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By Root 2106 0

the whole of the slaughtered cow three days ago?” Then the butcher grew angry, snatched a broomstick and drove him out. “Wait,” said the peasant, “there is still some justice in the world!” and went to the royal palace and begged for an audience. He was led before the King, who sat there with his daughter, and asked him what injury he had suffered. “Alas!” said he, “the frogs and the dogs have taken from me what is mine, and the butcher has paid me for it with the stick,” and he related at full length what had happened. Thereupon the King’s daughter began to laugh heartily, and the King said to him: “I cannot give you justice in this, but you shall have my daughter to wife for it,—in her whole life she has never yet laughed as she has just done at you, and I have promised her to him who could make her laugh. You may thank God for your good fortune!”

“Oh,” answered the peasant, “I do not want her at all. I have a wife already, and she is one too many for me; when I go home, it is just as if I had a wife standing in every corner.” Then the King grew angry, and said: “You are a boor.” “Ah, Lord King,” replied the peasant, “what can you expect from an ox, but beef?” “Stop,” answered the King, “you shall have another reward. Be off now, but come back in three days, and then you shall have five hundred counted out in full.”

When the peasant went out by the gate, the sentry said: “You have made the King’s daughter laugh, so you will certainly receive something good.” “Yes, that is what I think,” answered the peasant; “five hundred are to be counted out to me.” “Listen,” said the soldier, “give me some of it. What can you do with all that money?” “As it is you,” said the peasant, “you shall have two hundred; present yourself in three days’ time before the King, and let it be paid to you.” A Jew, who was standing by and had heard the conversation, ran after the peasant, held him by the coat, and said: “Oh, wonder of God! what a child of fortune you are! I will change it for you, I will change it for you into small coins, what do you want with the great talers?” “Jew,” said the countryman, “three hundred can you still have; give it to me at once in coin, in three days from this, you will be paid for it by the King.” The Jew was delighted with the small profit, and brought the sum in bad groschen, three of which were worth two good ones. After three days had passed, according to the King’s command, the peasant went before the King. “Pull his coat off,” said the latter, “and he shall have his five hundred.” “Ah!” said the peasant, “they no longer belong to me; I presented two hundred of them to the sentry, and three hundred the Jew has changed for me, so by right nothing at all belongs to me.” In the meantime the soldier and the Jew entered and claimed what they had gained from the peasant, and they received the blows strictly counted out. The soldier bore it patiently and knew already how it tasted; but the Jew said sorrowfully: “Alas, alas, are these the heavy talers?” The King could not help laughing at the peasant, and when all his anger was spent, he said: “As you have already lost your reward before it fell to your lot, I will give you compensation. Go into my treasure chamber and get some money for yourself, as much as you will.” The peasant did not need to be told twice, and stuffed into his big pockets whatsoever would go in. Afterwards he went to an inn and counted out his money. The Jew had crept after him and heard how he muttered to himself: “That rogue of a king has cheated me after all, why could he not have given me the money himself, and then I should have known what I had? How can I tell now if what I have had the luck to put in my pockets is right or not?” “Good heavens!” said the Jew to himself, “that man is speaking disrespectfully of our lord the King, I will run and inform, and then I shall get a reward, and he will be punished as well.”

When the King heard of the peasant’s words he fell into a passion, and commanded the Jew to go and bring the offender to him. The Jew ran to the peasant: “You are to go at