安徒生童话- 第277部分

〃Rotten　apples；〃　answered　the　ostler；　〃a　whole　sackful　of　them。They　will　do　to　feed　the　pigs　with。〃

〃Why　that　will　be　terrible　waste；〃　he　replied；　〃I　should　like　totake　them　home　to　my　old　woman。　Last　year　the　old　apple…tree　by　thegrass…plot　only　bore　one　apple；　and　we　kept　it　in　the　cupboard　till　itwas　quite　withered　and　rotten。　It　was　always　property；　my　old　womansaid；　and　here　she　would　see　a　great　deal　of　property…　a　wholesackful；　I　should　like　to　show　them　to　her。〃

〃What　will　you　give　me　for　the　sackful？〃　asked　the　ostler。

〃What　will　I　give？　Well；　I　will　give　you　my　fowl　in　exchange。〃

So　he　gave　up　the　fowl；　and　received　the　apples；　which　hecarried　into　the　inn　parlor。　He　leaned　the　sack　carefully　againstthe　stove；　and　then　went　to　the　table。　But　the　stove　was　hot；　and　hehad　not　thought　of　that。　Many　guests　were　present…　horse　dealers；cattle　drovers；　and　two　Englishmen。　The　Englishmen　were　so　rich　thattheir　pockets　quite　bulged　out　and　seemed　ready　to　burst；　and　theycould　bet　too；　as　you　shall　hear。　〃Hiss…s…s；　hiss…s…s。〃　What　couldthat　be　by　the　stove？　The　apples　were　beginning　to　roast。　〃What　isthat？〃　asked　one。

〃Why；　do　you　know〃…　said　our　peasant。　And　then　he　told　them　thewhole　story　of　the　horse；　which　he　had　exchanged　for　a　cow；　and　allthe　rest　of　it；　down　to　the　apples。

〃Well；　your　old　woman　will　give　it　you　well　when　you　get　home；〃said　one　of　the　Englishmen。　〃Won't　there　be　a　noise？〃

〃What！　Give　me　what？〃　said　the　peasant。　〃Why；　she　will　kiss　me；and　say；　'what　the　old　man　does　is　always　right。'〃

〃Let　us　lay　a　wager　on　it；〃　said　the　Englishmen。　〃We'll　wageryou　a　ton　of　coined　gold；　a　hundred　pounds　to　the　hundred…weight。〃

〃No；　a　bushel　will　be　enough；〃　replied　the　peasant。　〃I　can　onlyset　a　bushel　of　apples　against　it；　and　I'll　throw　myself　and　my　oldwoman　into　the　bargain；　that　will　pile　up　the　measure；　I　fancy。〃

〃Done！　taken！〃　and　so　the　bet　was　made。

Then　the　landlord's　coach　came　to　the　door；　and　the　two　Englishmenand　the　peasant　got　in；　and　away　they　drove；　and　soon　arrived　andstopped　at　the　peasant's　hut。　〃Good　evening；　old　woman。〃　〃Goodevening；　old　man。〃　〃I've　made　the　exchange。〃

〃Ah；　well；　you　understand　what　you're　about；〃　said　the　woman。　Thenshe　embraced　him；　and　paid　no　attention　to　the　strangers；　nor　didshe　notice　the　sack。

〃I　got　a　cow　in　exchange　for　the　horse。〃

〃Thank　Heaven；〃　said　she。　〃Now　we　shall　have　plenty　of　milk；　andbutter；　and　cheese　on　the　table。　That　was　a　capital　exchange。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　changed　the　cow　for　a　sheep。〃

〃Ah；　better　still！〃　cried　the　wife。　〃You　always　think　ofeverything；　we　have　just　enough　pasture　for　a　sheep。　Ewe's　milk　andcheese；　woollen　jackets　and　stockings！　The　cow　could　not　give　allthese；　and　her　hair　only　falls　off。　How　you　think　of　everything！〃

〃But　I　changed　away　the　sheep　for　a　goose。〃

〃Then　we　shall　have　roast　goose　to　eat　this　year。　You　dear　oldman；　you　are　always　thinking　of　something　to　please　me。　This　isdelightful。　We　can　let　the　goose　walk　about　with　a　string　tied　toher　leg；　so　she　will　be　fatter　still　before　we　roast　her。〃

〃But　I　gave　away　the　goose　for　a　fowl。〃

〃A　fowl！　Well；　that　was　a　good　exchange；〃　replied　the　woman。〃The　fowl　will　lay　eggs　and　hatch　them；　and　we　shall　have　chickens；　weshall　soon　have　a　poultry…yard。　Oh；　this　is　just　what　I　was　wishingfor。〃

〃Yes；　but　I　exchanged　the　fowl　for　a　sack　of　shrivelled　apples。〃

〃What！　I　really　must　give　you　a　kiss　for　that！〃　exclaimed　thewife。　〃My　dear；　good　husband；　now　I'll　tell　you　something。　Do　youknow；　almost　as　soon　as　you　left　me　this　morning；　I　began　to　thinkof　what　I　could　give　you　nice　for　supper　this　evening；　and　then　Ithought　of　fried　eggs　and　bacon；　with　sweet　herbs；　I　had　eggs　andbacon；　but　I　wanted　the　herbs；　so　I　went　over　to　the　schoolmaster's：　Iknew　they　had　plenty　of　herbs；　but　the　schoolmistress　is　very　mean；although　she　can　smile　so　sweetly。　I　begged　her　to　lend　me　a　handfulof　herbs。　'Lend！'　she　exclaimed；　'I　have　nothing　to　lend；　nothing　atall　grows　in　our　garden；　not　even　a　shrivelled　apple；　I　could　not　evenlend　you　a　shrivelled　apple；　my　dear　woman。　But　now　I　can　lend　herten；　or　a　whole　sackful；　which　I'm　very　glad　of；　it　makes　me　laughto　think　about　it；〃　and　then　she　gave　him　a　hearty　kiss。

〃Well；　I　like　all　this；〃　said　both　the　Englishmen；　〃always　goingdown　the　hill；　and　yet　always　merry；　it's　worth　the　money　to　seeit。〃　So　they　paid　a　hundred…weight　of　gold　to　the　peasant；　who；whatever　he　did；　was　not　scolded　but　kissed。

Yes；　it　always　pays　best　when　the　wife　sees　and　maintains　that　herhusband　knows　best；　and　whatever　he　does　is　right。

That　is　a　story　which　I　heard　when　I　was　a　child；　and　now　you　haveheard　it　too；　and　know　that　〃What　the　old　man　does　is　always　right。〃

THE　END。

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