Children's stories, English; Fairy tales; Short stories, English
“‘Good-bye,’ said little Hans, and he began to dig away quite merrily, he
was so pleased about the wheelbarrow.
“The next day he was nailing up some honeysuckle against the porch, when
he heard the Miller’s voice calling to him from the road. So he jumped
off the ladder, and ran down the garden, and looked over the wall.
“There was the Miller with a large sack of flour on his back.
“‘Dear little Hans,’ said the Miller, ‘would you mind carrying this sack
of flour for me to market?’
“‘Oh, I am so sorry,’ said Hans, ‘but I am really very busy to-day. I
have got all my creepers to nail up, and all my flowers to water, and all
my grass to roll.’
“‘Well, really,’ said the Miller, ‘I think that, considering that I am
going to give you my wheelbarrow, it is rather unfriendly of you to
refuse.’
“‘Oh, don’t say that,’ cried little Hans, ‘I wouldn’t be unfriendly for
the whole world’; and he ran in for his cap, and trudged off with the big
sack on his shoulders.
“It was a very hot day, and the road was terribly dusty, and before Hans
had reached the sixth milestone he was so tired that he had to sit down
and rest. However, he went on bravely, and as last he reached the
market. After he had waited there some time, he sold the sack of flour
for a very good price, and then he returned home at once, for he was
afraid that if he stopped too late he might meet some robbers on the way.
“‘It has certainly been a hard day,’ said little Hans to himself as he
was going to bed, ‘but I am glad I did not refuse the Miller, for he is
my best friend, and, besides, he is going to give me his wheelbarrow.’
“Early the next morning the Miller came down to get the money for his
sack of flour, but little Hans was so tired that he was still in bed.
“‘Upon my word,’ said the Miller, ‘you are very lazy. Really,
considering that I am going to give you my wheelbarrow, I think you might
work harder. Idleness is a great sin, and I certainly don’t like any of
my friends to be idle or sluggish. You must not mind my speaking quite
plainly to you. Of course I should not dream of doing so if I were not
your friend. But what is the good of friendship if one cannot say
exactly what one means? Anybody can say charming things and try to
please and to flatter, but a true friend always says unpleasant things,
and does not mind giving pain. Indeed, if he is a really true friend he
prefers it, for he knows that then he is doing good.’
“‘I am very sorry,’ said little Hans, rubbing his eyes and pulling off
his night-cap, ‘but I was so tired that I thought I would lie in bed for
a little time, and listen to the birds singing. Do you know that I
always work better after hearing the birds sing?’
“‘Well, I am glad of that,’ said the Miller, clapping little Hans on the
back, ‘for I want you to come up to the mill as soon as you are dressed,
and mend my barn-roof for me.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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