HANS IN LUCK.

I.

Hans had served his master seven years, when he said to him, "Master, my time is up, and now I should like to go home again to my mother, so give me my pay."

His master answered, "You have served me well and honestly; as you have served, so shall you be paid." Then he gave Hans a lump of gold as big as his head.

Hans took his handkerchief out of his pocket, put the lump of gold into it, threw it over his shoulder, and set out on the road towards home. As he went along, always putting one foot before the other, a rider came in

sight, trotting gayly along upon a fine horse. "Ah!" said Hans aloud, "what a fine thing it is to ride! You sit down just as if you were in

a chair, kick your toes against no stones, do not wear out your shoes, and go along you hardly know how."

The rider heard this; he stopped and said, "Well, Hans, why do you go on foot, then?"

"Because I must," said he. "I must carry this lump of gold home. What if it is gold; I can hardly hold my head up, and it hurts my shoulder."

"I tell you what," said the rider, "we will trade. I will give you my horse, and you shall give me your lump of gold."

"With all my heart," said Hans; "but I tell you, you will find it heavy."

The rider got off, took the gold, and helped Hans up. He put the reins into his hands and said, “When you want to go real fast, you must click with your tongue, and cry, Get up! Get up."

Hans was delighted as he sat upon his horse, and rode so easily and merrily on. After a while he thought he should like to go a little faster, so he began to click with his tongue and to cry, "Get up! Get up!" The horse broke into a quick trot, and before Hans knew what he was about, he was thrown off, and found himself lying in a ditch by the side of the road. The horse would have got

away if he had not been stopped by a peasant who was coming along the road, driving a cow before him. Hans came to himself and got up. He was greatly vexed, and said to the peasant, "This riding is poor fun, especially on such a beast as this, which stumbles and throws you off and almost breaks your neck. I will never get on that beast again. Now, I like your cow. You can walk along in comfort behind her; and besides you are sure of milk, butter, and cheese, every day. What would I not give for such a cow!"

"Well," said the peasant, "such pleasure may be yours, for I will trade my cow for your horse."

Hans was more than pleased to trade. The peasant got upon the horse and rode quickly away. Hans drove his cow along quietly before him, and thought over his lucky bargain.

"If I have only a piece of bread, and I am sure I can get that, then as often as I please I can get butter and cheese with it. If I am thirsty, I can milk my cow and have a drink of milk. What more can I wish?"

When he came to an inn he stopped and spent his last penny, besides eating all he had brought with him for dinner and supper.

Then he drove his cow on towards the village where his mother lived. He felt the heat more

and more as it grew nearer noon; and now Hans found himself on a wide plain, which it would take him an hour to cross! He became so hot that his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth. "I can better this," thought Hans. "Now I will milk my cow and refresh myself with the milk." He tied her to a tree, and as he had no pail, he held his leather cap to catch the milk; but not a drop could he get, try as hard as he would. As he did not know how to milk very well, the cow at last gave him such a kick on the head that he fell to

the ground, and

for a long time could not think where he was. Luckily a butcher came by with a young pig in a wheelbarrow.

"What kind of a trick is this?" said he, as he helped poor Hans to get up. Hans told him what

had happened. The butcher gave him some water and said:

"There, take a drink and refresh yourself. The cow will give you no milk; she is an old beast, and is good for nothing but to be killed for beef."

"Well, well," said Hans, smoothing his hair, "who would have thought it? It is all very well when you can kill such a beast at home, and use the meat, but for my part I do not like cow's meat; it is not tender enough for me. Now, if I only had a young pig! That tastes better, and besides you can make sausages from it.”

"Well, Hans," said the butcher, "to please you, I will trade, and will give you the pig for the cow."

"Heaven reward you for your kindness!" cried Hans; and he gave the cow to the butcher. He untied the pig from the wheelbarrow and held it fast by the string.

II.

Hans went on again, thinking how everything turned out just as he wished, and how, if he met with any trouble, all was sure soon to be made right again. After a while, he fell in with a boy who was carrying a fine white goose under his arm. They said, "Good day" to each other,