The shepherd at once went to his master and told him of the buried treasure. The latter drove a cart to the place indicated, dug deeply in the earth and lo! he found a cave full of silver and gold, the contents of which he placed in his cart and carried home. This master was an honest and generous man, and he gave the entire treasure to his shepherd, saying: “Take this, my son; it was to you that God gave it! I would advise you to build a house, to marry and start some good business with this gold.”
The shepherd did as his kindly master advised him, and, little by little he multiplied his wealth and became the richest man, not only in his village, but in the whole district. He now hired his own shepherds, cattle-drivers and swineherds to keep his great property in good order. One day, just before Christmas, he said to his wife: “Prepare wine and food, for to-morrow we will go to our farms and feast our servants.” His wife did as he bade, and the next morning they went to their farms, and the master said to his men: “Now come one and all, eat and drink together; as for the sheep I will myself watch them to-night.”
So the kind man went to guard his sheep. About midnight, wolves began to howl and his dogs barked a defiance. Said the wolves in their own language to the dogs: “Can we come and kill the sheep? There will be enough for you also.” Thereupon the dogs answered in their own tongue: “O come by all means, we also would like to have a feast!” But amongst the dogs there was a very old one who had only two teeth left. That faithful animal barked furiously at the wolves: “To the devil with you all! So long as I have these two teeth, you shall not touch my master’s sheep!” And the master heard and understood every word they uttered. Next morning he ordered his servants to kill all his dogs, except the old one. The servants began to implore their master, saying: “Dear master, it is a pity to kill them!” But the master would not suffer any remonstrance, and sternly ordered: “Do as I bid you!” Then he and his wife mounted their horses and started for home, he on a horse and she on a mare. As they journeyed, the horse left the mare a little behind and he neighed, saying: “Hurry up, why do you dawdle behind?” And the mare answered: “Eh, it is not hard for you—you are carrying only your master, and I am carrying a despotic woman whose rules are a burden to the whole household.”
The Importunate Wife
Hearing this, the master turned his head and burst into laughter. His wife noticing his sudden mirth, spurred on her mare, and when she reached her husband she asked him why he had laughed. He answered: “There is no reason, I just laughed.” But the woman was not satisfied with this reply and would not give her husband any peace. He endeavoured in vain to excuse himself, saying: “Don’t keep on asking me; if I tell you the true reason why I laughed, I shall instantly die!” But she did not believe her husband, and the more he refused to tell her, the more she insisted that he should do so, until at last the poor man was worn out by her persistence.
Directly they arrived home, therefore, the man ordered a coffin to be made, and, when it was ready and he had it placed in front of the house-door, he said to his wife: “I shall lie down in this coffin, for the moment I tell you why I laughed, I shall die.” So he laid himself in the coffin, and as he took a last look around, he saw his faithful old dog, coming from the fields. The poor animal approached his master’s coffin and sat near his head howling with grief. When the master saw this, he requested his wife to give it food. The woman brought bread and gave it to the dog, who would not even look at it, still less eat it. The piece of bread attracted a cock, which came forward and began to peck at it; the dog reproached him saying: “You insatiable creature! You think of nothing but food, and you fail to see that our dear master is about to die!”
To this reprimand the cock retorted: “Let him die, since he is such a foolish man! I have a hundred wives, and I gather them all round a grain of corn, which I happen to find; and then, when they have all assembled, I swallow it myself! If any of them should protest, I just peck at them; but he, the fool, is not able to rule a single wife.”
At this the man jumped out of the coffin, took a stick and called to his wife: “Come in the house, wife, and I shall tell you why I laughed!”
Seeing the obvious intention of her husband, the woman begged him to desist, and promised that nevermore would she be curious, or try to pry into his affairs.