Next morning the cattle-dealer came, and the woman had no need to say manywords 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 worthit. I will take the beasts away with me at once." He unfastened theirchains and drove them out of the byre, but just as he was going out ofthe yard-door, the woman clutched him by the sleeve and said, "You mustgive me the two hundred thalers now, or I cannot let the cows go." "True,"answered the man, "but I have forgotten to buckle on my money-belt. Haveno fear, however, you shall have security for my paying. I will take twocows with me and leave one, and then you will have a good pledge." Thewoman 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 howcleverly I have managed it!" The peasant came home on the third day ashe 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 hundredthalers. They are scarcely worth so much, but the man took them withoutmaking any objection." "Where is the money?" asked the peasant. "Oh, Ihave not got the money," replied the woman; "he had happened to forget hismoney-belt, but he will soon bring it, and he left good security behindhim." "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 havemanaged very cunningly, for I have kept the smallest, which eats theleast." The man was enraged and lifted up his stick, and was just goingto give her the beating he had promised her. Suddenly he let the stickfail and said, "You are the stupidest goose that ever waddled on God'searth, but I am sorry for you. I will go out into the highways and waitfor three days to see if I find anyone who is still stupider than you. IfI 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 forwhat 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 sittingon the bundle of straw which was lying beside her, or walking near theoxen and leading them. The man thought to himself, "That is certainlyone of the kind I am in search of," and jumped up and ran backwards andforwards in front of the waggon like one who is not very wise. "What doyou want, my friend?" said the woman to him; "I don't know you, wheredo 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 cansurely tell me how my husband, who has been there these three years is.You must have seen him?" "Oh, yes, I have seen him, but all men can'tget on well. He keeps sheep, and the sheep give him a great deal todo. 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 clothesare all torn to pieces too, and will soon fall off his body. There isno tailor there, for Saint Peter won't let any of them in, as you knowby the story." "Who would have thought it?" cried the woman, "I tell youwhat, I will fetch his Sunday coat which is still hanging at home in thecupboard, he can wear that and look respectable. You will be so kind asto take it with you." "That won't do very well," answered the peasant;"people are not allowed to take clothes into Heaven, they are takenaway from one at the gate." "Then hark you," said the woman, "I soldmy fine wheat yesterday and got a good lot of money for it, I will sendthat to him. If you hide the purse in your pocket, no one will know thatyou 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. Ido 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 greathurry with the money, and with her own hands put it in his pocket. Beforeshe 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 fromthe field. She told him what unlooked-for things had befallen her,and then added, "I am truly delighted at having found an opportunityof sending something to my poor husband. Who would ever have imaginedthat he could be suffering for want of anything up in heaven?" The sonwas full of astonishment. "Mother," said he, "it is not every day thata man comes from Heaven in this way, I will go out immediately, and seeif he is still to be found; he must tell me what it is like up there,and how the work is done." He saddled the horse and rode off with allspeed. He found the peasant who was sitting under a willow-tree, and wasjust going to count the money in the purse. "Have you seen the man whohas fallen down from Heaven?" cried the youth to him. "Yes," answeredthe peasant, "he has set out on his way back there, and has gone upthat hill, from whence it will be rather nearer; you could still catchhim up, if you were to ride fast." "Alas," said the youth, "I have beendoing tiring work all day, and the ride here has completely worn me out;you know the man, be so kind as to get on my horse, and go and persuadehim to come here." "Aha!" thought the peasant, "here is another who hasno wick in his lamp!" "Why should I not do you this favor?" said he,and mounted the horse and rode off in a quick trot. The youth remainedsitting there till night fell, but the peasant never came back. "Theman from Heaven must certainly have been in a great hurry, and wouldnot turn back," thought he, "and the peasant has no doubt given him thehorse to take to my father." He went home and told his mother what hadhappened, and that he had sent his father the horse so that he might nothave to be always running about. "Thou hast done well," answered she,"thy legs are younger than his, and thou canst go on foot."
When the peasant got home, he put the horse in the stable beside thecow which he had as a pledge, and then went to his wife and said,"Trina, as your luck would have it, I have found two who are stillsillier fools than you; this time you escape without a beating, I willstore it up for another occasion." Then he lighted his pipe, sat downin his grandfather's chair, and said, "It was a good stroke of businessto get a sleek horse and a great purse full of money into the bargain,for two lean cows. If stupidity always brought in as much as that,I would be quite willing to hold it in honor." So thought the peasant,but you no doubt prefer the simple folks.
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