the Clever Servant

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　How fortunate is the master and how well it goes within his household when he has a clever servant who, to be sure, hears his orders, but does not obey them, preferring instead to follow his own wisdom.

　　A clever Hans of this kind was once sent out by his master to look for a lost cow. He stayed away a long time, and the master thought, "My faithful Hans is not sparing any pains with his work."

　　But when he did not return at all, the master was afraid that something had happened to him, and he himself went out to look for him.

　　He had to look for a long time, but at last he caught sight of his servant running up and down a large field.

　　"Now, dear Hans," said the master after catching up with him, "did you find the cow that I sent you after?"

　　"No, master," he answered, "I did not find the cow, but then I have not been looking for it either."

　　"then what have you been looking for, Hans?"

　　"Something better. And fortunately I have found it."

　　"What is it?"

　　"Three blackbirds," answered the servant.

　　"And where are they?" asked the master.

　　"I see one of them, I hear the other, and I am chasing after the third," answered the clever servant.

　　Take an example from this. Do not trouble yourselves about your masters or their orders. Instead, just do what comes to you and makes you happy, and then you will act just as wisely as did clever Hans.

如果主人有一個聰明的小伙計，他既順從聽話，又能憑著自己的聰明才智行事，那主人多幸運啊，他的家又該是多安樂！曾有這樣一位聰明的小伙計漢斯，一次主人讓他去找回走失的牛，他出去后好長時間沒回家，主人想：“漢廝多忠心，干起活來多賣力！”可這么晚他還沒回來，主人擔心他出意外，便親自起身去找他。他找了好久，最后總算瞧見漢斯在寬闊的田野另一頭，正一蹦一跳地朝他迎面趕來。“喂！親愛的漢斯，我打發你去找牛，找到沒有？”主人走近問。“沒有，老爺。我沒有找到牛，不過我也沒去找。”小伙計答道。“那你去找甚么了，漢斯？”“找更好的東西，很幸運找到了。”“是甚么，漢斯？”“三只山鳥。”小傢伙答道。“在哪里？”主人問。“我見到一只，聽到一只，然后拔腿去趕第三只。”聰明的小傢伙回答道。

　　學學榜樣吧！別再為主人或他們的命令犯愁。想干甚么，樂意怎么干，盡管去做，到時你肯定會像聰明的漢斯一樣機智。