not want to gamble, just go away again." Then he went to the door of Hell, and there they let him in. There was, however, no one at home but old Lucifer and the crooked devils who had just been doing their evil work in the world. And no sooner was Hansel there than he sat down to gamble again. Lucifer, however, had nothing to lose, but his mis-shapen devils, and Gambling Hansel won them from him, as with his cards he could not fail to do. And now he was off again with his crooked devils, and they went to Hohenfuert and pulled up a hop-pole, and with it went to Heaven and began to thrust the pole against it, and Heaven began to crack. So again St. Peter said, "Lord, this thing cannot go on, we must let him in, or he will throw us down from Heaven." And they let him in. But Gambling Hansel instantly began to play again, and there was such a noise and confusion that there was no hearing what they themselves were saying. Therefore St. Peter once more said, "Lord, this cannot go on, we must throw him down, or he will make all Heaven rebellious." So they went to him at once, and threw him down, and his soul broke into fragments, and went into the gambling vagabonds who are living this very day. Analysis The Brothers Grimm tell two stories in which the main characters try to fool the Devil, St Peter and God - Brother Lustig and Gambling Hansel. This tale explains why there are so many compulsive gamblers in the world - especially those who gamble to their financial and social ruination - as each has within them a fragment of the shattered Hansel. What the story does not explain is why an omniscient God who therefore knows what will happen endangers heaven by granting wishes to an addicted gambler that will eventually lead to his downfall - unless this is related to free will. References Grimms' Fairy Tales German fairy tales Literary characters introduced in 1812 Fictional gamblers ATU 300-399