Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm | Page 8

meat when a man
has a beast of his own to kill; but for my part I do not care much about
cow beef, it is rather tasteless. Now, if I had but a young pig, that is
much better meat, and then the sausages!"

"Look here, Hans," said the butcher, "just for love of you I will
exchange, and will give you my pig instead of your cow."
"Heaven reward such kindness!" cried Hans, and handing over the cow,
received in exchange the pig, who was turned out of his wheelbarrow
and was to be led by a string.
So on went Hans, thinking how everything turned out according to his
wishes, and how, if trouble overtook him, all was sure to be set right
directly. After a while he fell in with a peasant, who was carrying a fine
white goose under his arm. They bid each other good-day, and Hans
began to tell about his luck, and how he had made so many good
exchanges. And the peasant told how he was taking the goose to a
christening feast.
"Just feel how heavy it is," said he, taking it up by the wings; "it has
been fattening for the last eight weeks; and when it is roasted, won't the
fat run down!"
"Yes, indeed," said Hans, weighing it in his hand, "very fine to be sure;
but my pig is not to be despised."
Upon which the peasant glanced cautiously on all sides, and shook his
head.
"I am afraid," said he, "that there is something not quite right about
your pig. In the village I have just left one had actually been stolen
from the bailiff's yard. I fear, I fear you have it in your hand; they have
sent after the thief, and it would be a bad look-out for you if it was
found upon you; the least that could happen would be to be thrown into
a dark hole."
Poor Hans grew pale with fright. "For heaven's sake," said he, "help me
out of this scrape, I am a stranger in these parts; take my pig and give
me your goose."
"It will be running some risk," answered the man, "but I will do it
sooner than that you should come to grief." And so, taking the cord in

his hand, he drove the pig quickly along a by-path, and lucky Hans
went on his way home with the goose under his arm. "The more I think
of it," said he to himself, "the better the bargain seems; first I get the
roast goose; then the fat; that will last a whole year for bread and
dripping; and lastly the beautiful white feathers which I can stuff my
pillow with; how comfortably I shall sleep upon it, and how pleased my
mother will be!"
And when he reached the last village, he saw a knife-grinder with his
barrow; and his wheel went whirring round, and he sang,
"My scissors I grind, and my wheel I turn; And all good fellows my
trade should learn, For all that I meet with just serves my turn."
And Hans stood and looked at him; and at last he spoke to him and
said,
"You seem very well off, and merry with your grinding."
"Yes," answered the knife-grinder, "my handiwork pays very well. I
call a man a good grinder who, every time he puts his hand in his
pocket finds money there. But where did you buy that fine goose?"
"I did not buy it, but I exchanged it for my pig," said Hans.
"And the pig?"
"That I exchanged for a cow."
"And the cow?"
"That I exchanged for a horse."
"And the horse?"
"I gave for the horse a lump of gold as big as my head."
"And the gold?"

"Oh, that was my wage for seven years' service."
"You seem to have fended for yourself very well," said the
knife-grinder. "Now, if you could but manage to have money in your
pocket every time you put your hand in, your fortune is made."
"How shall I manage that?" said Hans.
"You must be a knife-grinder like me," said the man. "All you want is a
grindstone, the rest comes of itself: I have one here; to be sure it is a
little damaged, but I don't mind letting you have it in exchange for your
goose; what say you?"
"How can you ask?" answered Hans. "I shall be the luckiest fellow in
the world, for if I find money whenever I put my hand in my pocket,
there is nothing more left to want."
And so he handed over the goose to the pedlar and received the
grindstone in exchange.
"Now," said the knife-grinder, taking up a heavy common stone that lay
near him, "here is