Once upon a time, there was a couple who lived in a remote mountain valley. There were no roads, no neighbors—just a small wooden house, a few chickens, and a patch of land for growing vegetables. They led a simple life, not wealthy but peaceful.
They had a son named Hans. That year, Hans was only two years old. He still walked unsteadily and could only say “Mama” and “Papa.”
One day, Mother took little Hans into the forest to gather pine branches. Spring had just arrived, the trees were blooming with tiny flowers, and the ground was covered in green grass. Mother and son walked along, admiring the flowers, feeling quite content.
Suddenly, two figures leaped out from deep within the woods. They wore ragged clothes, their faces were grimy, and they held knives in their hands. They were bandits.
Hans’s mother screamed in terror, clutching him as she tried to run. But the robbers quickly caught up, seizing both mother and child. They dragged them deep into the darkest, most remote part of the forest—a place even hunters dared not venture.
After walking for about two hours, they came upon a massive rock. The robber tapped the stone three times, and a door opened.They entered, traversing a long, pitch-black tunnel until they reached a vast cavern.
Life in the Cave
A fire burned within the cave, illuminating it as brightly as day. Numerous knives, swords, and iron clubs hung on the walls, gleaming coldly. At the center stood a large black table where four bandits sat playing cards. Seated foremost was their leader, who appeared the most fearsome.
The leader spotted Hans and his mother, approaching them and saying, “Don’t be afraid. We won’t harm you. If you obey and keep the place tidy, we’ll let you live.”
His mother had no choice but to stay. Each day she cooked, cleaned, and cared for Hans. Whatever the bandits plundered but couldn’t consume, they gave to the mother and son.
Thus, they lived in the cave for many years.
Hans grew steadily. He became strong and taller than other children his age. His mother had no books to teach him, but she found a tattered knight’s tale in the cave. Every day she read it aloud to Hans, telling him how brave knights rescued people and defeated villains.
Hans listened spellbound, always saying, “I want to be as great as them someday.”
Hans Asked, “Who Is My Father?”
When Hans turned nine, he carved a sturdy stick from pine wood and hid it under his bed. Then he asked his mother, “Mother, I want to know—who is my father?”
His mother said nothing. She knew that if Hans learned the truth, he would surely try to escape and find his father. But these bandits would never let them go. If discovered, they might be killed.
She didn’t want her son to risk his life, nor did she want to break his heart.
That night, the robbers returned from their raid, drinking and feasting. Hans grabbed his stick, walked up to the leader, and shouted, “Tell me who my father is! If you don’t, I’ll beat you with this stick!”
The leader burst out laughing, then backhanded Hans across the face, sending him tumbling under the table.
Hans didn’t cry or scream. He crawled up, tucked the stick back under the bed, and thought to himself, “I’m still too young. I’ll wait another year.”
A Year Later, He Finally Acted
Another year passed. Hans was now ten, taller and stronger.
He took out the stick again, wiped off the dust, examined it, and said, “This stick is sturdy enough.”
That night, the robbers drank heavily, each of them drunk and sprawled across the table.
Hans picked up the stick and walked up to the leader once more: “Now, tell me who my father is!”
The leader just laughed and raised his hand to strike again.
But this time, Hans didn’t dodge. He swung the stick hard, hitting the leader. Then he went one by one, knocking all four robbers to the ground, unable to move.
Mother stood in the corner, too scared to speak. She never imagined her son had become so strong.
Hans approached her and whispered softly, “Mother, we can go home now.”
Tears streaming down her face, she nodded. She took the bandit leader’s keys and unlocked the cave entrance.
Hans found a large flour sack, filled it with the gold and silver coins from the cave, and hoisted it onto his shoulder. Mother and son finally emerged from the cave.
First Sight of Sunlight and Forest
When Hans emerged from the dark tunnel and saw the outside world for the first time, he was stunned.
The sun hung high in the sky. The forest was green. Flowers bloomed in vibrant colors. Birds sang in the trees. The wind blew warmly across his face.
He stood there, eyes wide open, as if in a dream.
“So this is what it’s like outside…” he murmured softly.
His mother took his hand and led him back along the familiar path. After walking for hours, they finally spotted the small, familiar wooden cabin.
His father was sitting in the doorway, basking in the sun. He had aged greatly, his hair turned white, believing his wife and son had long since perished.
When he saw them, he sprang to his feet, tears streaming down his face: “You… you’re alive?”
Though only twelve, Hans was already a head taller than his father.
