K. talks with Hans and plans to see his mother

K. talks with Hans and plans to see his mother is a pivotal conversation in which the school janitor K. befriends the young Hans Brunswick, who has come to offer help after witnessing K.'s humiliation by Miss Gisa. Through this dialogue, K. learns about Hans's ailing mother, a woman from the castle, and devises a plan to visit her, hoping to gain a connection to the castle. The conversation reveals K.'s strategic thinking, his willingness to use personal relationships for his goals, and his growing desperation, while also exposing the complex dynamics within the Brunswick family and the village's social hierarchies.

The Boy's Arrival and Offer of Help

A quiet knock at the door made K. cry out "Barnabas!" in hope, but instead of the messenger, it was the little boy who had earlier tried to speak to him. The boy, Hans Brunswick, had been so upset by the bleeding scratch Miss Gisa inflicted on K.'s hand that he had decided to desert his class and come to K.'s side, risking severe punishment. He stood very upright with his arms at his sides, looking up at K. with big brown eyes, and asked simply, "Can I help you?" K. learned that Hans was in Class Four and that his father was Otto Brunswick, the master shoemaker who lived in Madeleine Alley. The boy's initial shyness soon gave way to ease, and after being given good hot coffee, he became lively and confiding, asking eager and pointed questions as if he wanted to learn the most important facts quickly so he could decide what was best for K. and Frieda.

Learning About Hans's Family

Hans admitted to having seen K. before, on the day K. called at Lasemann's house, and revealed that the woman at whose feet he had been playing was his mother. He spoke of his mother hesitantly, revealing that she was rather poorly, though it wasn't clear what ailed her. The child on her lap was his sister, also named Frieda, which Hans seemed to dislike. They lived in the village, not with Lasemann, and had only been visiting to use the big bathing tub. Hans spoke of his father with respect or even fear, but only when they weren't also talking about his mother, who seemed far more important. He proudly stated that his father was the leading shoemaker in the village, giving work to other shoemakers such as Barnabas's father, though Hans's proud turn of the head suggested this was done as a special favour. When asked if he had ever been in the castle, Hans answered in the negative, and when asked the same about his mother, he did not answer at all.

K.'s Strategic Proposal

K. grew tired of the questioning, thinking it wrong to worm family secrets out of an innocent child, especially since they had learned nothing. When he finally asked what kind of help Hans was offering, he was not surprised to hear it was only help with the work, so the teacher and Miss Gisa wouldn't be so cross. K. explained such help wasn't necessary, but he left the question of other help open. Hans, picking up the hint, asked if K. might need help of a different kind, saying he'd be glad to help and if he couldn't do it himself, he would ask his mother, who had already asked after K. once. In response, K. offered his own help, claiming some medical knowledge and experience treating the sick, saying he had been nicknamed "Bitter Rue" at home because of his cures. He offered to visit Hans's mother, but Hans said no strangers could visit her, as she had to be spared any strain, and his father would certainly never allow it. Hans's intellectual powers increased when it came to shielding his mother from K., contradicting much of what he had said before about her ailment.

The Plan to See Mrs. Brunswick

K. persisted, arguing that Hans's father was wrong to keep his sick wife in the village's musty air, and suggested she could take the children to Castle Mount where the air must be different. Hans listened intently, understanding most of this and much affected by the menace latent in what he didn't understand. He said K. couldn't speak to his father, who had taken a dislike to him, but perhaps he might speak to his mother without his father's knowledge. Hans thought it might be possible the day after tomorrow, when his father would be going to the Castle Inn that evening. He would come and take K. to see his mother, always assuming she agreed, which wasn't very likely. The argument went back and forth, with Hans anxious about his mother's sensitivity and K. showing him that a short conversation would be enough. Finally, they agreed on a plan: Hans would tell his mother the whole truth, adding that K. also wanted to speak to Brunswick himself about the post of land surveyor, which was true, as K. had recollected that Brunswick had been the leader of those who wanted a land surveyor appointed. K. would say his intolerable position as school janitor and the teacher's humiliating treatment had driven all else out of his mind in a sudden fit of despair.

The Boy's Admiration and the Promise of a Walking-stick

When they had anticipated all contingencies, Hans became more cheerful and chattered away in childish fashion. Asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said he wanted to be a man like K., though he couldn't give reasons and firmly said no when asked if he wanted to be a school janitor. Further questions revealed that Hans saw K.'s present situation as dismal and humiliating, but he believed that in an almost unimaginably distant future, K. would triumph over everyone. This future, foolish as the idea might be, looked alluring to Hans, who looked down on K. as if he were a younger boy with a longer future ahead of him. K. cheered him up by saying he knew what Hans envied him for—his handsome gnarled walking-stick, which was lying on the table and with which Hans had been playing. K. promised to make Hans an even better one if their plan succeeded. Hans was so pleased by this promise that it wasn't clear whether he might not indeed have had the walking-stick in mind all the time, and he said a cheerful goodbye, pressing K.'s hand firmly and saying, "So, I'll see you the day after tomorrow."