Prevod
Once upon a time there was a man named Gudbrand. He had a farm far away on a wooded hillside, and so people called him Gudbrand i Lien. He and his wife lived so happily together and were so well agreed that whatever her husband did, she thought it so well done that no one could ever have done it better. Whatever he might do, she was just as pleased. They owned their own land, had a hundred dalers lying at the bottom of their chest, and kept two cows tethered in the byre. But one day his wife said to Gudbrand, “I think we ought to take one of the cows to town and sell her, so we can have a little ready money;
we’re respectable folk, and we ought to have a few coins to spend, just like other people. We mustn’t break into the hundred dalers at the bottom of the chest, but I don’t know what we need more than one cow for. And we’ll gain a little by it too, since I shall only have one cow to tend, instead of having to muck out and fetch water for two.” Yes, Gudbrand thought that was both right and sensible. He took the cow at once and set off for town to sell her, but when he got there, no one would buy her. Well, well, thought Gudbrand, I can always go home again with my cow. I know I have both a stall and a tether for her, and it’s no farther back than it was here. And with that he began to amble home again.
But when he had gone a little way, he met a man with a horse he wanted to sell. Gudbrand thought it was better to have a horse than a cow, so he traded with him. When he had gone a little farther, he met a man driving a fat pig before him, and he thought it was better to have a fat pig than a horse, so he traded with that man;
then he went a little farther and met a man with a goat. He thought it must surely be better to have a goat than a cow, and so he traded with the goat’s owner. Then he walked a long way until he met a man with a sheep, and with him he traded, for he thought: It’s always better to have a sheep than a goat. When he had walked on for a while, he met a man with a goose, so he traded the sheep for the goose. And when he had gone a long, long way, he met a man with a cock, and traded with him, for he thought to himself: Surely it’s better to have a cock than a goose. He walked on until it was late in the day, but then he began to feel hungry, so he sold the cock for twelve skillings and bought himself food with the money, for it’s always better to save one’s life than to have a cock, thought Gudbrand i Lien. Then he went on towards home until he came to his nearest neighbour’s farm;
there he stopped in. “How did you fare in town?” the people asked. “Oh, so-so,” said Gudbrand. “I can’t praise my luck, but I can’t blame it either.” And with that he told them the whole story of what had happened to him, from beginning to end. “Well, you’ll certainly get a fine welcome when you come home to your wife,” said the farmer. “Heaven help you! I wouldn’t be in your shoes.” “I think things could have gone a good deal worse,” said Gudbrand i Lien. “But whether they’ve gone badly or well, I have such a kind wife that she never says a word against anything I do.” “Oh, of course, but that doesn’t mean I believe it,” said the neighbour. “Shall we wager on it?” said Gudbrand i Lien. “I have a hundred dalers lying at the bottom of my chest at home. Dare you stake as much?” Yes, they made the wager, and Gudbrand stayed there until evening, when it began to grow dark. Then they went together to his farm. The neighbour stood outside the door to listen, while Gudbrand himself went in to his wife. “Good evening!” said Gudbrand i Lien as he came in. “Good evening,” said his wife. “Oh, thank God, is that you?” Yes, indeed it was. Then she asked how he had fared in town. “Oh, so-so!” answered Gudbrand. “There’s not much to boast of. When I got to town, no one would buy the cow, so I traded her for a horse.” “Well, you have my thanks for that,” said his wife. “We’re respectable folk, and we can drive to church just as well as anyone else. And since we can afford to keep a horse, we may as well have one. Go down and put the horse in the stable, children!” “Well,” said Gudbrand, “I haven’t got the horse either. When I’d gone a little way along the road, I traded it for a pig.” “Well, well!” cried his wife. “That’s just what I would have done myself, and you have my heartfelt thanks! Now I shall have pork in the house, and something to offer people when they come to visit me, too.
What did we want with a horse? People would have said we’d grown so grand that we couldn’t walk to church any longer, as we used to. Go down and put the pig in the sty, children!” “But I haven’t got the pig here either,” said Gudbrand. “When I’d gone a little farther, I traded it for a milch goat.” “My goodness, how well you do everything!” cried his wife. “What should I want with a pig, when I come to think of it? People would only have said:
they eat up everything they own over there. No, now I have a goat, I shall have both milk and cheese, and still have the goat into the bargain. Let the goat in, children!” said his wife. “No, I haven’t got the goat either,” said Gudbrand. “When I’d gone a little way along the road, I traded the goat for a fine sheep.” “Well!” cried his wife. “You’ve done everything just as I could have wished, exactly as if I’d been there myself.