They entered the house together. Hans placed the sack filled with gold and silver on the bench beside the stove—with a loud crack, the bench snapped in two, and the house shook twice.
His father gasped in shock: “Good heavens! You’ve wrecked the house!”
Hans laughed. “Don’t worry, Dad. This money in the bag is enough to build ten new houses.”
A New Life Begins
With the money, they immediately built a new house, bought cattle and sheep, and acquired more land. Hans helped his father farm. He was incredibly strong—when plowing, he could press the plow into the soil with just one hand, so the oxen barely had to exert any effort.
The following spring, Hans told his father, “Father, keep this money. I want to go out and see the world.”
His father asked, “What will you take with you?”
“Make me a heavy stick—about a hundred pounds.”
Though puzzled, his father did as requested.
Hans slung the stick over his shoulder, bid farewell to his parents, and set off.
The Forest Adventure
He walked and walked until he reached a deep, dark forest. Suddenly, he heard a “crackling” sound, as if trees were twisting.
Looking up, he saw a tall man gripping a pine tree, bending it like wringing out a towel.
“Hey! What are you doing up there?” the man called.
“Making rope. I chopped wood yesterday but have no rope to bind it,” the man answered.
Hans thought, “What incredible strength this man possesses.”
He said, “Stop that. Come with me. From now on, you’ll be called ‘Twister.’”
The man leaped down from the tree, towering a head taller than Hans, and laughed. “Alright, I’ll go with you.”
They continued walking and heard the sound of “Thump! Thump! Thump!” again, the ground trembling beneath them.
It was a giant, pounding his fists against the cliff face, knocking large rocks loose one by one.
“What are you doing?” Hans asked.
The giant said, “At night when I sleep, bears and wolves always come and disturb me. I can’t rest. I want to build a house so I can sleep in peace.”
Hans said, “Don’t build it. Come with me instead. You’ll be called ‘Stone Splitter’.”
The giant agreed and joined them.
The three walked together, and whenever wild beasts saw them, they fled in terror.
The Little Old Man in the Ancient Palace
That night, they came upon a dilapidated palace, uninhabited and covered in cobwebs. They slept in the great hall.
The next day, Hans went to the garden and found it overgrown with thorny vines. Suddenly, a wild boar charged out, aiming to gore him.
Hans struck it with his club, and the boar fell dead on the spot.
He carried the boar back, and the three roasted it, eating it with great relish. They decided: each day one would hunt while the others cooked, and each would eat nine pounds of meat daily.
On the first day, the Tree-Twister cooked. While busy, a short, wrinkled old man entered and said, “Give me some meat.”
The Tree-Twister snapped impatiently, “Go away! You want meat? There’s none for you!”
Without another word, the little old man leaped up and struck him. Though the Tree-Twister was so tall and strong, he was beaten to the ground, gasping for breath. After the beating, the old man simply walked away.
That evening, when the other two returned, the Tree-Twister said nothing of the incident. He thought to himself, “When it’s your turn to cook, you’ll get a taste of your own medicine.” At this thought, he even chuckled to himself.
The next day, it was the Stone-Splitter’s turn to cook. The little old man came again. He too refused to give meat and ended up getting beaten badly.
He said nothing either, only thinking, “When it’s Hans’s turn, let’s see what he does.”
Hans’ Choice: Sharing, Not Refusal
On the third day, it was Hans’ turn to cook.
As he stirred the soup in the pot, the little old man appeared again, holding out his hand: “Give me some meat.”
Hans looked at him and thought: “This old man is skinny and pitiful. If I share a bit from my portion, it won’t affect the others.”
He cut off a piece of meat and handed it to the little old man.
After eating it, the old man asked for another piece. Hans gave it to him again.
The third time the old man reached out, Hans said, “Enough already! You’re too shameless.” This time he refused.
The little old man immediately jumped up and attacked him, just as he had the other two.
But he picked the wrong person.
With a few light blows, Hans sent him tumbling down the steps. The little old man tried to run. Hans gave chase, nearly caught him, but was tripped instead. The little old man turned back with a laugh and vanished into the forest.
Hans memorized the direction.
That evening, the other two returned and were astonished to find Hans unharmed.
Hans recounted the incident, and the others admitted they’d been beaten too. Hans chuckled, “You two are so petty! Big guys like you, scared of a little old man? Shame on you.”
The Princess in the Cave
The next day, the three brought ropes and a basket to the spot where the old man vanished.
They lowered Hans into the basket with ropes.
