Next morning the cattle-dealer came, and the woman had no need to say many words to him. When he had seen the cows and heard the price, he said, I am quite willing to give that. Honestly speaking, they are worth it. I will take the beasts away with me at once. He unfastened their chains and drove them out of the byre, but just as he was going out of the yard-door, the woman clutched him by the sleeve and said, you must give me the two hundred talers now, or I cannot let the cows go. True, answered the man, but I have forgotten to buckle on my money-belt. Have no fear, however, you shall have security for my paying. I will take two cows with me and leave one, and then you will have a good pledge.
The woman saw the force of this, and let the man go away with the cows, and thought to herself, how pleased Hans will be when he finds how cleverly I have managed it. The peasant came home on the third day as he had said he would, and at once inquired if the cows were sold. Yes, indeed, dear Hans, answered the woman, and as you said, for two hundred talers. They are scarcely worth so much, but the man took them without making any objection.
Where is the money, asked the peasant. Oh, I have not got the money, replied the woman, he had happened to forget his money-belt, but he will soon bring it, and he left good security behind him.
What kind of security, asked the man. One of the three cows, which he shall not have until he has paid for the other two. I have managed very cunningly, for I have kept the smallest, which eats the least. The man was enraged and lifted up his stick, and was just going to give her the beating he had promised her, when suddenly he let the stick fail and said, you are the stupidest goose that ever waddled on God's earth, but I am sorry for you. I will go out into the highways and wait for three days to see if I find anyone who is still stupider than you.
If I succeed in doing so, you shall go scot-free, but if I do not find him, you shall receive your well-deserved reward without any discount.
He went out into the great highways, sat down on a stone, and waited for what would happen. Then he saw a peasant's waggon coming towards him, and a woman was standing upright in the middle of it, instead of sitting on the bundle of straw which was lying beside her, or walking near the oxen and leading them.
The man thought to himself, that is certainly one of the kind Iam in search of, and jumped up and ran backwards and forwards in front of the waggon like one who is not in his right mind. What do you want, my friend, said the woman to him. I don't know you, where do you come from. I have fallen down from heaven, replied the man, and don't know how to get back again, couldn't you drive me up. No, said the woman, I don't know the way, but if you come from heaven you can surely tell me how my husband is, who has been there these three years. You must have seen him. Oh, yes, Ihave seen him, but all men can't get on well. He keeps sheep, and the sheep give him a great deal to do. They run up the mountains and lose their way in the wilderness, and he has to run after them and drive them together again. His clothes are all torn to pieces too, and will soon fall off his body. There is no tailor there, for saint peter won't let any of them in, as you know by the story. Who would have thought it, cried the woman, Itell you what, I will fetch his sunday coat which is still hanging at home in the cupboard. He can wear that and look respectable.
You will be so kind as to take it with you. That won't do very well, answered the peasant, people are not allowed to take clothes into heaven, they are taken away at the gate. Then listen, said the woman, I sold my fine wheat yesterday and got a good lot of money for it, I will send that to him. If you hide the purse in your pocket, no one will know that you have it. If you can't manage it any other way, said the peasant, I will do you that favor. Just sit still where you are, said she, and I will drive home and fetch the purse, I shall soon be back again. I do not sit down on the bundle of straw, but stand up in the waggon, because it makes it lighter for the cattle.
She drove her oxen away, and the peasant thought, that woman has a perfect talent for folly, if she really brings the money, my wife may think herself fortunate, for she will get no beating. It was not long before she came in a great hurry with the money, and with her own hands put it in his pocket.
Before she went away, she thanked him again a thousand times for his courtesy.
When the woman got home again, she found her son who had come in from the field. She told him what unexpected things had befallen her, and then added, I am truly delighted at having found an opportunity of sending something to my poor husband. Who would ever have imagined that he could be suffering for want of anything up in heaven. The son was full of astonishment. Mother, said he, it is not every day that a man comes from heaven in this way, Iwill go out immediately, and see if he is still to be found, he must tell me what it is like up there, and how the work is done.
