Litchfield enquirer., 1862-04-03
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THE TWO WIVES
4 NORWEGIAN STORY.

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 There was once man called Gudbrand, who lived in lonely little farm house on a remote ! bill side. From this circumstance be got the name among his neighbors of Gudbrand of the Hill.
 Now, you must know that Gudbrand had an excellent wife, as sometimes happens to man. But the Farest thing about it was, that Gudbrand knew the value of such treasure and so the two lived in perfect harmony, and giving them selves no concern about either wealth or the lapse of years. N matter what Gudbrand might 1 do, his wife had foreseen and desired tha: very thing; so that her good man could not touch or change, or move anything about the house with 1 out her coming forward to thank him for having ldivined and forestalled her wishes.
 1 Besides, it was easy for them to get along, since the farm belonged to them, and they had a hundred solid croWns in drawerof their closet, | and two excellent cows in their stable. They lacked nothing, and could quietly pass their old age without fear of poverty or toll, and without having to look to the friendship or the commis- eraton of any of their fellow creatures.
 One evening. while they were talking over the various little tasks and projects of theirs, says | the wife of Gudbrand to her husband.-
 1 Husband, I've got new notion in my head ; you must take one of our COWS to town and sell her. We'll keep the other, and she'll be quite enough to furnish us with all the milk and but 1 ter we can use. Why should we toll for other people? We've money lying in the drawer, and no children to look after. So wouldn't it be bet ter to spare these arms of ours, now that we are growing old ? You will always find something to occupy your time about the house there'll be no lack of furniture and things to mend, and l Il be more than ever beside you with my dis taff and knitting needles
 Gudbrand bethought him that his wife was right, as usual, and so, as the next morning was beautiful one, he set off for the town, at all early hour, with the COW he wanted to sell. But it was not market day, and he found no purchas- CT to take the animal off his hands. E. Well we'll! said Gudbrand, at all events, l can take Sukey back to the place brought her from; I've got hay and litter in plenty there flor the poor brute, and it's no farther returning than l it was coming hither.' Whereupon he very qui- etly started again on the road to his home. After walking on for few hours. and just as he was beginning to feel little tired, he met a nau leading horse by the bridle toward the town. The horse was in condition. and was all saddled and ready for rider The way is long and night rapidly coming on" thous sh; Gnd- brand can hardly drag my COW along, and to morrow I'll have to take this same walk over agH;n. Now heres an animal that would suit me d great deal better. and Id go back home with him as proud as lord. Who would be delighted to see her husband returning in tri umph like. a kuman Geueril? Why the the wife of Gudbrand! .... ....,. | Upon this happy thought. Gudbrand stopped the trader and ,xcIlanged his COW for the young horse.
 1 Once mounted on the chargers back, our hero felt some q,ElIlns of regret. for he Was old an, heavy, while the horse was young, frsky, and I hca,lstrong. so that, in less than all huur behold our woul,l-be cavalier was on foot again, vainly striving to drag aIoHg,hy the bridle a creature that cooke. up his head at every puff 0! wnd and capeted and pranced at every one that lay | in his path. .-...
 This is poor bargain Two made,' thought Gudhrand, when, just al that moment, he de
 scred peasant driving along hog, so fine and
 fat that its stomach touched the ground.
 "A nail that is useful IS better than diamond
 that gtters and can be turned to nothing, as my wife often says reflected Gudbrand ana
 with that, he traded off his horse for the hog. It was bright idea to be sure, but our good
 man had counted without his host Don Pork
 CT would not bulge an inch. Gudbrand talked to him, coaxed him. swore at him, but all in vain; he dragged him, by the snout, he pushed | him from behind, he whacked him on both his fat sides with cudsel, but it was only labor lost and Mir. Hog remained there in the middle o tEe dusty ruad like stranded whale. The pool farmer Was yielding to despair, when at the very nick of time, there came along country lao leading she goat that with an udder all swol len with milk, skipped, ran and played about, ir a manner charming to behold.
 'rherc that's the very thing want y exclaim ed Gudbrand I'd rather have that gay spright
 ly creature than this huge, stupid brute Where upon without an instants hesitation, he ex changed the hog for the she goat.
 All went well for another half hour. The young madam with her long horns greatly anus
 ed Gudbrand, who laughed Ut her pranks till hi'
 sides ached. In fact, too, she pulled him along
 but when one is on the wrong side of forty, on.
 soon gets tired of scrambling over the rocks
 and so the farmer happening to meet shephert
 feeding his flock, traded his she goat for an eve i' I'll have just as much milk unused he, iron
 that animal as from the other, and, at least sht
 will be quiet, and not worry either my wife o me- w @
 Gpdbrand was right in one respect, for there
 is nothing more gentle than an eve. This on,
 had no tricks, she neither capered or butted w:l
 her head, but stood perfectly still and bleated al
 the time. Finding herself separated from he
 companions, she wanted to rejoin them, and the
 more Gudbrand tugged at her tether the more lpiteously she baaed. = Deuce take the silly brute!' shouted Gud
 brand; sshe's as obstinate and whimpering a my neighbors wife. Who'll rid me of this bawl ing, believing beast? I must get clear of her a any price. ..e.. It's bargain if you choose, neighbor, sai, a country fellow who was just passing, with a ia [ goose under h arm. Here, take this fine bir
 instead she's worth two of that ugly shee , that's going to split it's throat in less than a hour, anyhow
 Done,' said Gudbrand "a live goose is a lgood as dead eve, any day;' and so he too
 the goose in exchange.
 But it was no easy matter to manage his ne'
 bargain. The goose turned out to be very dis agreeable companion !; for finding itself no long
 CT on the ground, it fought with its bill its feel
 and it's wings, so .hat Gudbrand was tired a struggling to holdit. k :. n Pah I growled he; the goose is an ugly, il . grained creature, and my wife would not hay t one about the house. With this reflection,
 changed the goose, at the first. farm house h
 came to, for a fine rooster of rich plumage an : furnished with grand pair of spurs. s
 Thls tune he was thoroughly satisfied. Tn
 rooster, 1t is true, squawked from time to time . in a voice ratherteo hoarse to gratify most del ' cate ears but as his claws bad been tied t, l gether with swine, and he was carried head dowl wards, he finally gave up and resigned himself, | his fate. The only unpleasant circumstance no ir remaining was that the day was rapidly drawn 1 to close. Gudbrand, who had started befol
 dawn, now found himself fasting at sundow : without a farthing in his pocket. He still hs
 q loug walk before him, and the good man fe that his legs were giving out, and that his stor Y ach crayed refreshment. Some bold step mu ? be taken, ]: and so, st the first wayside taver