Once upon a time, there was a king who lived far, far away. I can’t quite recall how big his kingdom was or what his name was. But one thing everyone knew was that he had only one daughter—the princess.
From childhood, the princess had been frail and often fell ill. She would either run a fever or lack the strength to walk, sometimes sleeping for days on end. The king summoned many doctors to treat her and tried all sorts of medicines, but nothing helped.
One day, an old fortune-teller told the king, “Your daughter will recover if she eats a special apple.”
Upon hearing this, the king immediately proclaimed, “Whoever brings this apple to the princess and restores her health shall marry her and become king in the future!”
When word spread, many were tempted. After all, who wouldn’t want to marry the princess and become king?
A family with three sons heard the news. Their father told his eldest: “Go to the orchard, pick a basket of large, red apples, and deliver them to the palace. If the princess eats them and recovers, you may marry her and become king!”
The eldest son, named Birdli, thought himself clever and certain of success. He filled a basket with beautiful apples and set off cheerfully.
The Little Old Man Appears, Apples Turn into Toad Legs
As Birdli walked, he suddenly saw a little old man standing by the roadside. Dressed in gray clothes with a snow-white beard, he looked very old.
The old man asked, “What do you have in your basket?”
Nori didn’t want to tell the truth, fearing someone might steal his credit, so he casually replied, “Oh, nothing much—just frog legs.”
The old man nodded and said, “Very well, then let them become frog legs—forever.”
With that, he walked away.
Birdli didn’t think much of it and continued toward the palace. At the gate, he told the guards to report to the king: “I’ve brought the apples that can cure the princess!”
The king was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately ordered Birdli to be brought inside.
But when Birdli opened the basket—good heavens! There were no apples inside at all! Only wet, squirming frog legs!
The king flew into a rage, bellowing, “You dare deceive me!” He ordered Birdli expelled from the palace at once.
Birdli returned home disgraced, recounting the incident to his father.
His father sighed and summoned his second son, Semer: “You try next. Be careful this time.”
The Second Son: Apples Turned to Pig Bristles
Semir also went to the orchard, picked a basket of the finest apples, and set off.
He too encountered the little old man. The old man asked him, “What do you have in your basket?”
Semir also didn’t want to tell the truth, so he said, “Pig bristles—the stiff hairs from a pig.”
The little old man said, “Very well, let it become pig bristles—forever.”
Semmer paid it no mind and continued on his way.
When he reached the palace, the guards initially refused him entry, saying someone had just tried to deceive them. But Semmer insisted, “This time I’m the real deal!” Seeing his earnest attitude, the guards let him in.
And what happened? When they opened the basket—it was filled with nothing but dark, coarse pig bristles!
The king grew even angrier and ordered the guards to whip Semer out.
Semer returned home, head hanging low.
The Youngest Son Called “Dumb Hans”
Then the youngest son stepped forward and said, “Father, I want to deliver the apples too.”
His name was Hans. He was usually quiet and slow at everything, so the neighbors called him “Dumb Hans.”
His father laughed when he heard this: “You? Don’t be ridiculous! Your two brothers, who are so clever, failed. What could you possibly do?”
Hans said nothing, but tugged at his father’s clothes: “Father, I want to go too.”
The father grew annoyed. “Fine, fine, go if you must. You won’t bring back the apple anyway.”
Hans leapt up with joy, as if he’d already become king.
His father shook his head. “You’re getting more foolish by the day.” But Hans didn’t care. His mind was filled only with thoughts of the princess and that magical apple.
As night fell, he thought, “I won’t reach the palace today. I’ll set out tomorrow.”
That night, lying in bed, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Eventually, he drifted into a hazy dream—he saw himself entering a palace that shimmered with gold, the princess running toward him with a smile, the king placing a crown upon his head…
When he awoke, the sun had just risen. He immediately slung his basket over his shoulder and set off.
Hans Meets the Dwarf, and This Time He Tells the Truth
He walked along that road again, and the little old man appeared once more.
“What’s in your basket?” the little old man asked.
Hans answered honestly, “Apples. I’m taking them to the princess to cure her illness.”
The little old man nodded and said, “Very well. Then let them truly be apples, forever unchanged.”
With that, he vanished.
Hans continued on. When he reached the palace, the guards stopped him: “No way! The last two said they brought apples—one was a frog leg, the other a pig’s bristle!”
Hans declared, “I’m the real deal! My basket holds the finest, healthiest apples in the kingdom. The princess will recover the moment she eats them!”
He spoke with such earnestness, his eyes brimming with sincerity. The guard pondered for a moment, convinced this man wasn’t deceiving him, and let him enter.
The king himself waited in the hall. Hans opened the basket—Wow! Inside lay several golden apples, gleaming brightly, fragrant, and clearly extraordinary.
The king immediately ordered the apples brought to the princess.
Before long, footsteps echoed through the halls. The door swung open—and the princess walked in unaided! Her cheeks were rosy, her eyes bright, showing no trace of illness.
