There was once a peasant who sold his cow at the fair for seven thalers. On his way home, he passed a pond and heard the frogs croaking, "Aik, aik, aik, aik." "Well," he thought, "they are talking nonsense. I received seven thalers, not eight."
When he reached the water, he shouted, "Stupid animals! Don't you know better? It's seven thalers, not eight!" But the frogs only continued, "Aik, aik, aik, aik." "Fine," said the peasant angrily, "if you won't believe me, I'll count it for you." He took out his money and counted the seven thalers.
The frogs ignored him and kept croaking. "What!" cried the peasant. "Since you think you know better, count it yourselves!" He threw all the money into the water. He waited, expecting the frogs to return it, but they just kept croaking. He waited until evening, then went home in a rage, shouting insults at the frogs.
Later, the peasant bought another cow, slaughtered it, and took the meat to town to sell. At the town gate, a pack of dogs led by a large greyhound surrounded him, barking, "Wow, wow, wow." The peasant said to the lead dog, "I know you want the meat, but I can't just give it to you."
The dog only barked, "Wow, wow." "Will you promise not to eat it all and be responsible for your friends?" asked the peasant. The dog barked again. "Very well," said the peasant. "I'll leave the meat with you. I know your master. But you must bring me the money in three days, or there will be trouble." He unloaded the meat and left. The dogs fell upon it, barking loudly.
Three days later, no one had paid him. The peasant went to the town butcher and demanded payment for the cow he believed the dog had delivered. The butcher, thinking it a joke, grew angry and drove him out with a broomstick.
The peasant then went to the royal palace. Brought before the King and his daughter, he told his story: how frogs and dogs had taken his property, and the butcher had beaten him. The King's daughter laughed heartily. The King said, "I cannot give you justice, but you shall have my daughter as your wife, for she has never laughed like this before, and I promised her to whoever could make her laugh."
"Oh," replied the peasant, "I don't want her. I already have one wife, and that's one too many." The King, angered, called him a boor. The peasant retorted, "What can you expect from an ox but beef?" The King then promised him five hundred thalers in three days.
As the peasant left, a sentry asked for a share of the reward. The peasant promised him two hundred. A Jew overheard and offered to exchange the large thalers for small coins, keeping a share for himself. The peasant agreed to give him three hundred.
When the peasant returned to the King, he explained he no longer had the money, having promised two hundred to the sentry and three hundred to the Jew. The King summoned the soldier and the Jew. As punishment for their greed, they received a beating. The Jew cried, "Are these the heavy thalers?"
The King, amused, told the peasant to go to the treasure chamber and take as much money as he wanted. The peasant filled his pockets. Later, at an inn, he counted his money and muttered that the King had cheated him by not counting it out first. The Jew, who had followed him, reported these disrespectful words to the King.
The King, furious, ordered the Jew to bring the peasant to him immediately. The Jew found the peasant, who refused to go in his old coat, saying a rich man needed better clothes. Afraid the King's anger would cool, the Jew lent him his own fine coat.
Before the King, the peasant denied speaking ill of him, saying, "What a Jew says is always false." When the Jew protested that the peasant was wearing his coat, the King realized the Jew had deceived someone. He ordered the Jew to be paid in "hard thalers" (another beating). The peasant went home with the Jew's coat and his treasure, thinking, "This time I have hit it!"