When they were once more at home, frederick said, and now, catherine, you, too, must be industrious and work. Yes, frederick, I will soon do that, I will go into the field and cut corn. When catherine got into the field, she said to herself, shall I eat before I cut, or shall I sleep before Icut. Oh, I will eat first. Then catherine ate and eating made her sleepy, and she began to cut, and half in a dream cut all her clothes to pieces, her apron, her gown, and her shift. When catherine awoke again after a long sleep she was standing there half-naked, and said to herself, is it I, or is it not I. Alas, it is not I. In the meantime night came, and catherine ran into the village, knocked at her husband's window, and cried, frederick.
What is the matter. I should very much like to know if catherine is in. Yes, yes, replied frederick, she must be in and asleep.
Said she, that's all right, then I am certainly at home already, and ran away.
Outside catherine found some vagabonds who were going to steal.
Then she went to them and said, I will help you to steal. The rascals thought that she knew what opportunities the place offered, and were willing. Catherine went in front of the houses, and cried, good folks, have you anything. We want to steal.
The thieves thought to themselves, that's a fine way of doing things, and wished themselves once more rid of catherine. Then they said to her, outside the village the pastor has some turnips in the field. Go there and pull up some turnips for us.
Catherine went to the ground, and began to pull them up, but was so lazy that she never stood up straight. Then a man came by, saw her, and stood still and thought that it was the devil who was thus rooting amongst the turnips. He ran away into the village to the pastor, and said, mr. Pastor, the devil is in your turnip-ground, rooting up turnips. Ah, heavens, answered the pastor, I have a lame foot, I cannot go out and drive him away. Said the man, then I will carry you on my back, and he carried him out on his back. And when they came to the ground, catherine arose and stood up her full height. Ah, the devil, cried the pastor, and both hurried away, and in his great fright the pastor could run better with his lame foot than the man who had carried him on his back could do on his sound legs.
There was a certain village wherein no one lived but really rich peasants, and just one poor one, whom they called the little peasant. He had not even so much as a cow, and still less money to buy one, and yet he and his wife did so wish to have one. One day he said to her, listen, I have a good idea, there is our gossip the carpenter, he shall make us a wooden calf, and paint it brown, so that it looks like any other, and in time it will certainly get big and be a cow. The woman also liked the idea, and their gossip the carpenter cut and planed the calf, and painted it as it ought to be, and made it with its head hanging down as if it were eating.
Next morning when the cows were being driven out, the little peasant called the cow-herd and said, look, I have a little calf there, but it is still small and has to be carried. The cow-herd said, all right, and took it in his arms and carried it to the pasture, and set it among the grass. The little calf always remained standing like one which was eating, and the cow-herd said, it will soon run by itself, just look how it eats already. At night when he was going to drive the herd home again, he said to the calf, if you can stand there and eat your fill, you can also go on your four legs. I don't care to drag you home again in my arms. But the little peasant stood at his door, and waited for his little calf, and when the cow-herd drove the cows through the village, and the calf was missing, he inquired where it was. The cow-herd answered, it is still standing out there eating. It would not stop and come with us. But the little peasant said, oh, but I must have my beast back again. Then they went back to the meadow together, but someone had stolen the calf, and it was gone. The cow-herd said, it must have run away. The peasant, however, said, don't tell me that, and led the cow-herd before the mayor, who for his carelessness condemned him to give the peasant a cow for the calf which had run away.
And now the little peasant and his wife had the cow for which they had so long wished, and they were heartily glad, but they had no food for it, and could give it nothing to eat, so it soon had to be killed. They salted the flesh, and the peasant went into the town and wanted to sell the skin there, so that he might buy a new calf with the proceeds. On the way he passed by a mill, and there sat a raven with broken wings, and out of pity he took him and wrapped him in the skin. But as the weather grew so bad and there was a storm of rain and wind, he could go no farther, and turned back to the mill and begged for shelter. The miller's wife was alone in the house, and said to the peasant, lay yourself on the straw there, and gave him a slice of bread and cheese. The peasant ate it, and lay down with his skin beside him, and the woman thought, he is tired and has gone to sleep. In the meantime came the parson. The miller's wife received him well, and said, my husband is out, so we will have a feast. The peasant listened, and when he heard them talk about feasting he was vexed that he had been forced to make shift with a slice of bread and cheese. Then the woman served up four different things, roast meat, salad, cakes, and wine.