The Devoted Friends Summary

The storty is narrated by a songbird to a water rat and a duck. There are two characters in the story little Hans and Hugh the miller.
Little Hans was a simple,innocent, kind-hearted and sincere fellow. He was a hard working gardener and earned his living by selling the fruits and flowers into the market of the town. Hugh themiller was a rich but clever and selfish man. He always claimed that he was a devoted friend of little Hans.
In the summer season, the miller would go to thegarden of Hans and bring plenty of flowers and fruit without making him any payment. He never gave anything to Hans. Hugh the miller repeatedly exploited Hans. Sometimes,he sent Hans to Market with a heavy sack of flour. Sometimes, he asked Hans to drive his flock of sheep to the mountains for grazing. He would also ask Hans to workon his flourmill or do some work of repair in his barn.
In return, he merely made a promise to give his invalid and damaged wheelbarrow to Hans, free of cost. Themiller called it an act of great generosity. Unfortunately, the promise was never materialized.
It is so happened that on a rough and stormy night, Hugh the millersent little Hans to bring the doctor because the miller’s little son hand been seriously injured. As usual, little Hans showed compliance and left for the doctor’shome as he could never think of displeasing the miller. When poor Hans was returning with the doctor, the strom grew more fierce and he lost his way in the dangerousrocky region. He stranded on the moor and fell into a deep pool of water, where he was drowned. In this way, the innocent fellow lost his life for the sake miller.