A folktale - Clumsy Hans

Assignment week 2 post 1 /

A folktale from Denmark

Clumsy Hans by H.C.Anderson.

Far out in the country side there was an old mansion. An old squire lived there with his two witty sons. They had height thought about them self. They believed they were clever for words. They decided to propose to the King’s Daughter, because she had announced publicly that she would take the man who had most capable to speak for himself to be her husband.

The two brothers had 8 days to prepare for the travel to the king’s castle in town. It was all the time they had, but it was enough for they had many accomplishment and had been recognized how useful it was and would be.

The first brother knew the whole Latin dictionary by heart and the town's newspaper for three years - so well that he could repeat it backward or forward.

The second brother had learned all the articles of law and knew what every alderman must know. He was sure talk all about governmental affairs and beside he could embroider belts because he was very gentle and good with his fingers.

Both of them said “I will win the Princess!”. The father also agreed with their statement. He gave them a beautiful horse each.

The First brother got a coal-black horse. The second brother got a milk-white horse. To make them self be  more fluently speaker (glib). They both smeared corner of their mouth with cod-liver oil.

At the depart day, all servant was assembled in the courtyard to watch them mount their horse, and just before they rode of,  the Third brother came up, because the squire had 3 sons. Although the 3rd was his son, but nobody paid attention to him, because he was not learned and intelligent as the two older. In fact everybody called him “Clumsy Hans”

He asked where the two brothers were going, since they were dress up. The two told “Clumsy Hans “that they were going to the King’s court  and freer to the princess, who was proclaiming all over the country by the king’s drummer, that she would take the man who was best capable to speak for him self to be her husband

Clumsy Hans thank you to his two older brothers and told them he also would like to go, but his brothers only busted out in laughter as they rode away . Clumsy Hans went to his father. He asked his father for a horse , and told him,  that the princess would take him and if she did not take him , he would take her. His father replied., that was a lot of nonsense! Clumsy Hans would not get any horse from him, because he mean,  Clumsy Hans didn't know how to speak properly and not intelligent as other brothers."

Since Clumsy Hans couldn’t have a horse, he decided to mounte his own goat, because his said his goat could carrier him as well as a horse. He dug his heels into sides of his goat and galloped off to the highway. He was happy and signing all the way. It was so load that his voice could heard far away. When he met someone on the way,  Clumsy Hans shouted “Alley-opp! What a ride! Here I come!"

In apposite to his relax , noisy and joyful attitude, his two brothers rode quietly ahead of him. They did not speak a word, because they were thinking for preparing and memorized beforehand of all the clever speeches they would need to make at the meeting with princess.

On the road Clumsy Hans had picked up a dead crow, an old wooden shoe with upper part’s was broken off. He told to his brother that he would give those to the Princess. They laughed at him . They told him clumsy, and rode on far in advance of him. In the end of the country road Clumsy Hans told his brothers that the princess would be pleased with the black mud out of the ditch which he fill his pockets with. He brother took no notice of him any more. They galloped ahead as fast they could. And they arrived to the town gate a full hour a head of Hans.

At the gate each suitor got a number ticket and in line. They were arrange in rows, six to a row. It was packed and tightly that they could not move their arms. It was planed wisely, otherwise they could be chaos. They would chop each other to pieces. There were many people in town, who stood around the castle. They were peering in through windows to watch how the suitors of young man became tongue-tied after meeting with princess. The Princess rejection was "No good! Take him away!"

At last it was the 1st brother’s turn. He was the one who were able to memorize the dictionary by heard, but he had completely forgotten it, while he was in line and when he entered the guest room, he heard the floor creaked under his footsteps, and saw himself standing on his head, because the ceiling was covered by minors. He also noticed there were three clerks and an alderman stood at each window. They wrote down every word that had been spoken, and went immediately to printed in the newspaper that was sold for two pennies on the street corners

It was an extreme experience , and besides the stoves in the room were fires up. The fire was so hot that the pipe was glowed in red

The 1st brother said as he entered to the guest room "It's terribly hot in here,". The princess replied, because her father was roasting chicken. He got surprise by princess answered. He only able to said "Baa!". Then he got stump. He did not prepare for a speech of this kind. He could not find a word to say. The princess said "No good, Out with him!" ‘she was sent him away as other suitors.

The second brother approached, he said "It's dreadfully warm hereL" The Princess replied "Yes, we're roasting chickens today," he stammered "What-what did you-uh-what?", and all the clerks carefully wrote down, "What-what did you-uh-what?" as the 1st bother the Princess replied again "No good, Out with him!" as consequently he need to leave.

Now it was Clumsy Hans's turn, and he rode his billy goat right into the hall. He said  "Terribly hot in here." The Princess replied "I'm roasting young chickens," Clumsy Hans asked "Why, that's fine! Then I suppose I can get my crow roasted?" The princess told him that he could, but if he had something to roast with, because they were running out of pots and pans.

Clumsy Hans replied he had a cooking pot with tin handle, at same time he pulled out the old wooden broken shoe and put the crow right into it . The Princess looked at Clumsy Hans and said " that's enough for a whole meal! but where do we get the gravy from?" Clumsy Hans replied that he had in his pocket , and in fact he had much of it, so he afforded to spill some of it. Then he poured a little of the mud from his pocket. The princess liked his answered and told him that he had an answer for everything, and he knew how to speak. She would take him to be her husband. But she want to frighten him and see how his reaction would be . She pointed at the clerks and the chief magistrate (alderman ), She told Clumsy Hans “do you know that everything we've said and are saying is written down and will be published in the paper tomorrow? Look over there, you'll see in each window three clerks and an old alderman, and that alderman is the worst of all; he doesn't understand anything!" She said, but all the clerks amused with what they just heard and saw. They burst ed in laughter that led to spurt blots of ink on the floor. Clumsy Hans said. "Oh, so these are the gentlemen! I must give the alderman the best thing I have." Then he turned out his pockets and threw the wet mud in the face of the alderman. The Princess told Clumsy Hans. It was Cleverly done! She could never have done that, but she would learn in time!

So Clumsy Hans was made a king, with a wife and a crown, and he sat on a throne