‘Look, mama! here’s the price of the piece of linen.’
‘All right!’ said the mother out loud; but to herself she said, ‘where can I ever hide all this lot of money? I have got no place to hide it but in this earthen jar, and if he knows how much it is worth, he will be letting out the secret to other people, and I shall be robbed.’
So she put the money in the earthen jar, and said to the boy:
‘They’ve cheated you in making you think that was coin; it’s nothing but a lot of rusty nails;[2] but never mind, you’ll know better next time.’ And she went out to her work.
While she was gone out to her work there came by an old rag-merchant.
‘Ho! here, rag-merchant!’ said the booby, who had acquired a taste for trading. ‘What will you give me for this lot of rusty nails?’ and he showed him the jar full of gold coin.
The rag-merchant saw that he had to do with an idiot, so he said:
‘Well, old nails are not worth very much; but as I’m a good-natured old chap, I’ll give you twelve pauls for them,’ because he knew he must offer enough to seem a prize to the idiot.
‘You may have them at that,’ said the booby. And the rag-merchant poured the coin out into his sack, and gave the fool the twelve pauls.
‘Look mama, look! I’ve sold that lot of old rusty worthless nails for twelve pauls. Isn’t that a good bargain?’