“Good evening, mother,” said he.

“Good evening, Hans.  Where have you been?”

“To Grethel’s, mother.”

“What did you take her?”

“I took nothing; she gave to me.”

“And what did Grethel give you?”

“A piece of bacon,” said Hans.

“And where have you put it?”

“I tied it with a rope, swung it about, and the dogs came and ate it up.”

“There you acted stupidly, Hans; you should have carried the bacon on your head.”

“To behave better, do nothing,” thought Hans.

“Whither away, Hans?”

“To Grethel’s, mother.”

“Behave well, Hans.”

“I’ll take care; good-bye, mother.”

“Good-bye, Hans.”

Hans came to Grethel.  “Good day,” said he.

“Good day, Hans.  What treasure do you bring?”

“I bring nothing.  Have you anything to give?”

Grethel gave Hans a calf.  “Good-bye,” said Hans.  “Good-bye,” said
Grethel.

Hans took the calf, set it on his head, and the calf scratched his face.

“Good evening, mother.”

“Good evening, Hans.  Where have you been?”

“To Grethel’s.”

“What did you take to her?”

“I took nothing; she gave to me.”

“And what did Grethel give you?”

“A calf,” said Hans.

“And what did you do with it?”

“I set it on my head and it kicked my face.”

“Then you acted stupidly, Hans; you should have led the calf home and put it in the stall.”

“To behave better, do nothing,” thought Hans.

“Whither away, Hans?”

“To Grethel’s, mother.”

“Behave well, Hans.”

“I’ll take care; good-bye, mother.”

“Good-bye, Hans.”

Hans came to Grethel.  “Good day,” said he.

“Good day, Hans.  What treasure do you bring?”

“I bring nothing.  Have you anything to give?”

Grethel said, “I will go with you, Hans.”

Hans tied a rope round Grethel, led her home, put her in the stall and made the rope fast; then he went to his mother.

“Good evening, mother.”

“Good evening, Hans.  Where have you been?”

“To Grethel’s.”

“What did you take her?”

“I took nothing.”

“What did Grethel give you?”

“She gave nothing; she came with me.”

“And where have you left her, then?”

“I tied her with a rope, put her in the stall, and threw her some grass.”

“Then you have acted stupidly, Hans; you should have looked at her with friendly eyes.”

“To behave better, do nothing,” thought Hans; and then he went into the stall, and made sheep’s eyes at Grethel.

And after that Grethel became Hans’s wife.

The Brothers Grimm, Jakob and Wilhelm, were very learned German scholars who lived during the first half of the nineteenth century.  They were both professors at the University of Gottingen, and published many important works, among them a famous dictionary.  In their own country it is, of course, these learned works which have given them much of their fame, but in other countries they are chiefly known for their Fairy Tales.