Part 20 (2/2)
”Steer your boat aright, friend,” he cried, ”if you value your life, and leave off your prating. What have you to do with Heaven, or Heaven with you?”
When the poor ferryman recovered his senses, day had long dawned, and he was lying alone at the bottom of his boat. He found that he had drifted below Hammerstein, close to the sh.o.r.e of the right bank of the river. He could discover no trace of his companions. With much difficulty he rowed up the river, and reached the sh.o.r.e.
He learned afterwards from a gossiping neighbour, that, as the man returned from Neuwied late that night, or rather early the next morning, he met, just emerging from the Devil's House, a large black chariot running on three huge wheels, drawn by four horses without heads. In that vehicle he saw six monks seated _vis-a-vis_, apparently enjoying their morning ride. The driver, a curious-looking carl, with a singularly long nose, took, he said, the road along the edge of the river, and continued las.h.i.+ng his three coal-black, headless steeds at a tremendous rate, until a sharp turn hid them from the man's view.
DOCTOR ALL-WISE.
There was a poor peasant, named Crab, who once drove two oxen, with a load of wood, into the city, and there sold it for two dollars to a doctor. The doctor counted out the money to him as he sat at dinner, and the peasant, seeing how well he fared, yearned to live like him, and would needs be a doctor too. He stood a little while in thought, and at last asked if he could not become a doctor.
”Oh yes,” said the doctor, ”that may be easily managed. In the first place you must purchase an A, B, C book, only taking care that it is one that has got in the front of it a picture of a c.o.c.k crowing. Then sell your cart and oxen, and buy with the money clothes, and all the other things needful. Thirdly, and lastly, have a sign painted with the words, 'I am Doctor All-Wise,' and have it nailed up before the door of your house.”
The peasant did exactly as he had been told; and after he had doctored a little while, it chanced that a certain n.o.bleman was robbed of a large sum of money. Some one told him that there lived in the village hard by a Doctor All-Wise, who was sure to be able to tell him where his money had gone. The n.o.bleman at once ordered his carriage to be got ready and rode into the city, and having come to the doctor, asked him if he was Dr. All-Wise.
”Oh yes,” answered he, ”I am Doctor All-Wise, sure enough.”
”Will you go with me, then,” said the n.o.bleman, ”and get me back my money?”
”To be sure I will,” said the doctor; ”but my wife Grethel must go with me.”
The n.o.bleman was pleased to hear this, made them both get into the carriage with him, and away they all rode together. When they arrived at the n.o.bleman's house dinner was already prepared, and he desired the doctor to sit down with him.
”My wife Grethel, too,” said the doctor.
As soon as the first servant brought in the first dish, which was some great delicacy, the doctor nudged his wife, and said--
”Grethel, that is the first,” meaning the first dish.
The servant overheard his remark, and thought he meant to say he was the first thief, which was actually the case, so he was sore troubled, and said to his comrades--
”The doctor knows everything. Things will certainly fall out ill, for he said I was the first thief.”
The second servant would not believe what he said, but at last he was obliged, for when he carried the second dish into the room, the doctor remarked to his wife--
”Grethel, that is the second.”
The second servant was now as much frightened as the first, and was pleased to leave the apartment. The third served no better, for the doctor said--
”Grethel, that is the third.”
Now the fourth carried in a dish which had a cover on it, and the n.o.bleman desired the doctor to show his skill by guessing what was under the cover. Now it was a crab. The doctor looked at the dish, and then at the cover, and could not at all divine what they contained, nor how to get out of the sc.r.a.pe. At length he said, half to himself and half aloud--
”Alas! poor crab!”
When the n.o.bleman heard this, he cried out--
”You have guessed it, and now I am sure you will know where my money is.”
<script>