Woman's Work

Norwegian farmer - farmhouse against hillside - flat roof, grass growing on it.

Always cross with wife. "Only woman's work".
She fed up - said, "Let's change jobs."

Next day she went to fields. He stayed home to do woman's work.

Churning butter - thirsty, went to tap new barrel of beer in back corner of kitchen.
Heard pig in kitchen, pig drinking cream from butter churn.
He ran (with tap in hand) and wild with rage, kicked pig dead.
Remembered tap in hand - beer flooding over floor.

Got more cream for butter, churning.
Remembered cow still in shed. But couldn't leave cream - baby crawling on floor. So put churn on his back (rucksack).
Crossing farmyard, saw the well - stopped to draw water for cow - forgot cream was on his back - bent down for full bucket - tipped cream into well.

Too far to take cow to grass in meadow, but saw flat roof with grass.
Made bridge from steep hillside to roof. Pushed cow onto roof - cow eating grass.

Thought cow might fall.
So that nothing could happen, he tied rope round cow's neck. Put other end of rope down chimney, into kitchen - tied it round his leg.

Nearly dinner-time, and no butter. Better boil potatoes.
Pot of water on fire.

Cow fell off roof, man dragged across floor, pulled up chimney until he stuck fast.

Wife had finished man's work, came home. Saw cow hanging.
Cut rope.
Husband in chimney fell down head-first into pot of hot water.

She looked at spilt cream, dead pig, beer on floor, husband in pot.
"So that's how you do Woman's Work!"

He was never cross again.