One day, Hans’s mother asked, "Where are you going, Hans?"
"To see Gretel, mother," he answered.
"Behave well, Hans."
"I will. Goodbye!"
When Hans arrived, Gretel gave him a needle. Hans said goodbye, stuck the needle into a hay cart, and followed it home.
"Where is the needle, Hans?" his mother asked.
"In the hay cart," he said.
"That was a mistake, Hans! You should have put the needle in your sleeve."
"I'll do better next time," Hans promised.
The next time Hans visited Gretel, she gave him a knife. Hans remembered his mother’s advice and stuck the knife in his sleeve. When he got home, the knife was gone.
"You should have put the knife in your pocket, Hans!" his mother said.
"I'll do better next time."
Next, Gretel gave Hans a young goat. Hans tied the goat’s legs and pushed it into his pocket. By the time he got home, the poor animal could not breathe.
"You should have tied a rope around its neck and led it home," his mother sighed.
"I'll do better next time."
Next, Gretel gave Hans a piece of bacon. Hans tied a rope to the bacon and dragged it behind him on the ground. The local dogs came and ate it all.
"You should have carried the bacon on your head, Hans!"
"I'll do better next time."
Next, Gretel gave Hans a calf. Hans put the calf on his head, but it kicked him in the face.
"You should have led the calf to the stable," his mother told him.
"I'll do better next time."
Finally, Hans went to Gretel again. This time, Gretel said, "I will go home with you."
Hans took a rope, tied Gretel’s neck, and led her to the stable. He tied her up and threw some grass for her to eat. Then he went to see his mother.
"Where have you left Gretel?" his mother asked.
"I tied her in the stable and gave her some grass," Hans said.
"Hans! That was terrible! You should have looked at her with friendly eyes."
"I'll do better," said Hans.
Hans went into the stable, cut out the eyes of all the sheep and cows, and threw them at Gretel’s face. Gretel was so angry that she broke the rope and ran away. She never wanted to see Hans again.