him stories, and taught him to read an old book of tales about knights which she found in the

　　cave. When Hans was nine years old, he made himself a strong club out of a branch of fir, hid it

　　behind the bed, and then went to his mother and said, "Dear mother, pray tell me who is my

　　father; I must and will know." His mother was silent and would not tell him, that he might not

　　become home-sick; moreover she knew that the godless robbers would not let him go away, but

　　it almost broke her heart that Hans should not go to his father. In the night, when the robbers

　　came home from their robbing expedition, Hans brought out his club, stood before the captain,

　　and said, "I now wish to know who is my father, and if thou dost not at once tell me I will strike

　　thee down." Then the captain laughed, and gave Hans such a box on the ear that he rolled under

　　the table. Hans got up again, held his tongue, and thought, "I will wait another year and then try

　　again, perhaps I shall do better then." When the year was over, he brought out his club again,

　　rubbed the dust off it, looked at it well, and said, "It is a stout strong club." At night the robbers

　　came home, drank one jug of wine after another, and their heads began to be heavy. Then Hans

　　brought out his club, placed himself before the captain, and asked him who was his father? But

　　the captain again gave him such a vigorous box on the ear that Hans rolled under the table, but it

　　was not long before he was up again, and beat the captain and the robbers so with his club, that

　　they could no longer move either their arms or their legs. His mother stood in a corner full of

　　admiration of his bravery and strength. When Hans had done his work, he went to his mother,

　　and said, "Now I have shown myself to be in earnest, but now I must also know who is my　　father." "Dear Hans," answered the mother, "come, we will go and seek him until we find him."

　　She took from the captain the key to the entrance-door, and Hans fetched a great meal-sack and

　　packed into it gold and silver, and whatsoever else he could find that was beautiful, until it was

　　full, and then he took it on his back. They left the cave, but how Hans did open his eyes when he

　　came out of the darkness into daylight, and saw the green forest, and the flowers, and the birds,

　　and the morning sun in the sky. He stood there and wondered at everything just as if he had not

　　been very wise. His mother looked for the way home, and when they had walked for a couple of

　　hours, they got safely into their lonely valley and to their little house. The father was sitting in