Now when he had been doctoring for a while, not very long though, a rich nobleman had some money stolen from him. He was told about Doctor Know-all, who lived in such and such a village, who would be sure to know what had become of it. So the gentleman ordered his carriage and drove to the village.
He stopped at the Doctor’s house, and asked Crabb if he were Doctor Know-all.
‘Yes, I am.’
‘Then you must go with me to get my stolen money back.’
‘Yes, certainly; but Grethe, my wife, must come too.’
The nobleman agreed, and gave both of them seats in his carriage, and they all drove off together.
When they reached the nobleman’s castle the dinner was ready, and Crabb was invited to sit down to table.
‘Yes; but Grethe, my wife, must dine too’; and he seated himself with her.
When the first Servant brought in a dish of choice food, the Peasant nudged his wife, and said: ‘Grethe, that was the first,’—meaning that the servant was handing the first dish. But the servant thought he meant, ‘That was the first thief.’ As he really was the thief, he became much alarmed, and said to his comrades outside—
‘That Doctor knows everything, we shan’t get out of this hole; he said I was the first.’