ossible that you really bought that beast for a mule?'

'Why certainly.'

'But, good heavens, it's nothing but a donkey!'

'A donkey!' repeated Simon, 'you don't mean to say so; if a single
other person tells me that, I'll make him a present of the wretched
animal.'

With these words he continued his way, and very soon met the third
knave, who said to him, 'God bless you, sir; are you by any chance
coming from the market?'

'Yes, I am,' replied Simon.

'And what bargain did you drive there?' asked the cunning fellow.

'I bought this mule on which I am riding.'

'A mule! Are you speaking seriously, or do you wish to make a fool of
me?'

'I'm speaking in sober earnest,' said Simon; 'it wouldn't occur to me to
make a joke of it.'

'Oh, my poor friend,' cried the rascal, 'don't you see that is a donkey
and not a mule? you have been taken in by some wretched cheats.'

'You are the third person in the last two hours who has told me the same
thing,' said Simon, 'but I couldn't believe it,' and dismounting from
the mule he spoke: 'Keep the animal, I make you a present of it.' The
rascal took the beast, thanked him kindly, and rode on to join his
comrades, while Simon continued his journey on foot.

As soon as the old man got home, he told his housekeeper that he had
bought a beast under the belief that it was a mule, but that it had
turned out to be a donkey--at least, so he had been assured by several
people he had met on the road, and that in disgust he had at last given
it away.

'Oh, you simpleton!' cried Nina; 'didn't you see that they were only
playing you a trick? Really, I thought you'd have had more gumption than
that; they wouldn't have taken me in in that way.'

'Never mind,' replied Simon, 'I'll play them one worth two of that; for
depend upon it they won't be contented with having got the donkey out of
me, but they'll try by some new dodge to get something more, or I'm much
mistaken.'

Now there lived in the village not far from Simon's house, a peasant who
had two goats, so alike in every respect that it was impossible to
distinguish one from the other. Simon bought them both, paid as small a
price as he could for them, and leading them home with him, he told Nina
to prepare a good meal, as he was going to invite some friends to
dinner. He ordered her to roast some veal, and to boil a pair of
chickens, and gave her some herbs to make a good savoury, and told her
to bake the best tart she could