When Hans had done his work, he went to his mother, and said,
"Now I have shown myself to be in earnest, but now I must also know who
is my father." "Dear Hans," answered the mother, "come, we will go and
seek him until we find him." She took from the captain the key to the
entrance-door, and Hans fetched a great meal-sack and packed into it
gold and silver, and whatsoever else he could find that was beautiful,
until it was full, and then he took it on his back. They left the cave,
but how Hans did open his eyes when he came out of the darkness into
daylight, and saw the green forest, and the flowers, and the birds, and
the morning sun in the sky. He stood there and wondered at everything
just as if he had not been very wise. His mother looked for the way home,
and when they had walked for a couple of hours, they got safely into
their lonely valley and to their little house. The father was sitting
in the doorway. He wept for joy when he recognized his wife and heard
that Hans was his son, for he had long regarded them both as dead. But
Hans, although he was not twelve years old, was a head taller than his
father.
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