36 lines
2.3 KiB
Text
36 lines
2.3 KiB
Text
Lean Lisa
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Lean Lisa was of a very different way of thinking from lazy Harry and
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fat Trina, who never let anything disturb their peace. She scoured
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everything with ashes, from morning till evening, and burdened her
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husband, Long Laurence, with so much work that he had heavier weights
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to carry than an ass with three sacks. It was, however, all to no
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purpose, they had nothing and came to nothing. One night as she lay in
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bed, and could hardly move one limb for weariness, she still did not
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allow her thoughts to go to sleep. She thrust her elbows into her
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husband's side, and said, "Listen, Lenz, to what I have been thinking:
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if I were to find one florin and one was given to me, I would borrow
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another to put to them, and thou too shouldst give me another, and then
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as soon as I had got the four florins together, I would buy a young
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cow." This pleased the husband right well. "It is true," said he, "that
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I do not know where I am to get the florin which thou wantest as a gift
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from me; but, if thou canst get the money together, and canst buy a cow
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with it, thou wilt do well to carry out thy project. I shall be glad,"
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he added, "if the cow has a calf, and then I shall often get a drink of
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milk to refresh me." "The milk is not for thee," said the woman, "we
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must let the calf suck that it may become big and fat, and we may be
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able to sell it well." "Certainly," replied the man, "but still we will
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take a little milk; that will do no harm." "Who has taught thee to
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manage cows?" said the woman; "Whether it does harm or not, I will not
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allow it, and even if thou wert to stand on thy head for it, thou
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shouldst not have a drop of the milk! Dost thou think, because there is
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no satisfying thee, Long Laurence, that thou art to eat up what I earn
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with so much difficulty?" "Wife," said the man, "be quiet, or I will
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give thee a blow on thy mouth!" "What!" cried she, "thou threatenest
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me, thou glutton, thou rascal, thou lazy Harry!" She was just laying
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hold of his hair, but long Laurence got up, seized both Lean Lisa's
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withered arms in one hand, and with the other he pressed down her head
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into the pillow, let her scold, and held her until she fell asleep for
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very weariness. Whether she continued to wrangle when she awoke next
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morning, or whether she went out to look for the florin which she
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wanted to find, that I know not.
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