Therewas a certainvillagewhereinnoonelivedbutreallyrichpeasants, andjustonepoorone, whomtheycalledthelittlepeasant. Hehadnotevensomuchas a cow, andstilllessmoneytobuyone, andyetheandhiswifedidsowishtohaveone. Onedayhesaidtoher: 'Listen, I have a goodidea, thereisourgossipthecarpenter, heshallmakeus a woodencalf, andpaintitbrown, sothatitlookslikeanyother, andintimeitwillcertainlygetbigandbe a cow.' thewomanalsolikedtheidea, andtheirgossipthecarpentercutandplanedthecalf, andpainteditasitoughttobe, andmadeitwithitsheadhangingdownasifitwereeating.
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Nextmorningwhenthecowswerebeingdrivenout, thelittlepeasantcalledthecow-herdinandsaid: 'Look, I have a littlecalfthere, butitisstillsmallandhastobecarried.' Thecow-herdsaid: 'Allright,' andtookitinhisarmsandcarriedittothepasture, andsetitamongthegrass. Thelittlecalfalwaysremainedstandinglikeonewhichwaseating, andthecow-herdsaid: 'Itwillsoonrunbyitself, justlookhowiteatsalready!' Atnightwhenhewasgoingtodrivetheherdhomeagain, hesaidtothecalf: 'Ifyoucanstandthereandeatyourfill, youcanalsogoonyourfourlegs; I don't caretodragyouhomeagaininmyarms.' Butthelittlepeasantstoodathisdoor, andwaitedforhislittlecalf, andwhenthecow-herddrovethecowsthroughthevillage, andthecalfwasmissing, heinquiredwhereitwas. Thecow-herdanswered: 'Itisstillstandingoutthereeating. Itwouldnotstopandcomewithus.' Butthelittlepeasantsaid: 'Oh, but I musthavemybeastbackagain.' Thentheywentbacktothemeadowtogether, butsomeonehadstolenthecalf, anditwasgone. Thecow-herdsaid: 'Itmusthaverunaway.' Thepeasant, however, said: 'Don't tellmethat,' andledthecow-herdbeforethemayor, whoforhiscarelessnesscondemnedhimtogivethepeasant a cowforthecalfwhichhadrunaway.
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Andnowthelittlepeasantandhiswifehadthecowforwhichtheyhadsolongwished, andtheywereheartilyglad, buttheyhadnofoodforit, andcouldgiveitnothingtoeat, soitsoonhadtobekilled. Theysaltedtheflesh, andthepeasantwentintothetownandwantedtoselltheskinthere, sothathemightbuy a newcalfwiththeproceeds. Onthewayhepassedby a mill, andtheresat a ravenwithbrokenwings, andoutofpityhetookhimandwrappedhimintheskin. Butastheweathergrewsobadandtherewas a stormofrainandwind, hecouldgonofarther, andturnedbacktothemillandbeggedforshelter. Themiller's wifewasaloneinthehouse, andsaidtothepeasant: 'Layyourselfonthestrawthere,' andgavehim a sliceofbreadandcheese. Thepeasantateit, andlaydownwithhisskinbesidehim, andthewomanthought: 'Heistiredandhasgonetosleep.' Inthemeantimecametheparson; themiller's wifereceivedhimwell, andsaid: 'Myhusbandisout, sowewillhave a feast.' Thepeasantlistened, andwhenheheardthemtalkaboutfeastinghewasvexedthathehadbeenforcedtomakeshiftwith a sliceofbreadandcheese. Thenthewomanservedupfourdifferentthings, roastmeat, salad, cakes, andwine.
