Clever Farmer

Once upon a time, there be a farmer – have wife. Wife be pretty, but not too clever – and she talk, talk, talk. She – can’t stop talking. One day in spring, he find gold.

He think, “Wife will tell everybody. If king hears about gold, will take it.”

But he have clever idea. Dig hole – bury gold. Go to town – buy loaves of bread, a fish, a rabbit. All morning do the work he have to do.
When finish, go home.

“Wife, I want mushrooms, let’s look in forest.”
“In April, husband?!? Mushrooms don’t grow in April, they grow in autumn.”
“Yes, in April, wife – think it is our lucky day!”

So take baskets, go into forest.
Not find mushrooms.

But, “Husband, look, loaves of bread hanging on that tree!”
“Yes, that’s a bread tree, wife. I tell you it is our lucky day!”
“Husband, I not know about bread trees before. Oh, husband, how lucky we are, it is our lucky day.” She put bread into her basket.

“Wife, you find bread tree – I’ll see what I can catch with my basket in the field.”
He pull basket through long grass – in basket he catch a fish!
“Husband, a fish in the field! I not know fish live in fields. I think they live in water!”
“Not when it is a lucky day, wife. Then you can catch fish everywhere!”

He put fish to his ear. “Wife, fish just tell me catch rabbit in river.”
“I not know …”

Go to river, husband tie rope to handle of basket, throw it into water.
Pull it out – there be a big rabbit in it!
“Husband, I not know rabbits live in water. I think they live in fields!”
“Not when it is a lucky day, wife. Then you can catch rabbits everywhere!”
“Oh, husband, how lucky we are – wonder what we will find next.”

He put rabbit to ear.
“Wife, rabbit tell me to dig hole.”
Dig hole – “Wife, look – gold!”
“Oh, husband, how lucky we are – this is our lucky day!”

He tell her she mustn’t tell anyone. “Me, husband? Tell? No, never!”
Two days later – everyone know about gold. Her neighbours know, even the king know.

King come with soldiers, think wife be better person to ask.
“All gold in land is mine. When you find it? Where you find it?”

Husband move behind wife’s back – let her do talking.

Wife be very frightened.
“Oh, we find it two days ago when we be looking for mushrooms.”
“Mushrooms, in April? You go looking for mushrooms in April?”
“Yes, I tell my husband that, but he say it be our lucky day. And it be – because we find a bread tree!”
“A bread tree?”
“Yes, and lovely loaves of bread they be, too. And then my husband catch a fish in the grass.”

“Fish, in grass?”
“Yes, it be a lucky day! Fish tell him to catch rabbit in river.”
“Fish speak to husband?”

“Yes! We go to river – then husband catch rabbit in river!”
“Rabbit, in river?”

“Yes, it be a lucky day! Then rabbit tell him to dig hole in ground!”
“Rabbit, speak?”
“Yes, and then we find the gold!”
And woman smile at king.

While wife be talking, husband stand behind her back, he look at king, tap his finger against his head.
King turn to husband.
“You poor man, with a wife as mad as that. I feel sorry for you.”

King put his hand in his pocket, pull out a purse of gold, give it to the farmer.
“But I understand – the Queen is just the same.”