this time the beer was still running out of the cask, for Kate had not
turned the tap. And when the can was full and there was no other place
for it, it ran into the cellar and did not stop until the whole cask
was empty. As soon as Kate was on the steps she saw the mischance.
“Good gracious!” she cried. “What shall I do now to stop Frederick
knowing it!” She thought for a while, and at last she remembered that
up in the garret was still standing a sack of the finest wheat flour
from the last fair, and she would fetch that down and strew it over the
beer. “Yes,” said she, “he who saves a thing when he ought, has it
afterwards when he needs it,” and she climbed up to the garret and
carried the sack below, and threw it straight down on the can of beer,
which she knocked over, and Frederick’s draught swam also in the
cellar. “It is all right,” said Kate, “where the one is the other ought
to be also,” and she strewed the meal over the whole cellar. When it
was done she was heartily delighted with her work, and said, “How clean
and wholesome it does look here!” At mid-day home came Frederick: “Now,
wife, what have you ready for me?” “Ah, Freddy,” she answered, “I was
frying a sausage for you, but whilst I was drawing the beer to drink
with it, the dog took it away out of the pan, and whilst I was running
after the dog, all the beer ran out, and whilst I was drying up the
beer with the flour, I knocked over the can as well, but be easy, the
cellar is quite dry again.” Said Frederick, “Kate, Kate, you should not
have done that! to let the sausage be carried off and the beer run out
of the cask, and throw out all our flour into the bargain!” “Indeed,
Frederick, I did not know that, you should have told me.” The man
thought, “If my wife is like this, I must look after things more.” Now
he had got together a good number of thalers which he changed into
gold, and said to Catherine, “Look, these are counters for playing
games; I will put them in a pot and bury them in the stable under the
cow’s manger, but mind you keep away from them, or it will be the worse
for you.” Said she, “Oh, no, Frederick, I certainly will not go.” And
when Frederick was gone some pedlars came into the village who had
cheap earthen-bowls and pots, and asked the young woman if there was
nothing she wanted to bargain with them for? “Oh, dear people,” said
Catherine, “I have no money and can buy nothing, but if you have any
use for yellow counters I will buy of you.” “Yellow counters, why not?
But just let us see them.” “Then go into the stable and dig under the
cow’s manger, and you will find the yellow counters. I am not allowed
to go there.” The rogues went thither, dug and found pure gold. Then
they laid hold of it, ran away, and left their pots and bowls behind in
the house. Catherine thought she must use her new things, and as she
had no lack in the kitchen already without these, she knocked the
bottom out of every pot, and set them all as ornaments on the paling
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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