ertain," said the peasant to himself. "That
would be a very good exchange: the cow for the horse. Halloo there! you
with the cow," he said. "I tell you what, I dare say a horse is of more
value than a cow; but I don't care for that. A cow will be more useful
to me, so if you like we'll exchange."

"To be sure I will," said the man.

[Illustration: And then our peasant ... continued his way.]

Accordingly the exchange was made. When the matter was settled the
peasant might have turned back, for he had done the business he came
to do. But having made up his mind to go to the fair, he determined to
do so, if only to have a look at it. So on he went to the town with his
cow. Leading the animal, he strode on sturdily, and, after a short time,
overtook a man who was driving a sheep. It was a good fat sheep, with a
fine fleece on its back.

"I should like to have that fellow," said the peasant to himself. "There
is plenty of grass for him by our palings, and in the winter we could
keep him in the room with us. Perhaps it would be more profitable to
have a sheep than a cow. Shall I exchange?"

The man with the sheep was quite ready, and the bargain was quickly
made. And then our peasant continued his way on the highroad with his
sheep. Soon after this, he overtook another man, who had come into the
road from a field, and was carrying a large goose under his arm.

"What a heavy creature you have there!" said the peasant. "It has plenty
of feathers and plenty of fat, and would look well tied to a string, or
paddling in the water at our place. That would be very useful to my old
woman; she could make all sorts of profit out of it. How often she has
said, 'If we only had a goose!' Now here is an opportunity, and, if
possible, I will get it for her. Shall we exchange? I will give you my
sheep for your goose, and thanks into the bargain."

The other had not the least objection, and accordingly the exchange was
made, and our peasant became possessor of the goose. By this time he had
arrived very near the town. The crowd on the highroad had been gradually
increasing, and there was quite a rush of men and cattle. The cattle
walked on the path and by the palings, and at the turnpike gate they
even walked into the toll keeper's potato field, where one fowl was
strutting about with a string tied to its leg, lest it should take
fright at the crowd and run away and get lost. The tail feathers of this
fowl were very short, and it winke