Grimm's Household Tales

Lean Lisa had a very different way of thinking from lazy Harry and fat Trina, who never let anything disturb their peace. She scoured everything with ashes from morning till evening and burdened her husband, Long Laurence, with so much work that he had heavier loads to carry than a donkey with three sacks. It was all to no purpose, however; they had nothing and came to nothing. One night, as she lay in bed so weary that she could hardly move a limb, she still did not allow her thoughts to go to sleep. She thrust her elbows into her husband’s side and said, “Listen, Lenz, to what I have been thinking. If I were to find one florin and were given another, I would borrow a third to add to them, and you, too, should give me another. Then, as soon as I had the four florins together, I would buy a young cow.” This pleased the husband very much. “It is true,” he said, “that I do not know where I am to get the florin that you want from me as a gift. But if you can get the money together and buy a cow with it, you will do well to carry out your plan. I will be glad,” he added, “if the cow has a calf, and then I will often get a drink of milk to refresh me.” “The milk is not for you,” said the woman. “We must let the calf nurse so that it can grow big and fat and we will be able to sell it for a good price.” “Certainly,” replied the man, “but we will still take a little milk; that will do no harm.” “Who has taught you to manage cows?” said the woman. “Whether it does harm or not, I will not allow it, and even if you were to stand on your head for it, you would not get a drop of the milk! Do you think, Long Laurence, that because there is no satisfying you, you are going to eat up what I earn with so much difficulty?” “Wife,” said the man, “be quiet, or I will hit you in the mouth!” “What!” she cried. “You threaten me, you glutton, you rascal, you lazy Harry!” She was just taking hold of his hair when Long Laurence got up, seized both of Lean Lisa’s withered arms in one hand, and with the other pressed her head down into the pillow. He let her scold and held her there until she fell asleep from sheer weariness. Whether she continued to wrangle when she awoke the next morning, or whether she went out to look for the florin she wanted to find, I do not know.