Little Claus and Big Claus

"Little Claus and Big Claus" is a humorous and satirical fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The story revolves around two men, Little Claus and Big Claus, who share the same name but possess very different personalities and circumstances. Here's a summary of the plot:

Little Claus is a poor farmer who owns only one horse. In contrast, Big Claus is a wealthy farmer who has many horses but is envious of Little Claus's good fortune in having a horse. One day, Big Claus decides to steal Little Claus's horse, so he sneaks into Little Claus's stable at night and takes the horse away.

However, Little Claus is clever. He discovers Big Claus's deceit and decides to seek revenge. He goes to a judge and tells him the story. The judge, curious about the situation, arranges a meeting between Little Claus and Big Claus in the courtroom.

During the hearing, Little Claus tells an absurd story about his horse, claiming that it can predict the weather. He says that the horse told him that a severe drought is coming, so he should sow his grain early. Big Claus becomes worried, thinking that he might lose his crops, so he proposes a trade. He offers Little Claus his own horses in exchange for the seemingly clairvoyant horse.

Little Claus agrees to the trade, and as he leads Big Claus's horses home, he intentionally drives them into a river, where they drown. He then continues his journey with the remaining horse, but he faces another challenge when he encounters a group of thieves.

Little Claus cleverly tricks the thieves by pretending that the horse is not his but belongs to a wealthy man in a nearby town. The thieves, thinking they might get a reward, spare Little Claus's life and let him go.

In the end, Little Claus returns home with a bag full of money that the thieves had given him, along with the satisfaction of having outsmarted Big Claus and the thieves. The tale ends on a humorous note, highlighting the wit and cunning of Little Claus.

"Little Claus and Big Claus" is a classic example of Andersen's storytelling, incorporating humor, satire, and clever plot twists to convey a moral lesson about wit prevailing over greed and dishonesty.