# The Thief and His Master explained — Household Tales > Chapter companion for Household Tales by Jacob Grimm. ## What happens Hans, seeking a trade for his son, is misled by a clerk into believing thieving is divinely sanctioned. He places his son with a master-thief under a wager: if Hans cannot recognize his son after a year, he must pay two hundred thalers. With the help of a dwarf, Hans succeeds, and the son returns home. The son then demonstrates his thieving and shape-shifting abilities by transforming into a greyhound and a horse, but the master-thief pursues him. A series of transformations and contests ensue, culminating in the son becoming a fox and killing the master-thief. ## Themes in this chapter ### Transformation and Redemption The son's ability to transform into animals and ultimately defeat his master illustrates a journey of self-transformation and liberation from a corrupting influence. ### Promises and Their Consequences The wager between Hans and the master-thief sets the plot in motion, and the son's promise to return after selling the horse hinges on the father remembering to remove the bridle. ## Character check-ins ### the master-thief The master-thief who teaches the son thieving and witchcraft, and later pursues him in a shape-shifting duel. ### the son Hans's son, who learns thieving and shape-shifting, and ultimately defeats the master-thief. ### Hans The father who places his son with the master-thief and later helps him by selling the transformed animals. ### the dwarf A little dwarf who advises Hans on how to recognize his son. ## Key lines > Hans wished to put his son to learn a trade, so he went into the church and prayed to our Lord God to know which would be most advantageous for him. Then the clerk got behind the altar, and said, “Thieving, thieving.” Hans prayed in church for guidance on his son's trade, and a clerk hidden behind the altar deceitfully whispered 'thieving.' _The clerk's trickery sets the son on a path of thievery, highlighting the theme of deception._ > Then the gentleman calls from the carriage, “My man, will you sell your dog?” “Yes,” says the father. “How much do you want for it?” “Thirty thalers.” “Eh, man, that is a great deal, but as it is such a very fine dog I will have it.” A gentleman in a carriage offers to buy the dog for thirty thalers, and the father agrees to the sale. _The son's transformation into a greyhound allows the father to profit, demonstrating the son's thieving skills._ > So the master changes himself into a cock, and the youth becomes a fox, and bites the master’s head off, and he died and has remained dead to this day. The master-thief transforms into a rooster, but the youth becomes a fox and kills him by biting off his head, ending the conflict permanently. _The final transformation battle results in the son's victory and the master's death, concluding the tale._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se/chapters/the-thief-and-his-master - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/household_tales_se/chapters