The Good Bargain

　　 　　A peasant had driven his cow to the fair and sold her for seven talers. On the way home he had to walk past a pond, and already from afar he heard the frogs crying, "ak, ak, ak, ak" [which in his language sounded like, "eight, eight, eight, eight"].

　　"Well," he said he to himself, "they are talking nonsense. It is seven that I was paid, not eight."

　　　When he reached the water, he shouted to them, "You are stupid creatures. Don't you know any better than that? It is seven talers, not eight."

　　The frogs, however, kept up with their "ak, ak, ak, ak."

　　"Now then, if you won't believe it, I can count it out for you." Then taking his money out of his pocket, he counted out the seven talers, twenty-four groschens in each one.

　　However, the frogs paid no attention to his counting, and again cried out, "ak, ak, ak, ak."

　　"Aha!" shouted the peasant, quite angry. "If you think that you know better than I do, then count it yourselves," and he threw all the money at them into the water. He stood still, wanting to stay there until they were finished and had returned his money to him, but the frogs did not budge from their opinion, and continued to cry out, "ak, ak, ak, ak." And furthermore, they did not throw the money back to him.

　　He waited a long time, until evening finally came, and he had to go home. Then he cursed the frogs, shouting at them, "You water-splashers, you thick-heads, you goggle-eyes, you have big mouths and can shout until a person's ears hurt, but you cannot count seven talers. Do you think that I want to stand here until you are finished?"

Then he walked away, with the frogs still crying out after him, "ak, ak, ak, ak." He arrived at home in a sour mood.