When they reached the nobleman’s castle the dinner was ready, and Crabb was invited to sit down to table.
‘Yes; but Grethe, my wife, must dine too’; and he seated himself with her.
When the first Servant brought in a dish of choice food, the Peasant nudged his wife, and said: ‘Grethe, that was the first,—meaning that the servant was handing the first dish. But the servant thought he meant, ‘That was the first thief.’ As he really was the thief, he became much alarmed, and said to his comrades outside—
‘That Doctor knows everything, we shan’t get out of this hole; he said I was the first.’
The second Servant did not want to go in at all, but he had to go, and when he offered his dish to the Peasant he nudged his wife, and said—‘Grethe, that is the second.’
This Servant also was frightened and hurried out.
The third one fared no better. The Peasant said again: ‘Grethe, that is the third.’
The fourth one brought in a covered dish, and the master told the Doctor that he must show his powers and guess what was under the cover. Now it was a dish of crabs.
The Peasant looked at the dish and did not know what to do, so he said: ‘Wretched Crabb that I am.’
When the Master heard him he cried: ‘There, he knows it! Then he knows where the money is too.’
Then the Servant grew terribly frightened, and signed to the Doctor to come outside.
When he went out, they all four confessed to him that they had stolen the money; they would gladly give it to him and a large sum in addition, if only he would not betray them to their Master, or their necks would be in peril. They also showed him where the money was hidden. Then the Doctor was satisfied, went back to the table, and said—
‘Now, Sir, I will look in my book to see where the money is hidden.’
The fifth, in the meantime, had crept into the stove to hear
