格林童话选 英文版 Grimms' Fairy Tales
格林兄弟 Brüder Grimm
DOCTOR KNOWALL
There was once upon a time a poor peasant called Crabb, who drove withtwo oxen a load of wood to the town, and sold it to a doctor for twotalers. When the money was being counted out to him, it so happenedthat the doctor was sitting at table, and when the peasant saw howwell he ate and drank, his heart desired what he saw, and wouldwillingly have been a doctor too. So he remained standing a while, andat length inquired if he too could not be a doctor. 'Oh, yes,' saidthe doctor, 'that is soon managed.' 'What must I do?' asked thepeasant. 'In the first place buy yourself an A B C book of the kindwhich has a cock on the frontispiece; in the second, turn your cartand your two oxen into money, and get yourself some clothes, andwhatsoever else pertains to medicine; thirdly, have a sign painted foryourself with the words: "I am Doctor Knowall," and have that nailedup above your house-door.' The peasant did everything that he had beentold to do. When he had doctored people awhile, but not long, a richand great lord had some money stolen. Then he was told about DoctorKnowall who lived in such and such a village, and must know what hadbecome of the money. So the lord had the horses harnessed to hiscarriage, drove out to the village, and asked Crabb if he were DoctorKnowall. Yes, he was, he said. Then he was to go with him and bringback the stolen money. 'Oh, yes, but Grete, my wife, must go too.' Thelord was willing, and let both of them have a seat in the carriage,and they all drove away together. When they came to the nobleman'scastle, the table was spread, and Crabb was told to sit down and eat.'Yes, but my wife, Grete, too,' said he, and he seated himself withher at the table. And when the first servant came with a dish ofdelicate fare, the peasant nudged his wife, and said: 'Grete, that wasthe first,' meaning that was the servant who brought the first dish.The servant, however, thought he intended by that to say: 'That is thefirst thief,' and as he actually was so, he was terrified, and said tohis comrade outside: 'The doctor knows all: we shall fare ill, he saidI was the first.' The second did not want to go in at all, but wasforced. So when he went in with his dish, the peasant nudged his wife,and said: 'Grete, that is the second.' This servant was equallyalarmed, and he got out as fast as he could. The third fared nobetter, for the peasant again said: 'Grete, that is the third.' Thefourth had to carry in a dish that was covered, and the lord told thedoctor that he was to show his skill, and guess what was beneath thecover. Actually, there were crabs. The doctor looked at the dish, hadno idea what to say, and cried: 'Ah, poor Crabb.' When the lord heardthat, he cried: 'There! he knows it; he must also know who has themoney!'
On this the servants looked terribly uneasy, and made a sign to thedoctor that they wished him to step outside for a moment. Whentherefore he went out, all four of them confessed to him that they hadstolen the money, and said that they would willingly restore it andgive him a heavy sum into the bargain, if he would not denounce them,for if he did they would be hanged. They led him to the spot where themoney was concealed. With this the doctor was satisfied, and returnedto the hall, sat down to the table, and said: 'My lord, now will Isearch in my book where the gold is hidden.' The fifth servant,however, crept into the stove to hear if the doctor knew still more.But the doctor sat still and opened his A B C book, turned the pagesbackwards and forwards, and looked for the cock. As he could not findit immediately he said: 'I know you are there, so you had better comeout!' Then the fellow in the stove thought that the doctor meant him,and full of terror, sprang out, crying: 'That man knows everything!'Then Doctor Knowall showed the lord where the money was, but did notsay who had stolen it, and received from both sides much money inreward, and became a renowned man.