When Hans reached the bottom, he found a door. Opening it, he saw a beautiful girl chained to a stone, sitting there. She looked like a painting come to life, so stunning it was almost blinding.
The little old man sat nearby, glaring at Hans with eyes like a wildcat.
The girl looked at Hans pitifully, and his heart ached.
He thought, “I must save her.”
He raised his stick and struck the little old man—one blow, and the old man fell dead.
The girl’s chains unlocked themselves.
She told Hans she was a princess, captured by an evil duke and imprisoned here. Refusing to marry him, the duke had sent this little old man to guard and torment her daily.
Hans placed the princess in the basket and had those above pull her up.
The basket descended again, but this time Hans did not enter. He recalled the events of the previous days and thought, “These two are untrustworthy. They didn’t tell me about the little old man. They might harm me.”
So he placed only his stick into the basket.
Sure enough, halfway up, the men above loosened the ropes, and the basket plummeted down. Had Hans been inside, he would have been crushed to death.
The Ring’s Magical Power
Trapped in the cave, Hans fretted over how to climb back up.
Returning to the hut, he noticed a shimmering ring on the old man’s finger. He slipped it off and placed it on his own hand.
Curiously, he turned the ring—suddenly, voices echoed overhead. Several fairies appeared from the sky, saying, “You are our master. What do you desire?”
Startled, Hans quickly replied, “Take me up.”
The fairies instantly lifted him, soaring like flight to the surface.
But once above, the fairies vanished.
He raced back to the palace, finding it deserted.The Twister and the Splitter had fled, and even the princess was gone.
He turned the ring again, and the gods returned, saying, “They are at sea.”
Hans immediately ran toward the shore.
In the distance, he spotted a small boat. The two men were sitting inside, holding the princess captive.
Furious, Hans grabbed his club, leaped into the sea, and swam toward them.
But the club was too heavy, dragging him down, and he nearly drowned.
He quickly turned the ring. The fairy appeared and carried him like lightning to the boat.
Hans struck each traitor with his club, knocking them into the water.
The princess trembled with fear, and once again, Hans saved her.
He rowed her back to the palace.
The king and queen wept with joy upon seeing their daughter.
They thanked Hans and gave their daughter’s hand in marriage to him.
From then on, Hans lived happily ever after.
The Truth Behind the Story
On the surface, this tale is a fairy tale about a boy growing strong, embarking on adventures, and rescuing a princess. But in truth, it tells the story of a person’s growth.
Hans was raised by robbers, yet he didn’t become evil. His mother’s tales of knights planted seeds of “justice” and ‘courage’ in his heart.
His first question about his father stemmed from a search for “identity.”
Defeating the robbers marked the beginning of “resisting oppression.”
Leaving home required the courage to “step into the world.”
Rescuing the princess was an act of “protecting the vulnerable.”
Most crucially:
When others chose “selfishness,” he chose “sharing”;
When others chose “revenge,” he chose ‘forgiveness’;
When others chose “deception,” he chose “trust without blind obedience.”
He didn’t win through brute force, but through judgment, wisdom, and kindness.
What lesson does this story teach us?
1. True strength isn’t just about physical power
Hans was strong, but his sharp mind was even more formidable. When he saw the old man beaten, he didn’t blindly follow others in refusing help. Instead, he first assessed: “Does he truly need assistance?”
Kindness isn’t weakness; sharing isn’t foolishness.
2. Others treating you badly doesn’t mean you should treat them the same
The Twister and the Splitter, having been beaten themselves, sought to make Hans suffer too. This was a “revenge mentality.”
But Hans didn’t act that way. He treated the little old man his own way—giving first, then refusing. He had principles, but also compassion.
3. Trust others, but learn to protect yourself
Hans was willing to trust his companions, but when he discovered they were hiding the truth, he immediately grew wary. In the end, he didn’t get into the basket, saving his own life.
This teaches us: Kindness doesn’t equal foolishness. You can be good-hearted, but never be without guard.
4. Heroes Aren’t Born, They’re Forged Step by Step
Hans wasn’t always formidable. At nine, when beaten, he endured. He waited a year before trying again.
Growth requires time and persistence.
5. A Happy Life Is Earned Through Action
He didn’t wait for fortune; instead:
To return home, he fought bandits;
To seek adventure, he should strap on his staff and set out;
To save lives, he should chase them out to sea.
With his own hands, he reshaped his destiny.
Final thought:
You don’t need to be born into wealth, nor possess supernatural strength. As long as you carry light in your heart and action in your hands, you too can become your own hero.
