Hans was walking down the road with the sun on his face and a smile that could light up the sky. Why wouldn’t he be smiling? He’d just finished seven whole years of hard work and was headed home with a shiny lump of gold—his payment for all those days of sweating and fixing and lifting. Life was looking pretty good for Hans. But as you’ll see, Hans had a special skill: no matter what happened, he could turn it into happiness.

As Hans trudged along, the gold grew heavy—so heavy that his arms started to ache. Just then, he spotted a man riding a horse. The horse’s coat shimmered in the sunlight, and Hans thought, “Now, wouldn’t it be grand to ride instead of walk?” The man saw Hans eyeing the horse and offered a deal. “You take my horse, and I’ll take your gold. It’ll be a fair swap!” Hans agreed in a heartbeat and climbed onto the horse. But as soon as the horse took off, it bucked and tossed Hans into a prickly bush.

Hans picked himself up, scratched and sore, but not at all frowning. “Well, I suppose walking is safer anyway,” he said cheerfully. Along came another man, this time with a cow. Hans admired the cow’s big, gentle eyes and thought of the creamy milk he could drink every day. The cow-owner offered a trade: the horse for the cow. Hans thought this was a splendid idea and led his new cow along the road, dreaming of milk and butter.

But as Hans stopped to milk the cow, he realized she wouldn’t give a single drop. Another traveler came by, leading a squealing pig. “That cow’s no good for you,” said the traveler. “Why don’t you trade it for my pig? Pigs are easy to carry around, and they’re very useful.” Thinking the pig was a fine idea, Hans agreed and happily trotted off with the pig.

Soon, Hans met a woman with a squawking goose under her arm. She eyed his pig and said, “Oh dear, that pig looks like it was stolen! You’ll be in trouble if anyone sees you with it. But I can help—I’ll trade my goose for your pig.” Hans, always one for a cheerful solution, agreed and hugged his new goose tight. “I’ll have the fluffiest feathers and tastiest eggs!” he thought.

As Hans walked with his goose, he met a man sharpening scissors. The scissors sparkled, and the man explained that life is easy when you have a good set of sharp tools. Hans, eager to try something new, traded his goose for the scissors. But as Hans attempted to sharpen things, he only managed to dull the scissors and nick his fingers.

Finally, Hans stopped by a pond to wash his hands. He fumbled and dropped the scissors into the water. They sank without a splash. Watching the ripples fade, Hans laughed so loudly that nearby birds flew off in surprise. “Well, I’ve got nothing left to carry, and that makes me the freest man in the world!” he said. And with a whistle and a hop, Hans skipped down the road, as happy as ever.

Sometimes, Hans’s trades might seem silly, but he never worried about what he lost. After all, happiness isn’t about what you own—it’s about how you see the world.