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Justastheywereabouttositdownandeat, therewas a knockingoutside. Thewomansaid: 'Oh, heavens! Itismyhusband!' shequicklyhidtheroastmeatinsidethetiledstove, thewineunderthepillow, thesaladonthebed, thecakesunderit, andtheparsonintheclosetontheporch. Thensheopenedthedoorforherhusband, andsaid: 'Thankheaven, youarebackagain! Thereissuch a storm, itlooksasiftheworldwerecomingtoanend.' Themillersawthepeasantlyingonthestraw, andasked, 'Whatisthatfellowdoingthere?' 'Ah,' saidthewife, 'thepoorknavecameinthestormandrain, andbeggedforshelter, so I gavehim a bitofbreadandcheese, andshowedhimwherethestrawwas.' Themansaid: 'I havenoobjection, butbequickandgetmesomethingtoeat.' Thewomansaid: 'But I havenothingbutbreadandcheese.' 'I amcontentedwithanything,' repliedthehusband, 'sofaras I amconcerned, breadandcheesewilldo,' andlookedatthepeasantandsaid: 'Comeandeatsomemorewithme.' Thepeasantdidnotrequiretobeinvitedtwice, butgotupandate. Afterthisthemillersawtheskininwhichtheravenwas, lyingontheground, andasked: 'Whathaveyouthere?' Thepeasantanswered: 'I have a soothsayerinsideit.' 'Canheforetellanythingtome?' saidthemiller. 'Whynot?' answeredthepeasant: 'butheonlysaysfourthings, andthefifthhekeepstohimself.' Themillerwascurious, andsaid: 'Lethimforetellsomethingforonce.' Thenthepeasantpinchedtheraven's head, sothathecroakedandmade a noiselikekrr, krr. Themillersaid: 'Whatdidhesay?' Thepeasantanswered: 'Inthefirstplace, hesaysthatthereissomewinehiddenunderthepillow.' 'Blessme!' criedthemiller, andwentthereandfoundthewine. 'Nowgoon,' saidhe. Thepeasantmadetheravencroakagain, andsaid: 'Inthesecondplace, hesaysthatthereissomeroastmeatinthetiledstove.' 'Uponmyword!' criedthemiller, andwentthither, andfoundtheroastmeat. Thepeasantmadetheravenprophesystillmore, andsaid: 'Thirdly, hesaysthatthereissomesaladonthebed.' 'Thatwouldbe a finething!' criedthemiller, andwentthereandfoundthesalad. Atlastthepeasantpinchedtheravenoncemoretillhecroaked, andsaid: 'Fourthly, hesaysthattherearesomecakesunderthebed.' 'Thatwouldbe a finething!' criedthemiller, andlookedthere, andfoundthecakes.
Athomethesmallpeasantgraduallylaunchedout; hebuilt a beautifulhouse, andthepeasantssaid: 'Thesmallpeasanthascertainlybeentotheplacewheregoldensnowfalls, andpeoplecarrythegoldhomeinshovels.' Thenthesmallpeasantwasbroughtbeforethemayor, andbiddentosayfromwhencehiswealthcame. Heanswered: 'I soldmycow's skininthetown, forthreehundredtalers.' Whenthepeasantsheardthat, theytoowishedtoenjoythisgreatprofit, andranhome, killedalltheircows, andstrippedofftheirskinsinordertoselltheminthetowntothegreatestadvantage. Themayor, however, said: 'Butmyservantmustgofirst.' Whenshecametothemerchantinthetown, hedidnotgivehermorethantwotalersfor a skin, andwhentheotherscame, hedidnotgivethemsomuch, andsaid: 'Whatcan I dowithalltheseskins?'
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Thenthepeasantswerevexedthatthesmallpeasantshouldhavethusoutwittedthem, wantedtotakevengeanceonhim, andaccusedhimofthistreacherybeforethemayor. Theinnocentlittlepeasantwasunanimouslysentencedtodeath, andwastoberolledintothewater, in a barrelpiercedfullofholes. Hewasledforth, and a priestwasbroughtwhowastosay a massforhissoul. Theotherswereallobligedtoretireto a distance, andwhenthepeasantlookedatthepriest, herecognizedthemanwhohadbeenwiththemiller's wife. Hesaidtohim: 'I setyoufreefromthecloset, setmefreefromthebarrel.' Atthissamemomentupcame, with a flockofsheep, theveryshepherdwhomthepeasantknewhadlongbeenwishingtobemayor, sohecriedwithallhismight: 'No, I willnotdoit; ifthewholeworldinsistsonit, I willnotdoit!' Theshepherdhearingthat, cameuptohim, andasked: 'Whatareyouabout? Whatisitthatyouwillnotdo?' Thepeasantsaid: 'Theywanttomakememayor, if I willbutputmyselfinthebarrel, but I willnotdoit.' Theshepherdsaid: 'Ifnothingmorethanthatisneedfulinordertobemayor, I wouldgetintothebarrelatonce.' Thepeasantsaid: 'Ifyouwillgetin, youwillbemayor.' Theshepherdwaswilling, andgotin, andthepeasantshutthetopdownonhim; thenhetooktheshepherd's flockforhimself, anddroveitaway. Theparsonwenttothecrowd, anddeclaredthatthemasshadbeensaid. Thentheycameandrolledthebarreltowardsthewater. Whenthebarrelbegantoroll, theshepherdcried: 'I amquitewillingtobemayor.' Theybelievednootherwisethanthatitwasthepeasantwhowassayingthis, andanswered: 'Thatiswhatweintend, butfirstyoushalllookaboutyou a littledownbelowthere,' andtheyrolledthebarreldownintothewater.