y who passes
by.

Just such an old farm-house stood out in the country, and there lived
an old couple, a peasant and his wife. Little though they had, there
was one thing they could not do without, and that was the horse, that
found a living by grazing on the roadside.

Father rode on it to town, and the neighbours borrowed it; but the old
couple thought it might perhaps be better to sell the horse or
exchange it for something more useful.

"You will know best, father, what this something should be," said the
wife. "To-day is market-day in town; ride down there and sell the
horse or make a good exchange. What you do is always right--so ride to
the market."

So she wrapped his muffler around him, for she could do this better
than he, and tied it in a double knot, so that it looked very smart;
then she brushed his hat with the palm of her hand, and gave him a
hearty kiss. He rode away on the horse that was about to be sold or
exchanged. Yes; father knew what he was about!

A man came along, leading a cow--as pretty a cow as one could wish to
see.

"She must give good milk, I am sure," thought the peasant; "it would
be a very good exchange to get her for the horse. Hello there, you,
with the cow!" he cried, "let us have a little chat. Of course, a
horse costs more than a cow, but I don't mind that; I happen to have
more use for the cow. Shall we make an exchange?"

"All right," said the man with the cow, and so they exchanged.

Now that the bargain was made, the peasant might have returned home,
for he had finished his business; but, as he had made up his mind to
go to market, he thought he might as well do so, if only to see what
was going on. So off he walked with his cow.

He walked quickly, and the cow walked quickly, and so they soon
overtook a man who was leading a sheep. It was a fine sheep, in good
condition, and with plenty of wool.

"Now, that is just the thing I should like to have," thought the
peasant. "There is plenty of grass for it by the roadside, and in the
winter we could take it into the house with us. As a matter of fact,
it would be more suitable for us to keep than a cow. Shall we
exchange?" he asked.

The man with the sheep was quite willing; so the exchange was made.

The peasant went along the road with his sheep, and at the stile he
met a man with a big goose under his arm.

"That is a heavy bird you have there," said the peasant, "with plenty
of feather and fat. It would look c