The Thief and his Master

Hans wanted his son to learn a trade. He went to church and prayed to God to know which trade would be best for him. The clerk hid behind the altar and said, “Thieving, thieving.” So Hans went back to his son and told him that God had said he should learn thieving.

Then Hans and his son went to find a man who knew thieving. They walked for a long time and came to a big forest. In the forest stood a little house with an old woman inside.

Hans asked, “Do you know a man who knows thieving?” The woman said, “You can learn that here. My son is a master thief.” So Hans spoke with the son and asked if he really knew thieving well. The master thief said, “I will teach him well. Come back in a year.

If you recognize your son, I will take no payment. But if you don’t know him, you must give me two hundred thalers.”

The father went home. The son learned witchcraft and thieving very well. When the year was over, the father was very worried. He did not know how he would recognize his son. As he walked around troubled, he met a little dwarf. The dwarf said, “Man, what is wrong?

Why are you so worried?” Hans said, “A year ago I put my son with a master thief. I must come back now. If I don’t know my son, I must pay two hundred thalers. But if I know him, I pay nothing.

I am afraid I won’t know him, and I don’t have the money.” The dwarf told him to take a small basket of bread and stand under the chimney. “There on the crossbeam is a basket. A little bird is peeping out of it. That is your son.”

Hans went there. He threw a little basket full of black bread in front of the basket with the bird. The little bird came out and looked up. “Hello, my son, are you here?” said the father. The son was happy to see his father. But the master thief said, “The devil must have told you! How could you know your son?” The youth said, “Father, let us go.”

So the father and son went home. On the way, a carriage came driving by. The son said to his father, “I will change into a big greyhound. You can earn money by selling me.” The gentleman in the carriage called, “My man, will you sell your dog?” “Yes,” said the father.

“How much?” “Thirty thalers.” “That is a lot, but it is a very fine dog. I will take it.” The gentleman took the dog into the carriage. But after they had driven a little way, the dog jumped out of the carriage window and ran back to his father.

It was no longer a greyhound.

They went home together. The next day there was a fair in the nearby town. The youth said to his father, “Now I will change into a beautiful horse. You can sell me. But when you sell me, you must take off my bridle, or I cannot become a man again.” The father went with the horse to the fair.

The master thief came and bought the horse for a hundred thalers. But the father forgot to take off the bridle. So the man took the horse home and put it in the stable. When the maid came into the stable, the horse said, “Take off my bridle, take off my bridle.” The maid stood still and said, “What, can you speak?” She took off the bridle.

The horse turned into a sparrow and flew out the door. The wizard turned into a sparrow too and flew after him. They met and cast lots. The master lost. Then he went to the water and became a fish. The youth also became a fish. They cast lots again.

The master lost again. Then the master turned into a cock. The youth turned into a fox and bit the master’s head off. The master died and has stayed dead to this day.