a practical but well-made dark green wool dress with a cream apron over it, seated comfortably in a wooden armchair. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Miller's youngest son ○ minor
A young boy, likely small and innocent.
Attire: Simple, comfortable child's clothing, perhaps a tunic and breeches in sturdy fabric, suitable for a miller's son.
Wants: To help poor Hans out of genuine kindness.
Flaw: His youth and inability to influence his father's decisions.
Remains a static character, serving as a foil to his father's selfishness.
Innocent, compassionate, and genuinely concerned for Hans. He possesses a natural sense of fairness and generosity, contrasting sharply with his father.
Image Prompt & Upload
A young boy, a child, with an innocent, open face and light, slightly tousled hair. He wears a simple blue tunic and brown breeches. He has a genuinely concerned and kind expression. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
The Doctor ○ minor
A professional man, likely of a respectable build. He owns a horse and wears 'big boots', suggesting a practical and perhaps robust appearance for traveling in bad weather.
Attire: Professional attire for a doctor, practical for travel. This would include a dark, sturdy coat, perhaps a waistcoat, and substantial trousers. He wears 'big boots' and uses a 'lantern' for night travel.
Wants: To fulfill his professional duty as a doctor and attend to the sick.
Flaw: None shown.
Remains a static character, serving as a plot device to illustrate Hans's devotion and the Miller's selfishness.
Professional, responsible, and responsive to medical emergencies.
Image Prompt & Upload
An adult man, a doctor, with a serious and professional expression. He has dark, neatly combed hair and a trimmed beard. He wears a dark, sturdy wool coat, a white shirt, and big leather boots. He holds a lit lantern in one hand. Plain white background, full body visible head to toe, single figure, no watermark, no text, no signature.
Locations
The Pond and Willow Tree
A tranquil pond where ducks swim, bordered by a willow tree with drooping branches. The water-rat's hole is at the edge of the pond. The setting is natural and open, likely in a temperate European countryside.
Mood: Peaceful, natural, serves as a framing device for the story within a story.
The Water-rat, Duck, and Linnet discuss friendship, leading the Linnet to tell the story of Hans.
Image Prompt & Upload
A serene pond reflecting a clear morning sky, with a large, ancient willow tree on its bank, its long, slender branches gracefully dipping towards the water. The water's edge is soft earth with some reeds and a small, dark hole nestled among them. Sunlight filters through the willow leaves, dappling the calm water where a few yellow ducklings paddle. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
Little Hans's Cottage and Garden
A tiny, humble cottage, likely a simple, half-timbered or stone structure with a thatched roof, surrounded by an exceptionally beautiful and well-tended garden. The garden is bursting with a diverse array of English country flowers like Sweet-william, Gilly-flowers, Roses, Crocuses, Violets, and Daffodils, blooming in succession throughout the seasons. A low wall or fence separates the garden from a path.
Mood: Initially idyllic and industrious, becoming desolate and lonely in winter, then burdened by the Miller's demands.
Hans lives and works here, cultivating his garden. It's where the Miller frequently visits to take Hans's produce and where Hans suffers in winter.
Image Prompt & Upload
A small, charming English cottage with a thick, weathered thatched roof and whitewashed walls, nestled amidst an overflowing cottage garden. The garden is a riot of color with Sweet-william, damask roses, and purple violets blooming profusely along winding dirt paths. A low, moss-covered stone wall defines the garden's edge, with a simple wooden gate. Warm, soft sunlight illuminates the vibrant flora. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Miller's House
A comfortable, prosperous house, likely a substantial English country mill house, with a large pinewood fire burning in a hearth. It is warm and well-furnished, indicating the Miller's wealth, contrasting sharply with Hans's poverty.
Mood: Cozy, self-satisfied, and somewhat self-serving, highlighting the Miller's comfortable life.
The Miller and his wife discuss Hans's plight, revealing the Miller's selfish interpretation of friendship. His son suggests helping Hans.
Image Prompt & Upload
The interior of a warm, well-appointed English country mill house living room on a cold winter's night. A massive pinewood fire crackles brightly in a stone hearth, casting dancing shadows on timber-beamed ceilings and sturdy wooden furniture. A comfortable, upholstered armchair sits beside the fire, and a large cask of red wine is visible in the corner. The windows show only the dark, stormy night outside. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
The Moor in a Storm
A treacherous, open moorland, characteristic of the British Isles, filled with deep, hidden holes and devoid of clear paths. The scene is set during a violent storm with torrential rain and strong winds, making visibility almost impossible.
Mood: Dangerous, desolate, terrifying, leading to tragedy.
Hans gets lost and drowns while trying to fetch the Doctor for the Miller's son.
Image Prompt & Upload
A vast, desolate moorland under a furious winter storm at the dead of night. Torrential rain lashes down, blurring the already dark landscape, and powerful winds whip across the open terrain. The ground is uneven, with unseen deep holes and treacherous boggy patches. The sky is an impenetrable black, offering no light, and the only visible elements are the faint outlines of sparse, wind-battered grasses. no border, no frame, no watermark, no text, no signature, edge-to-edge illustration.
