Bab Bab 92 · Doctor Knowall

. Doctor Knowall

There was once on a time a poor peasant called Crabb, who drove with

two oxen a load of wood to the town, and sold it to a doctor for two

thalers. When the money was being counted out to him, it so happened

that the doctor was sitting at table, and when the peasant saw how

daintily he ate and drank, his heart desired what he saw, and he would

willingly have been a doctor too. So he remained standing a while, and

at length inquired if he too could not be a doctor. “Oh, yes,” said the

doctor, “that is soon managed.” “What must I do?” asked the peasant.

“In the first place buy thyself an A B C book of the kind which has a

cock on the frontispiece: in the second, turn thy cart and thy two oxen

into money, and get thyself some clothes, and whatsoever else pertains

to medicine; thirdly, have a sign painted for thyself with the words,

“I am Doctor Knowall,” and have that nailed up above thy house-door.”

The peasant did everything that he had been told to do. When he had

doctored people awhile, but not long, a rich and great lord had some

money stolen. Then he was told about Doctor Knowall who lived in such

and such a village, and must know what had become of the money. So the

lord had the horses put in his carriage, drove out to the village, and

asked Crabb if he were Doctor Knowall? Yes, he was, he said. Then he

was to go with him and bring back the stolen money. “Oh, yes, but

Grethe, my wife, must go too.” The lord 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’s castle, the table was spread, and

Crabb was told to sit down and eat. “Yes, but my wife, Grethe, too,”

said he, and he seated himself with her at the table. And when the

first servant came with a dish of delicate fare, the peasant nudged his

wife, and said, “Grethe, that was the first,” meaning that was the

servant who brought the first dish. The servant, however, thought he

intended by that to say, “That is the first thief,” and as he actually

was so, he was terrified, and said to his comrade outside, “The doctor

knows all: we shall fare ill, he said I was the first.” The second did

not want to go in at all, but was forced. So when he went in with his

dish, the peasant nudged his wife, and said, “Grethe, that is the

second.” This servant was just as much alarmed, and he got out. The

third did not fare better, for the peasant again said, “Grethe, that is

the third.” The fourth had to carry in a dish that was covered, and the

lord told the doctor that he was to show his skill, and guess what was

beneath the cover. The doctor looked at the dish, had no idea what to

say, and cried, “Ah, poor Crabb.” When the lord heard that, he cried,

“There! he knows it, he knows who has the money!”

On this the servants looked terribly uneasy, and made a sign to the

doctor that they wished him to step outside for a moment. When

therefore he went out, all four of them confessed to him that they had

stolen the money, and said that they would willingly restore it and

give 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 the

money was concealed. With this the doctor was satisfied, and returned

to the hall, sat down to the table, and said, “My lord, now will I

search in my book where the gold is hidden.” The fifth servant,

however, crept into the stove to hear if the doctor knew still more.

The Doctor, however, sat still and opened his A B C book, turned the

pages backwards and forwards, and looked for the cock. As he could not

find it immediately he said, “I know you are there, so you had better

show yourself.” Then the fellow in the stove thought that the doctor

meant him, and full of terror, sprang out, crying, “That man knows

everything!” Then Dr. Knowall showed the count where the money was, but

did not say who had stolen it, and received from both sides much money

in reward, and became a renowned man.