English Original
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!"
中文翻译
从前，一个农民在集市上卖了奶牛，得了七泰勒。回家路上经过池塘，他听到青蛙叫：“哎克，哎克，哎克，哎克。”他想：“它们胡说八道。我得了七泰勒，不是八泰勒。”
他走到水边喊道：“蠢东西！你们不知道吗？是七泰勒，不是八泰勒！”但青蛙只继续叫。农民生气了：“好，你们不信，我数给你们看。”他掏出钱数了七泰勒。
青蛙不理他。农民怒道：“既然你们觉得自己更懂，那你们自己数吧！”他把所有钱扔进水里等着，青蛙却只叫不还钱。他等到傍晚，只好愤怒地回家，一路骂着青蛙。
后来，农民又买了一头牛，宰了后把肉运到镇上卖。在城门口，一群狗围住了他，为首的灰狗叫着：“汪，汪，汪。”农民对领头的狗说：“我知道你想要肉，但我不能白给。”
狗只叫。农民问：“你能保证不吃光，并为你的同伴负责吗？”狗又叫。农民说：“好吧，我把肉留给你。我认识你的主人。但你必须三天内把钱给我，不然有你好看。”他卸下肉走了。狗群扑上去大叫。
三天后，没人付钱。农民去找屠夫，要他付狗送来的牛肉钱。屠夫以为这是玩笑，生气地用扫帚把他赶走了。
农民于是去了王宫。在国王和公主面前，他讲述了自己的遭遇：青蛙和狗拿了他的东西，屠夫还打了他。公主听后开怀大笑。国王说：“我无法给你公道，但你可以娶我的女儿，因为她从未这样笑过，我答应把她嫁给能逗笑她的人。”
“哦，”农民回答，“我不要她。我已经有一个妻子了，一个都嫌多。”国王生气了，骂他是粗人。农民反驳道：“从牛身上还能指望得到什么？不就是牛肉吗？”国王于是答应三天后给他五百泰勒。
农民离开时，一个卫兵要求分一些赏金。农民答应给他两百。一个犹太人偷听到，提出用零钱换大额泰勒，自己抽一份。农民同意给他三百。
农民回到国王面前，解释说钱已不属于他，两百许给了卫兵，三百换给了犹太人。国王召来士兵和犹太人。作为贪婪的惩罚，他们挨了一顿打。犹太人哭喊：“这就是沉重的泰勒吗？”
国王被逗乐了，让农民去宝库随意拿钱。农民塞满了口袋。后来在客栈数钱时，他嘀咕说国王骗了他，没当面数清。跟踪他的犹太人向国王报告了这些不敬之言。
国王大怒，命令犹太人立刻把农民带来。犹太人找到农民，农民拒绝穿旧衣服去见国王，说有钱人需要体面。犹太人怕国王消气，就把自己的好外套借给了他。
在国王面前，农民否认说过坏话，还说：“犹太人说的话都是假的。”当犹太人抗议说农民穿着他的外套时，国王明白犹太人欺骗了其中一方。他下令给犹太人“硬泰勒”（又一顿打）。农民穿着犹太人的外套，带着财宝回家了，心想：“这次我可赚大了！”