The Adventurous Simplicissimus · Chapter
How the Huntsman Caught a Hare in the Middle of a Town explained
The Huntsman describes the miserly ways of his host, who feeds his household and boarders poorly while hoarding money.
What happens
The Huntsman describes the miserly ways of his host, who feeds his household and boarders poorly while hoarding money. The host sells a hare given as a gift rather than serving it. The Huntsman, with the help of a hired accomplice and the other boarders, tricks the host into losing the hare and then presents it to him as a gift for their table, forcing him to serve it.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This moment is the story's dramatic climax because it represents the emotional and psychological peak of Simpl…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Greed and Money
The host's miserly behavior, hoarding food and money, and his willingness to sell a gift rather than share it exemplify greed.
- Deception and Appearance
The host pretends to provide good fare while secretly skimping; the Huntsman uses a clever ruse to trick the host into giving up the hare.
Characters to notice
- The Huntsman of Soest
The narrator and trickster who devises a scheme to cheat the miserly host out of a hare.
- Simplicissimus
Implied as the narrator (the Huntsman) reflecting on his past experiences as a boarder.
Key passages
“he fed with his guests and not his guests with him”
He ate at the expense of his guests rather than providing for them.
Highlights the host's selfishness and exploitation of boarders.
“he was not ashamed to skin a flea for its fat”
He would stoop to any level of miserliness, no matter how petty.
Proverbial expression emphasizing extreme stinginess.
“I presented the hare to mine host with the request he would have it served up at our table”
I gave the hare to the host and asked him to serve it to us for dinner.
The climax of the trick, forcing the host to serve the hare he intended to sell.