What did we want with a goat? I’d have had to scramble over hill and dale to bring her down again every evening. No, with a sheep I can have wool and clothes for the household, and food as well. Go down and let the sheep in, children!” “But I haven’t got the sheep any longer,” said Gudbrand, “for after I’d walked a while, I traded it for a goose.” “Thank you for that!” said his wife. “And many thanks, too! What should I want with a sheep? I have neither spinning wheel nor spindle, and I’ve no wish to toil and slave at making cloth either. We can buy our clothes as we always have. Now I shall have roast goose, which I’ve been longing for this many a day, and now I can have down for my little pillow.
Go down and let the goose in, children!” “Well, I haven’t got the goose either,” said Gudbrand. “When I’d gone a little farther along the road, I traded it for a cock.” “Heaven knows how you thought of it all!” cried his wife;
“it’s all just as I would have done myself. A cock! That’s as good as buying an eight-day clock, for every morning the cock crows at four, and then we can be up and about at the proper time. What did we want with a goose?
I don’t know how to prepare roast goose, and I can always stuff my pillow with sedge. Go down and let the cock in, children!” “But I haven’t got the cock either,” said Gudbrand. “When I’d gone a little farther still, I was so ravenously hungry that I had to sell the cock for twelve skillings to save my life.” “Well, thank God you did!” cried his wife. “Whatever you do, you do everything just as I could wish. What did we want with a cock, anyway? We’re our own masters, and we can lie in bed as long as we please in the morning.
Thank God, so long as I have you back, who manage everything so well, I need neither cock nor goose, neither pigs nor cows.” Then Gudbrand opened the door. “Have I won the hundred dalers now?” he said, and the neighbour had to admit that he had.
Izvirnik
Der var engang en Mand, som hed Gudbrand; han havde en Gaard som laa langt borte i en Aasli, og derfor kaldte de ham Gudbrand i Lien. Han og hans Kone levede saa vel sammen og vare saa godt forligte, at Alt Manden gjorde, syntes Konen var saa velgjort, at det aldrig kunde gjøres bedre; hvorledes han bar sig ad, var hun lige glad i det. De eiede sin Jordvei, og hundrede Daler havde de liggende paa Kistebunden og i Fjøset to klavebundne Kreature. Men saa sagde Konen en Dag til Gudbrand: „Jeg synes, vi bør lede den ene Ko til Byen og sælge den, jeg, saa vi kan faae os nogle Haandskillinger; vi ere saa brave Folk at vi burde have nogle Skillinger mellem Hænderne, ligesom Andre have det; de hundrede Daler, som ligge
paa Kistebunden, kan vi ikke tage Hul paa, men jeg veed ikke, hvad vi skal med flere end een Ko. Og lidt vinder vi ogsaa derved, at jeg slipper med at stelle den ene Ko, i Stedet for at jeg har gaaet og maaget og vandlet til to.“ Ja, det syntes Gudbrand var baade rigtig og fornuftig talt; han tog strax Koen og gik til Byen med for at sælge den; men da han kom til Byen, var der Ingen, som vilde kjøbe Koen. Ja, ja, tænkte Gudbrand, saa kan jeg gaae hjem igjen med Koen min, jeg veed, jeg har baade Baas og Klave til den, og der er lige langt frem og tilbage; og dermed gav han sig til at rangle hjemover igjen.
