him a kiss. Then he rode away upon the horse that was to be sold or
bartered for something else. Yes, the old man knew what he was about. The
sun shone with great heat, and not a cloud was to be seen in the sky. The
road was very dusty; for a number of people, all going to the fair, were
driving, riding, or walking upon it. There was no shelter anywhere from the
hot sunshine. Among the rest a man came trudging along, and driving a cow
to the fair. The cow was as beautiful a creature as any cow could be.
“She gives good milk, I am certain,” said the peasant to himself. “That
would be a very good exchange: the cow for the horse. Hallo there! you
with the cow,” he said. “I tell you what; I dare say a horse is of more value
than a cow; but I don’t care for that,-a cow will be more useful to me; so, if
you like, we’ll exchange.”
“To be sure I will,” said the man.
Accordingly the exchange was made; and as the matter was settled, the
peasant might have turned back; for he had done the business he came to
do. But, having made up his mind to go to the fair, he determined to do so,
if only to have a look at it; so on he went to the town with his cow. Leading
the animal, he strode on sturdily, and, after a short time, overtook a man
who was driving a sheep. It was a good fat sheep, with a fine fleece on its
back.
“I should like to have that fellow,” said the peasant to himself. “There is
plenty of grass for him by our palings, and in the winter we could keep him
in the room with us. Perhaps it would be more profitable to have a sheep
than a cow. Shall I exchange?”
The man with the sheep was quite ready, and the bargain was quickly
made. And then our peasant continued his way on the high-road with his
sheep. Soon after this, he overtook another man, who had come into the
road from a field, and was carrying a large goose under his arm.
“What a heavy creature you have there!” said the peasant; “it has plenty
of feathers and plenty of fat, and would look well tied to a string, or
paddling in the water at our place. That would be very useful to my old