Overwhelmed, the king embraced his daughter, weeping and laughing at once.
Everyone exclaimed, “Hans is incredible! He truly cured the princess!”
But the king thought for a moment and added, “Not yet. He must complete a second task before he can marry the princess.”
Build a Ship “Faster on Land Than on Water”
The king declared, “You must build a ship that can run on land and be faster than it is on water.”
This sounded utterly bizarre.How could a boat leave the water? But Hans nodded, “Alright, I’ll do it.”
After returning home, his father sent his eldest son, Birdie, into the forest to build a boat.
Birdie worked hard, whistling as he labored. At noon, when the sun was hottest, the little old man appeared again and asked, “What are you making?”
Birdie didn’t want to tell the truth, so he said, “I’m making a wooden spoon.”
The little old man said, “Very well, then let it become a wooden spoon—forever.”
That evening, when Birdie thought the boat was finished, he climbed aboard to test it—and the boat had truly transformed into a giant wooden spoon!
The next day, the second son, Semmer, went to build one. The result was the same. He deceived the little old man by claiming he was making a “broom,” and the boat turned into a broom.
On the third day, Hans went himself.
He diligently chopped down trees and sawed wood in the forest, his strength so great that the whole forest echoed with the sound of “thump, thump.” He worked while singing, feeling exceptionally cheerful.
At noon, the little old man came again: “What are you making?”
Hans smiled and said, “I’m building a boat—a boat that can race swiftly across land.Once it’s done, I’ll marry the princess.“
The old man said, ”Fine. Then let it truly be a boat, forever unchanged.”
By evening, the sun shone like gold over the forest. Hans had indeed built a beautiful boat. He climbed aboard and gave it a gentle push—the boat raced across the land like the wind!
He paddled all the way to the royal palace. The king spotted him from afar and gaped in astonishment.
But he still refused to concede defeat. “There’s one last thing,” he insisted.
Release a hundred rabbits, not a single one to be lost
The king declared, “You must release a hundred rabbits, from dawn till dusk. If even one escapes, you cannot marry the princess.”
Hans agreed.
The next day, he brought a hundred rabbits to the meadow. He watched them closely, not letting a single one escape.
After several hours, a palace maid approached and said, “Hans, give me a rabbit. I need it to make soup for the guests.”
Hans knew she was deceiving him and replied, “No. The king can serve other dishes to his guests tomorrow.”
The maid pleaded for a long time, finally even breaking into tears.
Hans said, “If the princess herself comes to ask, I’ll give her one.”
The maid relayed this, and the princess truly arrived.
But just before this, the little old man reappeared, handing Hans a small flute: “If a rabbit escapes, blow it once and it will return.”
The princess approached Hans, who handed her a rabbit to place in her apron.
But no sooner had she taken a hundred steps than Hans blew the flute—and the rabbit leaped from her apron, dashing back to the hare herd.
That evening, Hans blew the flute again, and all the rabbits returned. He drove them back to the palace, not one missing.
The king watched in astonishment: “You’ve truly done it!”
But he wasn’t satisfied yet. “One last thing,” he said. “You must steal a feather from the tail of the talking bird Graff. If you succeed, the princess is yours.”
In Search of the Talking Bird
Hans set off without hesitation to find the Graff bird.
At dusk, he arrived at a large house and knocked to ask for lodging. Inns didn’t exist back then; travelers relied on hospitality.
The homeowner welcomed him warmly and inquired, “Where are you headed?”
“To find the Graff bird,” Hans replied.
Upon hearing this, the owner exclaimed, “Ah! I’ve heard that bird knows everything. I’ve lost a key that opens an iron chest. Could you ask it where the key is?”
Hans replied, “Of course, I’ll ask for you.”
The next day, he walked to another castle and borrowed lodging for the night.
The castle owner said, “My daughter is ill, and no medicine helps. Could you ask Gulliver how to cure her?”
Hans replied, “Certainly, I’ll ask for you.”
He continued his journey until he reached a great river. There was no bridge or boat. Only an exceptionally tall man stood on the bank, carrying people across the river.
The giant asked him, “Where are you headed?“
Hans replied, ”To find the giant bird Gulliver.“
The giant said, ”Then ask him for me: Why must I carry everyone across the river? I’ve been doing this for years.“
Hans said, ”Alright, I’ll ask him for you.”
The giant carried him across the river, and Hans finally reached the giant bird’s home.
But the giant bird wasn’t home—only his wife was there.
Crawling Under the Bed: Stealing Feathers and Overhearing Secrets
Hans told the giant bird’s wife everything:
- He needed to steal a feather;
- The mansion’s owner had lost his keys;
- The castle’s young lady was ill;
- The giant wanted to know why he had to carry people across the river.
The bird’s wife said, “You can’t ask it directly—it’ll eat you. But you can crawl under its bed. Wait until it falls asleep, then secretly pluck a feather. I’ll ask what you want to know.”
Hans agreed and quietly slipped beneath the bed.
That evening, the bird returned and immediately declared, “I smell a Christian!”
