Hans in luck

This is an entertaining story with a fun and predictable plot. After years of work, Hans is rewarded with a lump of gold. But while carrying the heavy lump homeward, he trades it for a horse. Then he keeps trading down, rom horse to cow, from cow to pig, and so on, until he winds up with a grindstone that falls into the bottom of a well. It's clear that the people Hans meets are taking advantage of him, but this is still a happy story, as Hans himself is thrilled with each trade, and is even ecstatic when the burdensome stone falls into the well. His naïve buoyancy is uplifting, and may teach a lesson on perspective. This is a good introduction to fairy tales for children, and the illustrations are terrific, with bright colors and interesting characters. I definitely recommend this book for young people.