The man, surprised at hearing the lark speak to him, said, “What good can you do to me?”
“Oh,” replied the lark, “you never know what I can do. Just bide your time, there might be a chance.”
“Well,” said the man, “I do not mind going with my plough round that piece of ground, it will not make much difference, but you see I have a very bad-tempered wife, and should she come out and see what I have done, and that I have left a part of the field without ploughing it, I shall come in for a good hiding.”
“What,” said the lark, “you a man, and your wife, a woman, beating you, how can that be?”
“Oh,” replied the man, “you do not know her; from morning till evening she does nothing but strike and beat me, I have not a minute’s rest and peace.”
“I can help you,” replied the lark, “if only you will do what I tell you.”
“If you will help me I shall be for ever grateful to you.”
“Well then, this is what you have to do. You get yourself a stout stick, and should she come and start chiding you, you just lay out and go for her without mercy. You will see it will be all right.”
Whilst they were thus speaking, the woman came out, with one jaw on earth and the other in heaven, spitting fire and fury; and when she saw that the man had left a part of the field not ploughed she started to go for him with her fists and to give him a good beating. But before she had time to get to him, remembering the advice which the lark had given him, he got hold of the stick, and there was a great change. The woman did not know what it was that happened to her; the blows fell upon her fast and thick over her head, face, shoulders, hands. At last she got frightened, and ran away vowing vengeance. After she had gone, the lark said to the man:
“Don’t be a fool, I know she awaits you at home with a long stick, but you get yourself a short, stout stick, and just slip into the house before she has time to use her long rod, and then you go for her, hitting as fast as you can and as hard as you can, for, being in the house, the woman will not be able to use the long rod to any advantage.”