Doctor Know-All
NCE upon a time a poor Peasant, named Crabb, was taking a load of wood drawn by two oxen to the town for sale. He sold it to a Doctor for four thalers. When the money was being paid to him, it so happened that the Doctor was sitting at dinner. When the Peasant saw how daintily the Doctor was eating and drinking, he felt a great desire to become a Doctor too. He remained standing and looking on for a time, and then asked if he could not be a Doctor.
‘Oh yes!’ said the Doctor; ‘that is easily managed.’
‘What must I do?’ asked the Peasant.
‘First buy an ABC book; you can get one with a cock as a frontispiece. Secondly, turn your wagon and oxen into money, and buy with it clothes and other things suitable for a Doctor. Thirdly, have a sign painted with the words, “I am Doctor Know-all,” and have it nailed over your door.’
The Peasant did everything that he was told to do.
Now when he had been doctoring for a while, not very long though, a rich nobleman had some money stolen from him. He was told about Doctor Know-all, who lived in such and such a village, who would be sure to know what had become of it. So the gentleman ordered his carriage and drove to the village.
He stopped at the Doctor’s house, and asked Crabb if he were Doctor Know-all.
‘Yes, I am.’
‘Then you must go with me to get my stolen money back.’
‘Yes, certainly; but Grethe, my wife, must come too.’
The nobleman agreed, and gave both of them seats in his carriage, and they all drove off together.