The wife said, “A Christian did come, but he’s gone now.”
At midnight, the bird fell asleep, snoring loudly. Hans reached out gently and plucked a beautiful feather.
The bird jolted awake: “I smell a Christian! And someone’s tugging my tail!”
The wife said, “You’re dreaming. The man said he can’t find the key to the manor.”
The bird retorted, “Idiot! The key’s under a pile of wood behind the woodshed door!”
His wife added, “There’s also a girl who’s sick and can’t be cured.”
The bird snapped, “Fool! There’s a toad under the cellar stairs that made a nest with the girl’s hair. Bring back the hair, and she’ll be healed.”
The wife asked again, “Why must the giant by the river carry people across?”
The bird said, “You fool! If he just drops someone in the middle of the river, he’ll never have to carry anyone again.”
Hans heard every word clearly from under the bed.
Early the next morning, the bird flew away. Hans crawled out, clutching the feathers, having memorized all the answers.
Helping Others Helps Yourself
He first returned to the riverbank. The giant immediately asked, “What did Gulliver say?”
Hans replied, “Carry me across first, and I’ll tell you afterward.”
After the giant carried him across, Hans said, “All you need to do is leave someone stranded in the middle of the river, and you’ll never have to carry anyone again.”
The giant was overjoyed. “Thank you! Let me carry you again as a token of my gratitude!”
Hans replied, “No need. I trust you’ve understood.” Then he walked away with a smile.
He went to the sick girl’s house, carried her to the cellar stairs, found the hair-made frog nest, and returned it to her.
The moment the girl received the hair, she leaped to her feet, completely cured! Her parents wept with gratitude and gave him great wealth—gold, silver, cattle, and sheep.
He then returned to the mansion, retrieved the key, and returned it to its owner. The owner also bestowed upon him a great fortune.
Hans returned to the royal palace laden with gold, silver, cattle, sheep, and treasures.
The king asked, “Where did you get all this?”
Hans replied, “The strange bird Graff gave it to me. Whatever I asked for, it provided.”
Upon hearing this, the king thought, “Then I’ll go too!”
He set out immediately and arrived at the riverbank. It happened to be his turn to cross first. The giant remembered Hans’s words, carried him to the middle of the river, threw him into the water, and left.
The king, unable to swim, drowned.
The Fool Becomes King
Hans married the princess and became the new king.
Using the secrets revealed by the strange bird, he helped many people and brought prosperity and peace to the kingdom.
People said, “It turns out ‘Foolish Hans’ wasn’t foolish at all. He simply never lied, never deceived, and was always willing to help others.”
The Truth Behind the Story
On the surface, this tale tells of a “fool becoming king,” but its deeper message is:
True wisdom isn’t about outsmarting others; it’s about honesty, kindness, and a willingness to help.
Why did Hans’s two brothers fail?
Because they feared others would claim credit, so they lied to the dwarf. As a result, their “apples” turned into toad legs and pig bristles.
And Hans?
He always told the truth. He wasn’t afraid for others to know what he was doing, nor did he fear others would take his opportunities. Precisely because he was honest, the dwarf kept his items unchanged.
Later, when he helped others with their problems, it was also out of genuine desire to assist, not for personal gain. In the end, he himself gained wealth and happiness.
Why did the king die?
Because he only saw others benefiting and wanted to take for himself, without realizing Hans’ success came from kindness and honesty, not luck.
What lesson does this story teach us?
1. Honesty paves the way to success
Many believe “cleverness” means deceiving others or keeping secrets. But Hans shows us:
Those who speak truth find peace of mind; those who speak truth rarely face misfortune.
You needn’t fear others knowing your efforts. Hard work itself shouldn’t be hidden.
2. Helping others actually helps yourself
Hans helped three people along the way:
- The owner of the lost key
- The sick girl
- The giant who carried people across the river
He asked for no reward, simply wanting to assist sincerely. Yet in the end, each person gave him wealth, empowering him to complete his quest.
This proves: When you treat others well, the world treats you well in return.
3. Others succeed not through “shortcuts,” but through “character”
The king believed a single visit to the strange bird’s home would grant him everything. But he forgot:
Hans succeeded because he remained honest, diligent, and willing to give along the way.
The true “shortcut” is walking the right path.
4. Being called “foolish” doesn’t mean you truly are
Hans was called a ‘fool’ because he avoided conflict, worked slowly, and rarely spoke.
Yet these very “shortcomings” allowed him to stay focused, work diligently, and never lie.
Sometimes, when others call you “stupid,” it’s because you’re different.
But being different isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
5. A Happy Life Is Built Step by Step
Hans didn’t achieve success overnight. He went through:
- Delivering apples
- Building a boat
- Raising rabbits
- Finding the strange bird
He took each step seriously, relying solely on himself.
This teaches us:
Success never comes for free, nor does any journey you walk.
Final thought:
You don’t need to be exceptionally clever, just honest, kind, and willing to persevere. Then you too can transform from a “fool” into a hero in others’ eyes.
