English Original
In the countryside lived an old peasant couple in a simple thatched cottage. Though poor, they were content with what they had, including their horse.
One market day, the wife urged her husband to take the horse to sell or trade it, assuring him, "You will never do anything wrong." Under the blazing sun, the peasant set off.
First, he met a man with a fine cow. Thinking it would give good milk, he traded his horse for the cow. Satisfied, he could have gone home, but he decided to continue to the market.
Soon, he saw a man with a fat sheep. Imagining it grazing by their ditch and providing wool, he traded the cow for the sheep. Walking on, he encountered a man with a large goose. Remembering his wife's wish for a goose, he traded the sheep for it.
Entering the town, he saw a hen tied in a field. Believing it could fend for itself and lay eggs, he traded the goose for the hen. Tired and thirsty, he headed to a tavern. At the door, he met a seller with a sack of mashed apples for pigs. Recalling their own barren apple tree, the peasant traded his hen for the apples.
Inside the crowded tavern, he placed the sack near a hot stove. The sizzling sound drew the attention of two wealthy Englishmen. Upon hearing the peasant's story of trading down from a horse to a bag of apples, they laughed, certain his wife would be furious. They bet him one hundred and eleven pounds that he would be scolded or beaten.
The peasant accepted, betting his apples, his wife, and himself. They all rode in a cart to his cottage.
"Good evening, wife! I have traded," he said.
"You know what you have done," she replied, embracing him. She then listened joyfully to each trade:
- The horse for a cow? "Now we'll have milk and cheese!"
- The cow for a sheep? "Even better! We have grass for it and will have wool for socks!"
- The sheep for a goose? "We can fatten it for St. Martin's festival!"
- The goose for a hen? "It will lay eggs for chicks!"
- Finally, the hen for a bag of mashed apples? "Now I must kiss you!" she exclaimed. She explained she had wanted to borrow some caraway seeds from a neighbor to make his favorite pancakes, but the neighbor's wife had refused, boasting she had nothing but a single mashed apple. "Now I can lend her ten of ours!"
The Englishmen were amazed. "Always from bad to worse, yet always happy. That is good fortune!" They paid the peasant the 111 pounds, for he had received not blows, but a kiss.
Indeed, a wife who believes her husband is the wisest and always right will surely gain.
中文翻译
乡下住着一对老农夫妇，他们住在一间简陋的茅草屋里。虽然贫穷，但他们安于所有，包括他们的一匹马。
一个赶集日，妻子催促丈夫牵着马去卖掉或换点东西，并安慰他说：“你永远不会做错事。” 烈日当空，老农出发了。
首先，他遇到一个牵着一头好奶牛的人。想着奶牛能产好奶，他用马换了奶牛。本可满意而归，但他决定继续去集市看看。
很快，他看到一个牵着一头肥羊的人。想象着羊可以在沟边吃草并提供羊毛，他用奶牛换了羊。继续走着，他遇到一个夹着只大鹅的人。想起妻子想要一只鹅，他用羊换了鹅。
进了镇子，他看到田里拴着一只母鸡。相信它能自己觅食和下蛋，他用鹅换了母鸡。又累又渴，他走向一家小酒馆。在门口，他遇到一个卖着一袋喂猪的苹果渣的小贩。想起自家不结果的苹果树，老农用母鸡换了苹果渣。
在拥挤的酒馆里，他把袋子放在热炉子旁。咝咝作响的声音引起了两个富有的英国人的注意。听完老农用一匹马一路换到一袋苹果渣的故事，他们大笑起来，确信他的妻子一定会大发雷霆。他们和他打赌一百一十一英镑，赌他回家会挨骂或挨打。
老农接受了赌注，押上了他的苹果渣、他的妻子和他自己。他们一起坐马车回到了他的小屋。
“晚上好，老婆！我做交易了，”他说。
“你知道你做了什么，”她回答着，拥抱了他。然后她高兴地听着每一次交易：
- 用马换了奶牛？“现在我们会有牛奶和奶酪了！”
- 用奶牛换了羊？“那更好！我们有草喂它，还会有羊毛织袜子！”
- 用羊换了鹅？“我们可以把它养肥了过圣马丁节！”
- 用鹅换了母鸡？“它会下蛋孵小鸡！”
- 最后，用母鸡换了一袋苹果渣？“现在我必须亲亲你！”她喊道。她解释说，她本想向邻居借点葛缕子籽给他做他最爱的煎饼，但邻居的妻子拒绝了，还夸口说自己除了一个烂苹果什么都没有。“现在我可以借十个我们的给她了！”
两个英国人惊叹不已。“总是每况愈下，却总是快乐。这才是好运啊！”他们付给了老农111英镑，因为他得到的不是打骂，而是一个吻。
的确，一个相信丈夫是最聪明、永远正确的妻子，定会有所收获。