Hiss-s-s! hiss-s-s! What was that by the stove? The apples were beginning to roast.
"What is that?"
"Why, do you know—-" said our peasant.
And he told the whole story of the horse that he had exchanged for a cow, and all the rest of it down to the apples.
"Well, your old woman will give it you well when you get home," said one of the Englishmen. "There will be a disturbance."
"What?—give me what?" said the peasant.
"She will kiss me, and say, 'What the old man does is always right.'"
"Shall we wager?" said the Englishman. "We'll wager coined gold by the ton—a hundred pounds to the hundredweight!"
"A bushel will be enough," replied the peasant. "I can only set the bushel of apples against it; and I'll throw myself and my old woman into the bargain—and I fancy that's piling up the measure."
"Done—taken!"