There was once upon a time a rich man, who had a servant so honest and industrious that he was every morning the first up, and every evening the last to come in; and, besides, whenever there was a difficult job to be done, which nobody else would undertake, this servant always volunteered his assistance. Moreover, he never complained, but was contented with everything, and happy under all circumstances. When his year of service was up, his master gave him no reward, for he thought to himself that will be the cleverest way, and, by saving his wages, I shall keep my man quietly in my service. The servant said nothing, but did his work during the second year as well as the first; but still he received nothing for it, so he made himself happy about the matter, and remained a year longer.
When this third year was also past, the master considered, and put his hand in his pocket, but drew nothing out; so the servant said, “I have served you honestly for three years, master, be so good as to give me what I deserve; for I wish to leave, and look about me a bit in the world.”
“Yes, my good fellow,” replied the covetous old man; “you have served me industriously, and, therefore, you shall be cheerfully rewarded.” With these words he dipped his hand into his pocket and drew out three farthings, which he gave to the servant, saying, “There, you have a farthing for each year, which is a much more bountiful and liberal reward than you would have received from most masters!”
The honest servant, who understood very little about money, jinked his capital, and thought, “Ah! now I have a pocketful of money, so why need I plague myself any longer with hard work?” So off he walked, skipping and jumping about from one side of the road to the other, full of joy. Presently he came to some bushes, out of which a little man stept, and called out “Whither away, merry brother? I see you do not carry much burden in the way of cares.” “Why should I be sad,” replied the servant, “I have enough, the wages of three years are rattling in my pocket.”
“How much is your treasure?” inquired the dwarf.
“How much? three farthings honestly counted out,” said the servant.
“Well,” said the dwarf, “I am a poor needy man, give me your three farthings; I can work no longer, but you are young, and can earn your bread easily.”
Now because the servant had a compassionate heart, he pitied the old man, and handed him the three farthings, saying, “In the name of God take them, and I shall not want.”
Thereupon the little man said, “Because I see you have a good heart I promise you three wishes, one for each farthing, and all shall be fulfilled.”
“Aha!” exclaimed the servant, “you are one who can blow black and blue! Well, then, if it is to be so, I wish, first, for a gun, which shall bring down all I aim at; secondly, a fiddle, which shall make all who hear it dance; thirdly, that whatever request I may make to any one it shall not be in their power to refuse me.”
“All this you shall have,” said the dwarf; and diving into his pocket he produced a fiddle and gun, as soon as you could think, all in readiness, as if they had been ordered long ago. These he gave to the servant, and then said to him, “Whatever you may ask, shall no man in the world be able to refuse.” With that he disappeared.
“What more can you desire now, my heart?” said the servant to himself, and walked merrily onwards. Soon he met a Jew with a very long beard, who was standing listening to the song of a bird which hung high up upon a tree. “What a wonder,” he was exclaiming, “that such a small creature should have such an immense voice! if it were only mine! Oh that I could strew some salt upon its tail!”
“If that is all,” broke in the servant, “the bird shall soon be down;” and aiming with his gun he pulled the trigger, and down it fell in the middle of a thorn-bush. “Go, you rogue, and fetch the bird out,” said he to the Jew.
“Leave out the rogue, my master,” returned the other; “before the dog comes I will fetch out the bird, because you killed it so well.” So saying the Jew went down on his hands and knees and crawled into the bush; and while he stuck fast among the thorns, the good servant felt so roguishly inclined, that he took up his fiddle and began to play. At the same moment the Jew was upon his legs, and began to jump about, while the more the servant played the better went the dance. But the thorns tore his shabby coat, combed out his beard, and pricked and stuck all over his body. “My master,” cried the Jew, “what is your fiddling to me? leave the fiddle alone; I do not want to dance.”
