“I tied it to a rope, brought it home, dogs took it.”
“That was ill done, Hans, you should have carried the bacon on your head.”
Hans comes to Grethel. “Good day, Grethel.”
“Good day, Hans. What good thing do you bring?”
“I bring nothing, but would have something given me.”
Hans takes the calf, puts it on his head, and the calf kicks his face.
“Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?”
“I took nothing, but had something given me.”
“I set it on my head and it kicked my face.”
“That was ill done, Hans, you should have led the calf, and put it in the stall.”
Hans comes to Grethel. “Good day, Grethel.”
“Good day, Hans. What good thing do you bring?”
“I bring nothing, but would have something given me.”
Grethel says to Hans, “I will go with you.”
Hans takes Grethel, ties her to a rope, leads her to the rack, and binds her fast. Then Hans goes to his mother.
“Good evening, Hans. Where have you been?”
“I led her by the rope, tied her to the rack, and scattered some grass for her.”
“That was ill done, Hans, you should have cast friendly eyes on her.”
Hans went into the stable, cut out all the calves’ and sheep’s eyes, and threw them in Grethel’s face. Then Grethel became angry, tore herself lose and ran away, and became the Bride of Hans.
In the days when wishing was having, a King’s Son was enchanted by an old Witch, and shut up in an Iron Stove in a forest. There he passed many years, and no one could deliver him.
Then a King’s Daughter came into the forest, who had lost herself and could not find her father’s kingdom again. After she had wandered about for nine days, she at length came to the Iron Stove. Then a voice issued from it, and asked her, “Whence come you, and whither go you?”
She answered, “I have lost my father’s kingdom, and cannot get home again.”
Then a voice inside the Iron Stove said, “I will help you to get home, and that indeed most swiftly, if you will promise to do what I desire of you. I am the son of a far greater King than your father, and I will marry you.”
Then was she afraid, and thought, “Alas! What use could I have with an Iron Stove?” But as she much wished to get home to her father, she promised to do as he desired.
He said, “You shall return here, and bring a knife with you, and scrape a hole in the iron.”