When the Lord and master came back again with his heavenly companions,
he did not see the tailor behind the door, but when he seated himself
on his chair the footstool was missing. He asked Saint Peter what had
become of the stool, but he did not know. Then he asked if he had let
anyone come in. “I know of no one who has been here,” answered Peter,
“but a lame tailor, who is still sitting behind the door.” Then the
Lord had the tailor brought before him, and asked him if he had taken
away the stool, and where he had put it? “Oh, Lord,” answered the
tailor joyously, “I threw it in my anger down to earth at an old woman
whom I saw stealing two veils at the washing.” “Oh, thou knave,” said
the Lord, “were I to judge as thou judgest, how dost thou think thou
couldst have escaped so long? I should long ago have had no chairs,
benches, seats, nay, not even an oven-fork, but should have thrown
everything down at the sinners. Henceforth thou canst stay no longer in
heaven, but must go outside the door again. Then go where thou wilt. No
one shall give punishment here, but I alone, the Lord.”
Peter was obliged to take the tailor out of heaven again, and as he had
torn shoes, and feet covered with blisters, he took a stick in his
hand, and went to “Wait-a-bit,” where the good soldiers sit and make
merry.
36 The Wishing-Table, the Gold-Ass, and the Cudgel in the Sack
There was once upon a time a tailor who had three sons, and only one
goat. But as the goat supported the whole of them with her milk, she
was obliged to have good food, and to be taken every day to pasture.
The sons, therefore, did this, in turn. Once the eldest took her to the
churchyard, where the finest herbs were to be found, and let her eat
and run about there. At night when it was time to go home he asked,
“Goat, hast thou had enough?” The goat answered,
“I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I’ll touch, meh! meh!”
“Come home, then,” said the youth, and took hold of the cord round her
neck, led her into the stable and tied her up securely. “Well,” said
the old tailor, “has the goat had as much food as she ought?” “Oh,”
answered the son, “she has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll
touch.” But the father wished to satisfy himself, and went down to the
stable, stroked the dear animal and asked, “Goat, art thou satisfied?”
The goat answered,
“Wherewithal should I be satisfied?
Among the graves I leapt about,
And found no food, so went without, meh! meh!”
“What do I hear?” cried the tailor, and ran upstairs and said to the
youth, “Hollo, thou liar: thou saidest the goat had had enough, and
hast let her hunger!” and in his anger he took the yard-measure from
the wall, and drove him out with blows.
Next day it was the turn of the second son, who looked out for a place
in the fence of the garden, where nothing but good herbs grew, and the
goat cleared them all off. At night when he wanted to go home, he
asked, “Goat, art thou satisfied?” The goat answered,
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