Gambling Hansel

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Gambling Hansel is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. It’s about a man who loves gambling so much that he loses his home and all he has.

One night the Lord and Saint Peter come to him for shelter. Hansel agrees to take them in but offers no bed or food first. The Lord says they will pay for themselves, and Saint Peter gives Hansel three coins and sends him to buy bread. Hansel goes to a tavern where other gamblers gather and, instead of helping them, he gambles away the coins. The Lord and Saint Peter wait; Hansel pretends the money fell into the gutter and that he’s looking for it, but the Lord knows the truth. Saint Peter gives him another three coins and a loaf. The Lord asks for wine, but Hansel claims the casks are empty. They go to the cellar and find the best wine there. That night they stay together.

The next morning the Lord allows Hansel to beg for three favors. Hansel asks for: a pack of cards that will always win, dice that will always win, and a tree that bears every fruit but from which no one can descend until Hansel lets them down. The Lord grants all three, and Hansel begins to win huge amounts of wealth.

Death is sent to him, but Hansel keeps Death waiting while he plays. He climbs a tree to gather fruit and keeps Death up there for seven years, so no one dies. The Lord and Saint Peter worry that without death, people would live forever, so they decide to release Death. Hansel is told to bring Death down. He goes to Death and says, “Come down,” and Death takes him to the next world.

Hansel tries Heaven first, but Heaven refuses him because of his gambling. Purgatory also refuses. He is allowed into Hell, where Lucifer and the devils are waiting. Hansel gambles again and wins them all, even turning Heaven’s gate into chaos with his tricks. To keep Heaven from collapsing, Saint Peter and the Lord decide to throw him out. Hansel’s soul shatters and its fragments scatter into gamblers who live to this day.

The tale links Gambling Hansel with Brother Lustig, another story where the Devil is tricked. It’s often told as an explanation for why some people become compulsive gamblers and how free will fits with an all-knowing God, who still grants the wishes that lead to Hansel’s downfall.