for a long time all went well . whenever guests came , his wife laid the table for the old folk in the bake - house , and on each occasion so much money was left lying there , that before long they did not know what to do with it all . but ugly she was , and ugly she remained , and he was heartily weary of her . so it was bound to happen that he sometimes flew into a rage , and threatened her with cuffs and blows . once he wanted to go to town , and since it was fall , and the ground already frozen , the horse had first to be shod . so he went into the smithy -- for he himself was a notable farrier -- but , no matter what lie did , the horse - shoe was either too large or too small , and would not fit at all . he had no other horse at home , and he toiled away until noon and on into the afternoon . " will you never make an end of your shoeing ? " asked his wife . " you are not a very good husband ; but you are a far worse farrier . i see there is nothing left for me but to go into the smithy myself and shoe the horse . this shoe is too large , you should have made it smaller , and that one is too small , you should have made it larger . " she went into the smithy , and the first thing she did was to take the horse - shoe in both hands and bend it straight . " there , look at it , " said she , " that is how you must do it . " and with that she bent it together again as though it were made of lead . " now hold up the horse 's leg , " said she , and the horse - shoe fitted to a hair , so that the best farrier could not have bettered it . " you have a great deal of strength in your fingers , " said her husband , and he looked at her . " do you think so ? " was her reply . " what would have happened to me had you been as strong ? but i love you far too dearly ever to use my strength against you , " said she . and from that day on he was the best of husbands . 
his wife .
who was a better farrier out of the dragoon and his wife ?
who was a better farrier out of the dragoon and his wife ?