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There was a certain village wherein no one lived but really rich

peasants, and just one poor one, whom they called the little

peasant. He had not even so much as a cow, and still less money

to buy one, and yet he and his wife did so wish to have one. One

day he said to her: 'Listen, I have a good idea, there is our

gossip the carpenter, he shall make us a wooden calf, and paint

it brown, so that it looks like any other, and in time it will

certainly get big and be a cow.' the woman also liked the idea,

and their gossip the carpenter cut and planed the calf, and

painted it as it ought to be, and made it with its head hanging

down as if it were eating.