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Northern Fairy Tales
Clever Richard
Clever Richard
Richard's mother said, "Where are you going, Dick?"
Richard answered, "To Gretel."
"Behave well, Richard."
"Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Dick."
Richard comes to Gretel. "Good day, Gretel."
"Good day, Richard. What do you bring that is good?"
"I bring nothing, I want to have something given me."
Gretel presents Richard with a needle. Richard says, "Good-bye, Gretel."
"Good-bye, Richard."
Richard takes the needle, sticks it into a hay-cart, and follows the cart home.
"Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Dick. Where have you been?"
"With Gretel."
"What did you take her?"
"I took her nothing, had something given me."
"What did Gretel give you?"
"Gave me a needle."
"Where is the needle, Dick?"
"Stuck it in the hay-cart."
"That was pretty dumb, Dick. You should have stuck the needle in your sleeve."
"Never mind. I'll do better next time."
"Where are you going, Dick?"
Richard answered, "To Gretel."
"Behave well, Richard."
"Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Dick."
Richard comes to Gretel. "Good day, Gretel."
"Good day, Richard. What do you bring that is good?"
"I bring nothing, I want to have something given me."
Gretel presents Richard with a knife.
"Good-bye, Gretel."
"Good-bye Richard."
Richard takes the knife, sticks it in his sleeve, and goes home.
"Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Dick. Where have you been?"
"With Gretel."
"What did you take her?"
"Took her nothing, she gave me something."
"What did Gretel give you?"
"Gave me a knife."
"Where is the knife, Dick?"
"Stuck in my sleeve."
"That's pretty dumb, Dick, you should have put the knife in your pocket."
"Never mind. I'll do better next time."
"Where are you going, Dick?"
Richard answered, "To Gretel."
"Behave well, Richard."
"Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Dick."
Richard comes to Gretel. "Good day, Gretel."
"Good day, Richard. What do you bring that is good?"
"I bring nothing, I want to have something given me."
Gretel presents Richard with a young goat.
"Good-bye, Gretel."
"Good-bye Richard."
Richard takes the goat, ties its legs, and puts it in his pocket. When he gets
home it is suffocated.
"Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Dick. Where have you been?"
"With Gretel."
"What did you take her?"
"Took her nothing, she gave me something."
"What did Gretel give you?"
"Gave me a young goat."
"Where is the goat, Dick?"
"Put it in my pocket."
"That was pretty dumb, Dick, you should have put a rope round the goat's
neck."
"Never mind. I'll do better next time."
"Where are you going, Dick?"
Richard answered, "To Gretel."
"Behave well, Richard."
"Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Dick."
Richard comes to Gretel. "Good day, Gretel."
"Good day, Richard. What do you bring that is good?"
"I bring nothing, I want to have something given me."
Gretel presents Richard with a piece of bacon.
Richard says, "Good-bye, Gretel."
"Good-bye, Richard."
Richard takes the bacon, ties it to a rope, and drags it away behind him. The
dogs come and devour the bacon. When he gets home, he has the rope in his hand,
and there is no longer anything hanging to it.
"Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Dick. Where have you been?"
"With Gretel."
"What did you take her?"
"I took her nothing, had something given me."
"What did Gretel give you?"
"Gave me a piece of bacon."
"Where is the piece of bacon, Dick?"
"I tied it to a rope, brought it home, dogs took it."
"That was pretty dumb, Dick. You should have carried the bacon on your
head."
"Never mind. I'll do better next time."
"Where are you going, Dick?"
Richard answered, "To Gretel."
"Behave well, Richard."
"Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Dick."
Richard comes to Gretel. "Good day, Gretel."
"Good day, Richard. What do you bring that is good?"
"I bring nothing, I want to have something given me."
Gretel presents Richard with a calf. Richard says, "Good-bye, Gretel."
"Good-bye, Richard."
Richard takes the calf, puts it on his head, and the calf kicks his face.
"Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Dick. Where have you been?"
"With Gretel."
"What did you take her?"
"I took her nothing, had something given me."
"What did Gretel give you?"
"A calf."
"Where is the calf, Dick?"
"I set it on my head and it kicked my face."
"That was pretty dumb, Dick. You should have led the calf, and put it in
the stall."
"Never mind. I'll do better next time."
"Where are you going, Dick?"
Richard answered, "To Gretel."
"Behave well, Richard."
"Oh, I'll behave well. Good-bye, mother."
"Good-bye, Dick."
Richard comes to Gretel. "Good day, Gretel."
"Good day, Richard. What do you bring that is good?"
"I bring nothing, I want to have something given me."
Gretel says "I will go with you."
Richard takes Gretel, ties her to a rope, leads her to the rack and binds her
fast.
"Good evening, mother."
"Good evening, Dick. Where have you been?"
"With Gretel."
"What did you take her?"
"I took her nothing."
"What did Gretel give you?"
"She gave me nothing, she came with me."
"Where have you left Gretel, Dick?"
"I led her by the rope, tied her to the rack, and scattered some grass
for her."
"That was pretty dumb, Dick. You should have cast friendly eyes on her."
"Never mind. I'll do better next time."
Richard went into the stable, cut out all the calves' and sheep's eyes, and
threw them in Gretel's face. Then Gretel grew angry, tore herself loose and
ran away, and was no longer the bride of 'Clever' Richard!
Based on Clever Hans
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