Chương Chương 24 · Doctor Know-All

Doctor Know-All

Once 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.

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 if the

Doctor knew still more. But he sat there turning over the pages of his

ABC book looking for the cock, and as he could not find it at once, he

said: 'I know you are there, and out you must come.'

The man in the stove thought it was meant for him, and sprang out in a

fright, crying: 'The man knows everything.'

Then Doctor Know-all showed the nobleman where the money was hidden,

but he did not betray the servants; and he received much money from

both sides as a reward, and became a very celebrated man.