But the servant did not pay any attention, and said to the Jew, while he played anew, so that the poor man jumped higher than ever, and the rags of his clothes hung about the bushes, “You have fleeced people enough in your time, and now the thorny hedge shall give you a turn.” “Oh woe’s me!” cried the Jew; “I will give the master what he desires, if only he leaves off fiddling—a purse of gold.” “If you are so liberal,” said the servant, “I will stop my music; but this I must say to your credit, that you dance as if you had been bred to it;” and thereupon taking the purse he went his way.
The Jew stood still and watched him out of sight, and then he began to abuse him with all his might. “You miserable musician, you beer-tippler! wait, if I do but catch you alone, I will hunt you till the soles of your shoes fall off! you ragamuffin, you farthingsworth!” and so he went on, calling him all the names he could lay his tongue to. As soon as he had regained his breath and arranged his dress a bit, he ran into the town to the justice. “My lord judge,” he said, “I have a sorry tale to tell: see how a rascally man has used me on the public highway, robbed and beaten me! a stone on the ground might pity me; my clothes all torn, my body scratched and wounded all over, poverty come upon me with the loss of my purse, besides several ducats,
v one piece more valuable than all the others; for Heaven’s sake let the man be put in prison!”
“Was it a soldier,” inquired the judge, “who has thus cut you with his sabre?” “God forbid!” cried the Jew; “it was no sword the rogue had, but he carried a gun upon his shoulder, and a fiddle slung round his neck; the evil wretch is easily known.”
So the judge sent his people out after the man, and they soon found the servant, whom they drove slowly before them, when they found the purse upon him. As soon as he was set before the judge he said, “I have not touched the Jew, nor taken his money; for he gave it to me of his own free will, because he wished me to cease my fiddling which he could not endure.”
“Heaven defend us,” cried the Jew, “he tells lies as fast as he can catch the flies upon the wall.”
The judge also would not believe his tale, and said, “This is a bad defence for no Jew would do as you say.” Thereupon, because the robbery had been committed on the public road, he sentenced the good servant to be hanged. As he was led thither the Jew began again to abuse him, crying out, “You bearskin! you dog of a fiddler! now you shall receive your well-earned reward!” But the servant walked quietly with the hangman to the gallows, and upon the last step of the ladder he turned round and said to the judge, “Grant me one request before I die.”
“Yes, if you do not ask your life,” said the judge.
Not life do I request, but that you will allow me to play one tune upon my fiddle, for a last favour,” replied the servant.
The Jew raised a great cry of “Murder! murder! for God’s sake do not allow it!” “Why should I not grant him this short enjoyment?” asked the judge, “it is almost all over with him, and he shall have this last favour.” (However, he could not have refused the request which the servant had made.)
Then the Jew exclaimed, “Oh! woe’s me! hold me fast, tie me fast!” while the servant, taking his fiddle from his neck, began to screw up, and no sooner had he given the first scrape, than the judge, his clerk, and the hangman began to make steps, and the rope fell out of the hand of him who was going to bind the Jew. At the second scrape, all raised their legs, and the hangman let loose the good servant and prepared for the dance. At the third scrape, all began to dance and caper about; the judge and the Jew being first performers. And as he continued to play, all joined in the dance, and even the people who had gathered in the market out of curiosity, old and young, fat and thin, one with another. The dogs, likewise, as they came by, got up on their hind legs and capered about; and the longer he played the higher sprang the dancers, till they toppled down over each other on their heads, and began to shriek terribly. At length the judge cried, quite out of breath, “I will give you your life if you will stop fiddling.” the good servant thereupon had compassion, and dismounting the ladder he hung his fiddle round his neck again. Then he stepped up to the Jew, who lay upon the ground panting for breath, and said, “You rascal, tell me, now, whence you got the money, or I will take my fiddle and begin again.” “I stole it, I stole it!” cried the Jew; “but you have honestly earned it.” Upon this the judge caused the Jew to be hung on the gallows as a thief, while the good servant went on his way, rejoicing in his happy escape.
