She thrust her elbow into her husband's side, and said, listen, lenz, to what I have been thinking. If I were to find one florin and one was given to me, I would borrow another to put to them, and you too should give me another, and then as soon as I had got the four florins together, I would buy a young cow. This pleased the husband right well. It is true, said he, that I do not know where I am to get the florin which you want as a gift from me. But, if you can get the money together, and can buy a cow with it, you will do well to carry out your project. I shall be glad, he added, if the cow has a calf, and then I shall often get a drink of milk to refresh me. The milk is not for you, said the woman, we must let the calf suck that it may become big and fat, and we may be able to sell it well. Certainly, replied the man, but still we will take a little milk. That will do no harm.
Who has taught you to manage cows, said the woman. Whether it does harm or not, I will not allow it, and even if you were to stand on your head for it, you should not have a drop of the milk. Do you think, because there is no satisfying you, long laurence, that you are to eat up what I earn with so much difficulty. Wife, said the man, be quiet, or I will give you a blow on your mouth. What, cried she, you threaten me, you glutton, you rascal, you lazy harry. She was just laying hold of his hair, but long laurence got up, seized both lean lisa's withered arms in one hand, and with the other he pressed down her head into the pillow, let her scold, and held her until she fell asleep for very weariness. Whether she continued to wrangle when she awoke next morning, or whether she went out to look for the florin which she wanted to find, that I know not.
There was once a tailor, who was a quarrelsome fellow, and his wife, who was good, industrious, and pious, never could please him. Whatever she did, he was not satisfied, but grumbled and scolded, and knocked her about and beat her. As the authorities at last heard of it, they had him summoned and put in prison in order to make him better. He was kept for a while on bread and water, and then set free again. He was forced, however, to promise not to beat his wife any more, but to live with her in peace, and share joy and sorrow with her, as married people ought to do. All went on well for a time, but then he fell into his old ways and was surly and quarrelsome. And because he dared not beat her, he would seize her by the hair and tear it out. The woman escaped from him, and sprang out into the yard, but he ran after her with his yard-measure and scissors, and chased her about, and threw the yard-measure and scissors at her, and whatever else came his way. When he hit her he laughed, and when he missed her, he stormed and swore. This went on so long that the neighbors came to the wife's assistance. The tailor was again summoned before the magistrates, and reminded of his promise. Dear gentlemen, said he, I have kept my word, I have not beaten her, but have shared joy and sorrow with her. How can that be, said the judge, as she continues to bring such heavy complaints against you. I have not beaten her, but just because she looked so strange I wanted to comb her hair with my hand. She, however, got away from me, and left me quite spitefully. Then I hurried after her, and in order to bring her back to her duty, I threw at her as a well-meant reminder whatever came readily to hand. I have shared joy and sorrow with her also, for whenever I hit her I was full of joy and she of sorrow, and if I missed her, then she was joyful, and Isorry. The judges were not satisfied with this answer, but gave him the reward he deserved.
In olden times every sound still had its meaning and significance.
When the smith's hammer resounded, it cried, "Strike away, strike away." When the carpenter's plane grated, it said, "Here goes, here goes." If the mill wheel began to clack, it said, "Help, Lord God, help, Lord God." And if the miller was a cheat and set the mill a-going, it spoke high german, and first asked slowly, "Who is there? Who is there?" And then answered quickly, "The miller, the miller." And at last quite in a hurry, "He steals bravely, He steals bravely, three pecks in a bushel."At this time the birds also had their own language which every one understood. Now it only sounds like chirping, screeching, and whistling, and sometimes like music without words. It came into the birds' mind, however, that they would no longer be without a ruler, and would choose one of themselves to be their king. One alone among them, the green plover, was opposed to this. He had lived free and would die free, and anxiously flying hither and thither, he cried, "Where shall I go? Where shall I go?" He retired into a solitary and unfrequented marsh, and showed himself no more among his fellows.
The birds now wished to discuss the matter, and on a fine may morning they all gathered together from the woods and fields, eagles and chaffinches, owls and crows, larks and sparrows, how can I name them all. Even the cuckoo came, and the hoopoe, his clerk, who is so called because he is always heard a few days before him, and a very small bird which as yet had no name, mingled with the band. The hen, which by some accident had heard nothing of the whole matter, was astonished at the great assemblage. What, what, what is going to be done, she cackled.
But the cock calmed his beloved hen, and said, only a lot of rich people, and told her what they had on hand. It was decided that the one who could fly the highest should be king.
A tree-frog which was sitting among the bushes, when he heard that, cried a warning, no, no, no, no, because he thought that many tears would be shed because of this. But the crow said, caw, caw, and that all would pass off peaceably.
