I will tell you a story which was told to me when I was a little boy．Every time I thought of the story，it seemed to me to become more and more charming；for it is with stories as it is with many people—they become better as they grow older．

I take it for granted that you have been in the country，and seen a very old farm-house with a thatched roof，and mosses and small plants growing wild upon the thatch．There is a stork's nest on the summit of the gable；for we can't do without the stork．The walls of the house are sloping，and the windows are low，and only one of the latter is made so that it will open．The baking-oven sticks out of the wall like a little fat body．The elder tree hangs over the paling，where there is a little pool of water with a duck or ducklings，right under the gnarled willow tree．There is a yard dog too，who barks at all comers．

Just such a farm-house stood out in the country；and in this house dwelt an old couple—a peasant and his wife．Small as was their property，there was one article among it that they could do without—a horse，which made a living out of the grass it found by the side of the high road．The old peasant rode into the town on this horse；and often his neighbors borrowed it from him，and rendered the old couple some service in return for the loan of it．But they thought it would be best if they sold the horse，or ex-changed it for something that might be more useful to them．But what might this something be？

“You'll know that best，old man，”said the wife．“It is fair-day today，so ride into town，and get rid of the horse for money，or make a good exchange：whichever you do will be right to me．Ride off to the fair．”

And she fastened his neckerchief for him，for she could do that better than he could；and she tied it in a double bow，for she could do that very prettily．Then she brushed his hat round and round with the palm of her hand，and gave him a kiss．So he rode away upon the horse that was to be sold or to be bartered for something else．Yes，the old man knew what he was about．

The sun shone hot，and not a cloud was to be seen in the sky．The road was very dusty，for many people who were all bound for the fair were driving，or riding，or walking upon it．There was no shelter anywhere from the sunbeams．

Among the rest，a man was trudging along，and driving a cow to the fair．The cow was as beautiful a creature as any cow can be．

“She gives good milk，I'm sure，said the peasant．“That would be a very good exchange—the cow for the horse．”

“Hallo，you there with the cow！”he said．“Shall we two not talk a little together？I tell you what—I fancy a horse costs more than a cow，but I don't mind that；a cow would be more useful to me．If you like，we'll exchange．”

“To be sure I will，”said the man；and they exchanged accrdingly．

So that was settled，and the peasant might have turned back，for he had done the business he came to do；but as he had once made up his mind to go to the fair，he determined to proceed，merely to have a look at it；and so he went on to the town with his cow．

Leading the animal，he strode sturdily on；and after a short time，he overtook a man who was driving a sheep．It was a good fat sheep，with a fine fleece on its back．

“I should like to have that fellow，”said our peasant to himself．“He would find plenty of grass by our palings，and in the winter we could keep him in the room with us．Perhaps it would be more practical to have a sheep instead of a cow．Shall we exchange？”

The man with the sheep was quite ready，and the bargain was struck．So our peasant went．on in the high road with his sheep．

Beside a stile he saw another man，carrying a great goose under his arm．

“That's a heavy thing you have there．It has plenty of feathers and plenty of fat，and would look well tied to a string，and paddling in the water at our place．That would be something for my old woman to collect peelings for．How often she has said，‘If we only had a goose！’Now she can have one；and it shall be hers．Shall we ex-change？I'll give you my sheep for your goose，and thank you into the bargain．”

The other man had not the least objection；and accordingly they exchanged，and our peasant got the goose．

By this time he was very near the town．The crowd on the high road became greater and greater；there was quite a crush of men and cattle．They walked in the road，and close by the ditch；and at the barrier they even walked into the toll-man's potato-field，where his own fowl was strutting about with a string to its leg，lest it should take fright at the crowd，and stray away，and so be lost．This fowl had short tail-feathers，and winked with both its eyes，and looked very well．“Cluck，cluck！”said the fowl．What it thought when it said this I cannot tell you；but directly our good man saw it，he thought，“That's the finest fowl I've ever seen in my life！Why，it's finer than our parson's brood hen．On my word，I should like to have that fowl．A fowl can always find a grain or two，and can almost keep itself．I think it would be a good exchange if I could get that for my goose．”

“Shall we exchange？he asked the toll-taker．

“Exchange！”repeated the man；“well，that would not be a bad thing．”

And so they exchanged；the toll-man at the barrier kept the goose，and the peasant carried away the fowl．

Now，he had done a good deal of business on his way to the fair，and he was hot and tired．He wanted something to eat，and a glass of brandy to drink；and soon he was in front of the inn．He was just about to step in，when the ostler came out，so they met at the door．The ostler was carrying a sack．

