Frederick and Catherine

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 though 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 which went round about the house. When Frederick came and saw the new decorations, he said, Catherine, what have you been about. I have bought them, Frederick, for the counters which were under the cow's manger. I did not go there myself, the pedlars had to dig them out for themselves. Ah, wife, said Frederick, what have you done. Those were not counters, but pure gold, and all our wealth, you should not have done that. Indeed, Frederick, said she, I did not know that, you should have forewarned me. Catherine stood for a while and wondered, then she said, listen, Frederick, we will soon get the gold back again, we will run after the thieves. Come, then, said Frederick, we will try it, but take with you some butter and cheese that we may have something to eat on the way. Yes, Frederick, I will take them.

They set out, and as Frederick was the better walker, Catherine followed him. It is to my advantage, thought she, when we turn back I shall be a little way in advance. Then she came to a hill where there were deep ruts on both sides of the road. There one can see, said Catherine, how they have torn and skinned and galled the poor earth, it will never be whole again as long as it lives, and in her heart's compassion she took her butter and smeared the ruts right and left, that they might not be so hurt by the wheels, and as she was thus bending down in her charity, one of the cheeses rolled out of her pocket down the hill. Said Catherine, I have made my way once up here, I will not go down again, another may run and fetch it back. So she took another cheese and rolled it down. But the cheeses did not come back, so she let a third run down, thinking. Perhaps they are waiting for company, and do not like to walk alone. As all three stayed away she said, I do not know what that can mean, but it may perhaps be that the third has not found the way, and has gone wrong, I will just send the fourth to call it. But the fourth did no better than the third.

Then Catherine was angry, and threw down the fifth and sixth as well, and these were her last. She remained standing for some time watching for their coming, but when they still did not come, she said, oh, you are good folks to send in search of death, you stay a fine long time away. Do you think I will wait any longer for you. I shall go my way, you may run after me, you have younger legs than I. Catherine went on and found Frederick, who was standing waiting for her because he wanted something to eat. Now just let us have what you have brought with you, said he. She gave him the dry bread. Where have you the butter and the cheeses, asked the man. Ah, freddy, said Catherine, I smeared the cart-ruts with the butter and the cheeses will come soon, one ran away from me, so I sent the others after to call it. Said Frederick, you should not have done that, Catherine, to smear the butter on the road, and let the cheeses run down the hill. Really, Frederick, you should have told me. Then they ate the dry bread together, and Frederick said, Catherine, did you make the house safe when you came away.

No, Frederick, you should have told me to do it before. Then go home again, and make the house safe before we go any farther, and bring with you something else to eat. I will wait here for you. Catherine went back and thought, Frederick wants something more to eat, he does not like butter and cheese, so I will take with me a handkerchief full of dried pears and a pitcher of vinegar for him to drink. Then she bolted the upper half of the door fast, but unhinged the lower door, and took it on her back, believing that when she had placed the door in security the house must be well taken care of. Catherine took her time on the way, and thought, Frederick will rest himself so much the longer. When she had once reached him she said, here is the house-door for you, Frederick, and now you can take care of the house yourself. Oh, heavens, said he, what a wise wife I have. She takes the under-door off the hinges that everything may run in, and bolts the upper one. It is now too late to go back home again, but since you have brought the door here, you shall just carry it farther. I will carry the door, Frederick, but the dried pears and the vinegar-jug will be too heavy for me, I will hang them on the door, it may carry them. And now they went into the forest, and sought the rogues, but did not find them. At length as it grew dark they climbed into a tree and resolved to spend the night there.

Scarcely, however, had they sat down at the top of it than the rascals came thither who carry away with them what does not want to go, and find things before they are lost. They sat down under the very tree in which Frederick and Catherine were sitting, lighted a fire, and were about to share their booty. Frederick got down on the other side and collected some stones together. Then he climbed up again with them, and wished to throw them at the thieves and kill them. The stones, however, did not hit them, and the knaves cried, it will soon be morning, the wind is shaking down the fir-cones. Catherine still had the door on her back, and as it pressed so heavily on her, she thought it was the fault of the dried pears, and said, Frederick, I must throw the pears down. No, Catherine, not now, he replied, they might betray us. Oh, but, Frederick, I must. They weigh me down far too much. Do it, then, and be hanged.

Then the dried pears rolled down between the branches, and the rascals below said, those are birds, droppings. A short time afterwards, as the door was still heavy, Catherine said, ah, Frederick, I must pour out the vinegar. No, Catherine, you must not, it might betray us. Ah, but, Frederick, I must, it weighs me down far too much. Then do it and be hanged. So she emptied out the vinegar, and it spattered over the robbers. They said amongst themselves, the dew is already falling. At length Catherine thought, can it really be the door which weighs me down so, and said, Frederick, I must throw the door down. No, not now, Catherine, it might betray us. Oh, but, Frederick, I must. It weighs me down far too much. Oh, no, Catherine, do hold it fast. Ah, Frederick, I am letting it fall. Let it go, then, in the devil's name. Then it fell down with a violent clatter, and the rascals below cried, the devil is coming down the tree, and they ran away and left everything behind them. Early next morning, when the two came down they found all their gold again, and carried it home. When they were once more at home, Frederick said, and now, Catherine, you, too, must be industrious and work. Yes, Frederick, I will soon do that, I will go into the field and cut corn.

When Catherine got into the field, she said to herself, shall I eat before I cut, or shall I sleep before I cut. Oh, I will eat first. Then Catherine ate and eating made her sleepy, and she began to cut, and half in a dream cut all her clothes to pieces, her apron, her gown, and her shift. When Catherine awoke again after a long sleep she was standing there half-naked, and said to herself, is it I, or is it not I. Alas, it is not I. In the meantime night came, and Catherine ran into the village, knocked at her husband's window, and cried, Frederick. What is the matter. I should very much like to know if Catherine is in. Yes, yes, replied Frederick, she must be in and asleep. Said she, that's all right, then I am certainly at home already, and ran away. Outside Catherine found some vagabonds who were going to steal. Then she went to them and said, I will help you to steal. The rascals thought that she knew what opportunities the place offered, and were willing. Catherine went in front of the houses, and cried, good folks, have you anything. We want to steal.

The thieves thought to themselves, that's a fine way of doing things, and wished themselves once more rid of Catherine. Then they said to her, outside the village the pastor has some turnips in the field. Go there and pull up some turnips for us. Catherine went to the ground, and began to pull them up, but was so lazy that she never stood up straight. Then a man came by, saw her, and stood still and thought that it was the devil who was thus rooting amongst the turnips. He ran away into the village to the pastor, and said, mr. Pastor, the devil is in your turnip-ground, rooting up turnips. Ah, heavens, answered the pastor, I have a lame foot, I cannot go out and drive him away. Said the man, then I will carry you on my back, and he carried him out on his back. And when they came to the ground, Catherine arose and stood up her full height. Ah, the devil, cried the pastor, and both hurried away, and in his great fright the pastor could run better with his lame foot than the man who had carried him on his back could do on his sound legs.