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nothing had happened. Then the king was full of joy, and when he saw
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the queen coming he hid faithful John and the two children in a great
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cupboard. When she entered, he said to her 'have you been praying in
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the church.' 'Yes, answered she, 'but I have constantly been thinking
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of faithful John and what misfortune has befallen him through us.'
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Then said he 'dear wife, we can give him his life again, but it will
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cost us our two little sons, whom we must sacrifice.' The queen
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turned pale, and her heart was full of terror, but she said 'we owe
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it to him, for his great fidelity.' Then the king was rejoiced that
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she thought as he had thought, and went and opened the cupboard, and
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brought forth faithful John and the children, and said 'God be
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praised, he is delivered, and we have our little sons again also,
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and told her how everything had occurred. Then they dwelt together
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in much happiness until their death.
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There was once a peasant who had driven his cow to the fair, and sold
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her for seven talers. On the way home he had to pass a pond, and
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already from afar he heard the frogs crying, aik, aik, aik, aik.
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Well, said he to himself, they are talking without rhyme or reason,
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it is seven that I have received, not eight. When he got to the
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water, he cried to them, stupid animals that you are. Don't you know
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better than that. It is seven thalers and not eight. The frogs,
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however, stuck to their, aik aik, aik, aik. Come, then, if you won't
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believe it, I can count it out to you. And he took his money out of
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his pocket and counted out the seven talers, always reckoning four
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and twenty groschen to a taler. The frogs, however, paid no
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attention to his reckoning, but still cried, aik, aik, aik, aik.
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What, cried the peasant, quite angry, if you know better than I,
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count it yourselves, and threw all the money at them into the water.
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He stood still and wanted to wait until they were through and had
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returned to him what was his, but the frogs maintained their opinion
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and cried continually, aik, aik, aik, aik. And besides that, did not
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throw the money out again. He still waited a long while until
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evening came on and he was forced to go home. Then he abused the
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frogs and cried, you water-splashers, you thick-heads, you
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goggle-eyes, you have great mouths and can screech till you hurt
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one's ears, but you cannot count seven talers. Do you think I'm
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going to stand here till you get through. And with that he went
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away, but the frogs still cried, aik, aik, aik, aik, after him till
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he went home sorely vexed. After a while he bought another cow, which
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he slaughtered, and he made the calculation that if he sold the meat
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well he might gain as much as the two cows were worth, and have the
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hide into the bargain. When therefore he got to the town with the
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meat, a great pack of dogs were gathered together in front of the
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gate, with a large greyhound at the head of them, which jumped at the
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meat, sniffed at it, and barked, wow, wow, wow. As there was no
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stopping him, the peasant said to him, yes, yes, I know quite well
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that you are saying wow, wow, wow, because you want some of the meat,
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but I should be in a fine state if I were to give it to you. The
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dog, however, answered nothing but wow, wow. Will you promise not to
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devour it all then, and will you go bail for your companions. Wow,
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wow, wow, said the dog. Well, if you insist on it, I will leave it
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for you, I know you well, and know whom you serve, but this I tell
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you, I must have my money in three days or else it will go ill with
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you, you can just bring it out to me. Thereupon he unloaded the meat
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and turned back again. The dogs fell upon it and loudly barked, wow,
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wow. The countryman, who heard them from afar, said to himself, hark,
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now they all want some, but the big one is responsible to me for it.
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When three days had passed, the countryman thought, to-night my money
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will be in my pocket, and was quite delighted. But no one would come
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and pay it. There is no trusting any one now, said he. At last he
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lost patience, and went into the town to the butcher and demanded his
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money. The butcher thought it was a joke, but the peasant said,
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jesting apart, I will have my money. Did not the big dog bring you
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the whole of the slaughtered cow three days ago. Then the butcher
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grew angry, snatched a broomstick and drove him out. Wait, said the
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peasant, there is still some justice in the world, and went to the
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royal palace and begged for an audience. He was led before the king,
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who sat there with his daughter, and asked him what injury he had
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suffered. Alas, said he, the frogs and the dogs have taken from me
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what is mine, and the butcher has paid me for it with the stick. And
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he related at full length what had happened. Thereupon the king's
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daughter began to laugh heartily, and the king said to him, I cannot
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give you justice in this, but you shall have my daughter to wife for
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it - in her whole life she has never yet laughed as she has just done
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at you, and I have promised her to him who could make her laugh. You
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may thank God for your good fortune. Oh, answered the peasant, I do
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not want her at all. I have a wife already, and she is one too many
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for me, when I go home, it is just as if I had a wife standing in
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every corner. Then the king grew angry, and said, you are a boor.
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Ah, lord king, replied the peasant, what can you expect from an ox,
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but beef. Stop, answered the king, you shall have another reward.
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Be off now, but come back in three days, and then you shall have five
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hundred counted out in full. When the peasant went out by the gate,
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the sentry said, you have made the king's daughter laugh, so you will
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certainly receive something good. Yes, that is what I think,
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answered the peasant, five hundred are to be counted out to me.
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Listen, said the soldier, give me some of it. What can you do with
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all that money. As it is you, said the peasant, you shall have two
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hundred, present yourself in three days, time before the king, and
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let it be paid to you. A Jew, who was standing by and had heard the
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conversation, ran after the peasant, held him by the coat, and said,
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oh, wonder of God, what a child of fortune you are. I will change it
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for you, I will change it for you into small coins, what do you want
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with the great talers. Jew, said the countryman, three hundred can
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you still have, give it to me at once in coin, in three days from
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this, you will be paid for it by the king. The Jew was delighted
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with the small profit, and brought the sum in bad groschen, three of
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which were worth two good ones. After three days had passed,
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according to the king's command, the peasant went before the king.
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Pull his coat off, said the latter, and he shall have his five
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