Gambling Hansel by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Name: Gambling Hansel
Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

A brother and sister are abandoned in the forest by their father who has been tricked into doing so by his wife. The children survive with the help of a bird that drops them food. They stumble upon a house made of bread, meat, and vegetables where they eat as much as they want but are discovered by an old woman who locks them up to fatten them for eating.

By Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm · First published 1815 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Moral Story · 1,162 words

First lines

Once upon a time there was a man who did nothing but gamble, and for that reason people never called him anything but Gambling Hansel, and as he never ceased to gamble, he played away his house and all that he had. Now the very day before his creditors were to take his house from him, came the Lord and St. Peter, and asked him to give them shelter for the night. Then Gambling Hansel said, "For my part, you may stay the night, but I cannot give you a bed or anything to eat. " So the Lord said he was just to take them in, and they themselves would buy something to eat, to which Gambling Hansel made no objection. Thereupon St. Peter gave him three groschen, and said he was to go to the baker's and fetch some bread. So Gambling Hansel went, but when he reached the house where the other gambling vagabonds were gathered together, they, although they had won all that he had, greeted him clamorously, and said, "Hansel, do come in. " "Oh," said he, "do you want to win the three groschen too? " On this they would not let him go. So he went in, and played away the three groschen also. Meanwhile St. Peter and the Lord were waiting, and as he was so long in coming, they set out to meet him. When Gambling Hansel came, however, he pretended that the money had fallen into the gutter, and kept raking about in it all the while to find it, but our Lord already knew that he had lost it in play. St. Peter again gave him three groschen, and now he did not allow himself to be led away once more, but fetched them the loaf. Our Lord then inquired if he had no wine, and he said, "Alack, sir, the casks are all empty! " But the Lord said he was to go down into the cellar, for the best wine was still there. For a long time he would not believe this, but at length he said, "Well, I will go down, but I know that there is none there."

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Similar titles

Genres

Fairy Tale — The story features fantastical elements, moral lessons, and supernatural characters typical of fairy tales.
Fantasy — Incorporates magical elements such as enchanted cards, dice, and a tree with special properties.
Moral Story — Contains a moral lesson about the consequences of gambling and greed.
Religious Fiction — Includes religious figures like the Lord and St. Peter, and explores themes of morality and the afterlife.

What this Textopian page supports

Gambling Hansel is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, dated 1815 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Fable
Author: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Date: 1815 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Moral Story, Religious Fiction, Comedy
Length: 1,162 words
Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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