Year: 1860

WIFE


Once upon time there was a man ,ho,o
name was Gudbrand; he had q farm which Io,,
iaI, iar sway upon hillside, and so they
called him Gudbrand on the Hillside


Now, you must know this man and his GOOD
wife lived so happily together, and understood
one another so we'll, that all the husband di5
the wife thought so well done there was notb;na
ike IL In the world, and she was ALWAYS vlsd
Whatever he turned his hand to- The farm
%1S tneir own land, and they had hundred
dollars lying at the bottom of their chest al
two cows tethered up in a stall in their farm.
yard. - 'l''i iArH


One day his wife said to Gudbrand-


Do you know, dear, 1 think we ouobt to
axe one OF our COWS into town and sell II.
mats what think; for then we shall have
some money In hand, and such well-to-do neo-
PIE as we ought 10 have ready money like the
rest OF the world. As for the hundred dollorS
at the bottom Of the chest yonder, we cam
make a hole In them, and I'm sure don't
KNOW what we want with more than one COW
Besides, We shall gain little in another wav
Tor then shall get off with only looking after
on, one cow, instead OF having, as now, to feed and
litter and water two"


Well, Gudbrand thought the wife t.1L.1
rlsht good sense, so he set off at once with the
COW on his way to town to sell her; but when
NJ got to the town. there was Lie one who
W juld buy his cow "no


well! we'll never mind" said Gudbrand


~, NJ tne worst, L can only go back home again
with my COW I've both stable and tetber fnr
her, L should think, and the road ia no fartbor
1lt than In; and with that he began to toddIe
home with his COW. " ''"0i0


But when he had gone bit of the wav a
man met him who had a horse to sell. so Gnd.
brand thought twas better to have horse
man man COW, so ne swopped with the man A
little farther on he met a man walking alone
and driving fat pig before him, and he
thought 1t better to have a fat MIG than a
horse. so he swopped with the man. After
that he went little farther, and a man met
him with goat; so he thought it better TO
have goat than ), and he swopped with
me man that owned the goat. Then he went on
a good bit till he met a man who had a sheen
and he swopped him too, for he thought it al
ways better to have sheep than a goat. After
while he met a man with a goose, and ba
swopped away the shNep for the goose. and
when he had walked long, long time, he met
n man with cock, and he swopped with him
for he thought in this wise '1fis surely better
to have cock than goose" Then he went
on till the day was far spent, and he began to
get very hungry, so he sold the cock for sbiI-
ling, and bought food for the money. for
thought Gudbrand on the Hillside, ss'Tis al
ways better to save ones life than to have
cock"


After that he went on home till he reached
his nearest neighbor's house, where he turned
In.


WELL" said the owner of the house, chow
did things go with in town."


Rather 90 so," said Gudbrand, II can't
praise my luck, nor do blame it eitherp and
with that he told the whole story from first to
last.


'.Ah." said his friend, you'll get nicely
called over the Goals, that one can see. when
you get nome to your wife. Heaven help you;
/ wOuldn't stand in your shoes for sometime ;;


well :" said Gudbrand ON the HiIl-side. ..I
think things might have gone much worse with
me; but now, whether have done wrong or
not, L nave 80 kind goodwife, she never has
word to say against anything that do.''


"Oh ~ answered his neig ghbor. 81 hear what
you say, but don't believe it for all that"


shall we lay bet upon il? ~ asked Gud-
brand on the Hillside. II have a hundred
dollars at the bottom of my chest at home; will
yOu lay as many against them


les. the friend was ready to bet; 80 Gud-
brand staid there till evening, when it began
10 get dark, and then they went together to his
the door and listen, while the man went in to
see his wife.


Good evening" said GIdbrand on the
Hillside


Good evening" said the good wife. ssOh I.
Is that you now, God be praised


les 1t was he. So the wife asked how
things had gone with him in town.


oh only so So" answered Gudbrand: s.not
much to brag Of. When 1 got to the town there
was no one who would buy the COW; so you must
know SwOpped it away for horse


" For hOrse?'' said his wife; well that is
good of you; thanks with all my heart We are
81 well-to-do that we may drive to church. just
as we'll as other people; and if we chose to keep
a hoIss we have light to get one should
think So run out, child, and put up the
horse


All said Gudbrand, 'but you see I've net
got the horse after all; for when L got bit far
ther on the road swopped it away for pig:


Think of that now said the wife; s'you
did just as L should have done myself; thou
sand thanks! Now 1 can have bit of bacon
in the house to set before people when they
come to see me, that / can. What do we want
with horse People would only say we had
got so proud that we couldn't walk to church
Go out, child, and put up the pig in the stye."


But I've not got the pig either" said Gud-
brand; 90 for when L got a little further on I
swOpped it away for milch goat


Bless US ~ cried his wife. - how well YOU
manage everything Now L think it over what
should we do with pig! People would only
point at us and say, 'Yonder they eat up all
they have got No, now 1 have got a goat,
and 1 shall have milk and cheese, and keep
the goat, too. Run out, child, and put up the
goat"


Nay, but haven't got the goat either"
said Gudbrand; ''for little further on swop-
ped ii away, and got a fine sheep instead;


You don't say so '" cried his wife; - why,
you do everything to please me, just as if L
had been with you; what do We want with a
goat2 If l had it should lose half my time
in climbing up the hills to get it down. No. if
have a sheep, 1 shall have both wool ard
clothing, and fresh meat in the house. Run
out, child and put up the sheep"


But I haven't got the sheep any more than
the rest" said Gudbrand; ''for when 1 had
gone a bit farther, 1 swopped it away for a
goose"
Thank you, thank you, with all my heart"
cried his wife; what should do with sheep?
4 have no spinning wheel nor carding-comb,
nor should care to worry myself with cutting
and shaping and sewing clothes. We can buy
clothes now, we have always done; and now |
l shall have roast goose, which L have longed
tor So often: and, besides, down to stuff my
little pillow with. Run out, child, and put up
the goose"
'.Ah," said Gubrand, "but 1 haven't the |
gpDse either; for when L had gone bit farther |
swopped il away for a cock"
Dear me. led his wifi, chow you thin |