English Original
There was once a quarrelsome tailor whose good, industrious, and pious wife could never please him. Whatever she did, he was dissatisfied, grumbling, scolding, and beating her.
When the authorities heard of this, they summoned him and put him in prison to reform him. After being kept on bread and water, he was released but forced to promise not to beat his wife anymore, to live in peace with her, and to share joy and sorrow as married people should.
For a time, all went well, but he soon fell back into his old ways. Unable to beat her, he would seize her by the hair and tear it out. She escaped into the yard, but he chased her with his yard-measure and scissors, throwing whatever came to hand. He laughed when he hit her and stormed when he missed.
This continued until the neighbors intervened. The tailor was again summoned before the magistrates and reminded of his promise. "Dear gentlemen," he said, "I have kept my word. I have not beaten her but have shared joy and sorrow with her."
"How can that be," asked the judge, "when she brings such heavy complaints against you?"
"I have not beaten her," the tailor replied. "I merely wanted to comb her hair because she looked strange, but she spitefully got away. I hurried after her and, to remind her of her duty, threw things as a well-meant admonition. I have shared joy and sorrow: when I hit her, I was joyful and she sorrowful; when I missed, she was joyful and I sorry."
The judges were not satisfied with this answer and gave him the punishment he deserved.
中文翻译
从前有个裁缝，性情暴躁，而他善良、勤勉、虔诚的妻子却怎么也无法让他满意。无论她做什么，他都不满足，总是抱怨、责骂，对她拳打脚踢。
当局听闻此事后，传唤了他，将他投入监狱以图改造。在被关押并仅以面包和水度日一段时间后，他被释放了，但被迫承诺不再殴打妻子，要与她和睦相处，并像夫妻应该做的那样分享喜悦与悲伤。
有一段时间，一切顺利，但他很快故态复萌。因为不敢再打她，他就抓住她的头发撕扯。妻子逃到院子里，他却拿着码尺和剪刀追她，把手边的东西都扔向她。打中时他大笑，没打中时他就暴跳如雷、破口大骂。
这种情况持续了很久，直到邻居们前来帮助妻子。裁缝再次被传唤到法官面前，并被提醒他的承诺。"尊敬的先生们，"他说，"我遵守了我的诺言。我没有打她，而是与她分享了喜悦和悲伤。"
法官问："这怎么可能？她不断对你提出如此严重的控诉。"
裁缝答道："我没有打她。只是因为她看起来很奇怪，我想用手给她梳梳头，她却怀恨地跑开了。我急忙追上去，为了让她记起自己的责任，就顺手拿起东西扔向她，作为善意的告诫。我的确分享了喜悦与悲伤：当我打中她时，我喜悦，她悲伤；当我没打中时，她喜悦，我悲伤。"
法官们对这个回答并不满意，给予了他应得的惩罚。