One day a peasant took his good hazel stick out of the corner and said to his wife, "Trina, I am going across country, and shall not return for three days. If during that time the cattle dealer should happen to call and want to buy our three cows, you may strike a bargain at once, but not unless you can get two hundred talers for them, nothing less, do you hear."
"In God's name, just go in peace," answered the woman, "I will manage that."
"You, indeed," said the man. "You once fell on your head when you were a little child, and that affects you even now. But let me tell you this, if you do anything foolish, I will make your back black and blue, and not with paint, I assure you, but with the stick which I have in my hand. And the coloring shall last a whole year. You may rely on that." Having said that, the man went on his way.
The next morning the cattle dealer came, and the woman had no need to say many words to him. When he had seen the cows and heard the price, he said, "I am quite willing to give that. Honestly speaking, they are worth it. I will take the animals away with me at once."
He unfastened their chains and drove them out of the stall, but just as he was going out of the farmyard gate, the woman clutched him by the sleeve and said, "You must give me the two hundred talers now, or I cannot let the cows go."
"Right," answered the man, "but I have forgotten to buckle on my money belt. Have no fear, however, you shall have security until I pay. I will take two cows with me and leave one, so you will have good collateral."
The woman saw the wisdom of this, and let the man go away with the cows, and thought to herself, "How pleased Hans will be when he finds how cleverly I have managed."
The peasant came home on the third day as he had said he would, and at once inquired if the cows were sold. "Yes, indeed, dear Hans," answered the woman, "and as you said, for two hundred talers. They are scarcely worth so much, but the man took them without making any objection."
"Where is the money?" asked the peasant. "Oh, I have not got the money," replied the woman. "He had happened to forget his money belt, but he will soon bring it, and he left good security behind him."
"What kind of security?" asked the man.
"One of the three cows, which he shall not have until he has paid for the other two. I have managed very cunningly, for I have kept the smallest, which eats the least."
参考译文：
一天，一位农夫从屋子的角落拿出他那根做工精良的榛木拐棍，对老婆说：“特日娜，我准备出趟远门，得过三天才能回来。在我出门的期间，如果牛贩子上门来买咱们的三头母牛的话，你得抓紧和他讲价钱，但是不得少于二百块银元，你记住了吗？决不能。”“老天爷作证，你放心去吧，”农妇回答，“我会处理这件事的。”“你呀，你，”农夫不放心地叮嘱，“你小时候摔坏过脑袋，到现在还有后遗症。我警告你，如果你干了傻事，我可要让你的后背青一块紫一块，不过不是用油彩，我向你保证，而是用手里的这根拐棍，那颜色可是一整年都褪不下去的，我这话可是真的。”说完，农夫上了路。
第二天早晨，牛贩子来了，农妇对他没有过多的寒喧。他看了牛并了解了价钱后表示：“我同意接受这个价钱。老实讲，它们得要这个价，我这就把牛牵走。”他把缰绳解开，赶着牛出了牛圈，可是就在他还没出院门的当儿，农妇一把抓住了他的衣袖，说道：“你必须现在付给我二百银元，否则我不能让牛走。” “那当然，”男人答，“可是不巧的是我忘了系上我那装钱的腰带。不过没关系，我会向你提供我付款的担保抵押。我牵二头牛走，留下一头，这样你就有了很好的抵押品啦。”农妇以为这里油水不小，就让牛贩子牵走了牛，她自己暗想：“如果汉斯知道我将此事处理得如此之好，他得多高兴呀！”
第三天，农夫按期回到家，进门就问牛卖了没有。“是的，当然啦，亲爱的汉斯，”农夫答，“照你说的，卖了二百银元。它们不值这么高的价钱，那个男的没表示异议就把牛牵走了。”“钱在哪儿？”农夫问。“噢，我还没拿到钱，”农妇答，“他碰巧忘了带装钱的腰带，可他很快就会把钱带来的，而且他还留下了一大笔抵押。”“什么抵押品？”农夫又问。
“三头牛中的一头，他得把其它那二头牛的钱付了，才能牵走这头牛。我耍了个花招，我留下了那头最小的，它吃得最少。”
O(∩_∩)O~： 有些问题需要更细致的考虑。
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