Clever Hans

The mother of Hans said, "Whither away, Hans?" Hans answered, "To Grethel." - "Behave well, Hans." - "Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother." - "Good-bye, Hans." Hans comes to Grethel, "Good day, Grethel." - "Good day, Hans. What dost thou bring that is good?" - "I bring nothing, I want to have something given me." Grethel presents Hans with a needle. Hans says, "Good-bye, Grethel." - "Good-bye, Hans."
Hans takes the needle, sticks it into a hay-cart, and follows the cart home. "Good evening, mother." - "Good evening, Hans. Where hast thou been?" - "With Grethel." - "What didst thou take her?" - "Took nothing; had something given me." - "What did Grethel give thee?" - "Gave me a needle." - "Where is the needle, Hans?" - "Stuck it in the hay-cart." - "That was ill done, Hans. Thou shouldst have stuck the needle in thy sleeve." - "Never mind, I'll do better next time."

"Whither away, Hans?" - "To Grethel, mother." - "Behave well, Hans." - "Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother." - "Good-bye, Hans."

Hans comes to Grethel. "Good day, Grethel." - "Good day, Hans. What dost thou bring that is good?" - "I bring nothing; I want to have something given to me." Grethel presents Hans with a knife. "Good-bye, Grethel." - "Good-bye Hans." Hans takes the knife, sticks it in his sleeve, and goes home. "Good evening, mother." - "Good evening, Hans. Where hast thou been?" - "With Grethel." - "What didst thou take her?" - "Took her nothing, she gave me something." - "What did Grethel give thee?" - "Gave me a knife." - "Where is the knife, Hans?" - "Stuck in my sleeve." - "That's ill done, Hans, thou shouldst have put the knife in thy pocket." - "Never mind, will do better next time." - "Whither away, Hans?" - "To Grethel, mother. " - "Behave well, Hans." - "Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother." - "Good-bye, Hans."

Hans comes to Grethel. "Good day, Grethel." - "Good day, Hans. What good thing dost thou bring?" - "I bring nothing, I want something given me." Grethel presents Hans with a young goat. "Good-bye, Grethel." - "Good-bye, Hans." Hans takes the goat, ties its legs, and puts it in his pocket. When he gets home it is suffocated. "Good evening, mother." - "Good evening, Hans. Where hast thou been?" - "With Grethel." - "What didst thou take her?" - "Took nothing, she gave me something." - "What did Grethel give thee?" - "She gave me a goat." - "Where is the goat, Hans?" - "Put it in my pocket." - "That was ill done, Hans, thou shouldst have put a rope round the goat's neck." - "Never mind, will do better next time."