“What have you in that sack？”asked the peasant．

“Rotten apples，”answered the ostler；“a whole sackful for the pigs．”

“Why，that's a terrible quantity！I should like my old woman at home to see that sight．Last year the old tree by the turf-house only bore a single apple，and we kept it in the cupboard till it was quite rotten and spoiled．‘It was always property，'my old woman said；but here she could see a quantity of property．Yes，I shall be glad to show them to her．”

“What will you give me for the sackful？”asked the ostler．

“What will I give？I will give my fowl in exchange．”

And he gave the fowl accordingly，and received the apples，which he carried into the guest-room．He leaned the sack carefully by the stove，and then went to the table．But the stove was hot：he had not thought of that．Many guests were present—horse-dealers，cattle-dealers，and two Englishmen—and they are so rich that their pockets are bursting with gold coins；and they could bet，too，as you shall hear．

Hiss-s-s！Hiss-s-s！What was that by the stove？The apples were beginning to roast！

“What is that？”

Well，they soon got to know that，and the whole story of the horse that he had changed for a cow，and all the rest of it，down to the apples．

“Well，your old woman will give it you well when you get home！”said one of the two Englishmen．“There will be a disturbance．”

“I will get a kiss and not a pounding，”said the peasant．“My wife will say，‘ What the old man does is always right．’”

“Shall we wager？”said the Englishman．“We'll wager coined gold by the bushel—a hundred pounds to the hundredweight！”

“A bushel will be enough，”replied the peasant．“I can only set the bushel of apples against it；and I'll throw myself and my old woman into the bargain—and I fancy that's piling up the measure．”

“Done—taken！”

And the bet was made．The host's carriage came up，and the Englishmen got in，and the peasant got in；away they went．and soon they stopped before the peasant's hut．

“Good evening，old woman．”

“Good evening，old man．”

“I've made the exchange．”

“Yes，you understand what you're about，”said the woman．

And she embraced him，and forgot both the sack and the strangers．

“I got a cow in exchange for the horse，”said he．

“Heaven be thanked for the milk！”said she．“Now we shall have milk-food，and butter and cheese on the table！That was a most capital exchange！”

“Yes，but I changed the cow for a sheep．”

{ewc MVIMAGE,MVIMAGE, !413836T1.bmp}

“Ah，that's better still！”cried the wife．“You always think of everything：we have just pasture enough for a sheep．Ewe's milk and cheese，and woollen jackets and stockings！The cow cannot give those，and her hairs will only come off．How you think of everything！”

“But I changed away the sheep for a goose．”

“Then this year we shall really have a Martinmas goose to eat，my dear old man，You are always thinking of something to give me pleasure．How charming that is！We can let the goose walk about with a string to her leg，and she'll grow fatter still before Martinmas．”

“But I gave away the goose for a fowl，”said the man．

“A fowl？That was a good exchange！”replied the woman．“The fowl will lay eggs and hatch them，and we shall have chickens：we shall have a whole poultry-yard！Oh，that's just what I was wishing for．”

“Yes，but I exchanged the fowl for a sack of rotten apples．”

“What！—I must positively kiss you for that，”exclaimed the wife．“My dear，good husband！Now I'll tell you something．Do you know，you had hardly left me this morning before I began thinking how I could give you something very nice this evening．I thought it should be pancakes with savoury herbs．I had the eggs；but I wanted herbs．So I went over to the schoolmaster's—they have herbs there，I know—but the school mistress is a mean woman．I begged her to lend me a handful of herbs．‘Lend！'she answered me；‘nothing at all grows in our garden，not even a rotten apple．I could not even lend you that．’But now I can lend her ten，or a whole sackful；that makes me laugh！”And with that she gave him a sounding kiss．

“I like that！”exclaimed both the Englishmen together．“Always going down-hill，and always merry；that's worth the money．”

So they paid a hundredweight of gold to the peas-ant，who was not scolded，but kissed．

Yes，it always pays，when the wife sees and al-ways asserts that her husband knows best，and that whatever he does is right．

You see，that is my story．I heard it when I was a child；and now you have heard it too，and know that “What the old man does is always right．”

老头子做事总不会错

现在我要告诉你一个故事。那是我小时候听来的。从那时起，我每次一想到它，就似乎觉得它更可爱。故事也跟许多人一样，年纪越大，就越显得可爱。[这真是有趣极了！]我想你一定到乡下去过吧？你一定看到过一个老农舍。屋顶是草扎的，上面零乱地长了许多青苔和小植物�............