Men da han var kommen et Stykke paa Veien, mødte han En, der havde en Hest, han skulde sælge, saa syntes Gudbrand, det var bedre at have Hest end Ko og byttede saa med ham; da han havde gaaet et Stykke længer, mødte han En, der gik og drev en fed Griis foran sig, og saa syntes han, det var bedre at have fed Griis end Hest, og byttede saa med Manden; derpaa gik han et Stykke til, saa mødte han en Mand med en Gjed og saa tænkte han, det sagtens var bedre at have Gjed end Ko og derfor byttede han med ham, som eiede Gjeden; saa gik han et langt Stykke, til han mødte en Mand, som havde en Sau, med ham byttede han, for han tænkte: det er altid bedre at have Sau end Gjed; da han nu havde gaaet en Stund igjen,
mødte han en Mand med en Gaas, saa byttede han bort Sauen mod Gaasen; og da han saa havde gaaet et langt, langt Stykke, mødte han en Mand med en Hane, med ham byttede han, for han tænkte som saa: det er sagtens bedre at have Hane end Gaas. Han gik da til det led langt ud paa Dagen; men saa begyndte han at blive sulten, og saa solgte han Hanen for tolv Skilling og kjøbte sig Mad for dem, for det er da altid bedre at bjerge Liv end have Hane, tænkte Gudbrand i Lien. Derpaa gik han videre hjemad, til han kom til sin nærmeste Nabogaard; der gik han indom. „Hvorledes er det gaaet dig i Byen?“ spurgte Folkene. „Aa, det er nu gaaet saa og saa,“ sagde Manden, „ikke kan jeg rose Lykken min og ikke kan jeg laste den heller,“ og dermed fortalte han dem det Hele, hvorledes det var
gaaet ham fra først til sidst. „Ja, du bli’er da sagtens vel modtagen, naar du kommer hjem til Konen din,“ sagde Manden paa Gaarden; „Gud hjælpe dig! ikke vilde jeg være i dit Sted.“ „Jeg synes, det kunde være gaaet meget galere, jeg,“ sagde Gudbrand i Lien, „men enten det nu er gaaet galt eller vel, saa har jeg saa snild Kone, at hun aldrig siger Noget, hvordan jeg saa bærer mig ad.“ „Ja det veed jeg vist, men ikke for det jeg troer det,“ sagde Granden. „Skal vi vædde paa det?“ sagde Gudbrand i Lien; „jeg har hundrede Daler liggende hjemme paa Kistebunden, tør du holde Ligt imod?“ Ja, de væddede, og saa blev han der til om Kvelden, da det begyndte at mørkne, saa gik de sammen til hans Gaard; der blev Grandmanden
staaende udenfor Døren og skulde lytte, medens Manden selv gik ind til Konen. „God Kveld!“ sagde Gudbrand i Lien, da han kom ind. „God Kveld,“ sagde Konen — „Aa, Gud skee Lov, er du der?“ Ja, det var han da. Saa spurgte Konen, hvorledes det var gaaet ham i Byen? „Aa, saa og saa!“ svarede Gudbrand, „det er just Intet at rose. Da jeg kom til Byen, var der Ingen, som vilde kjøbe Koen, saa byttede jeg den bort mod en Hest, jeg.“ „Ja, det skal du rigtig have Tak for, det,“ sagde Konen; „vi ere saa brave Folk at vi kan kjøre til Kirke vi, ligesaavel som Andre, og naar vi har Raad til at have Hest, saa kan vi sagtens lægge os den til. — Gaa ned og sæt ind Hesten, Børn!“ „Ja,“ sagde Gudbrand, „jeg har nok ikke Hesten heller, jeg; da jeg kom et Stykke paa
Veien, byttede jeg den bort for en Griis.“ „Nei, nei!“ raabte Konen, „det var da rigtig, som jeg selv skulde gjort det, det skal du saamænd have Tak for! Nu kan jeg have Flesk i Huset og Noget at byde Folk, naar de komme til mig, jeg og. Hvad skulde vi med Hesten? Saa skulde Folk sige vi vare blevne saa store paa det at vi ikke kunde gaae til Kirke længer, som før — Gaa ned og sæt ind Grisen, Børn!“ „Men jeg har nok ikke Grisen her, heller jeg,“ sagde Gudbrand, „da jeg kom et Stykke længer bort, byttede jeg den bort mod en Mælkegjed.“ „Jøs, hvor vel du gjør Alting!“ raabte Konen. „Hvad skulde jeg med Grisen, naar jeg ret betænker mig; Folk skulde bare sagt: derborte æde de op Alt, de have; nei, nu har jeg Gjed, saa
faaer jeg baade Mælk og Ost, og Gjeden beholder jeg endda. — Slip ind Gjeden, Børn!“ sagde Konen. „Nei, jeg har nok ikke Gjeden heller, jeg,“ sagde Gudbrand; „da jeg kom et Stykke paa Veien byttede jeg bort Gjeden og fik en dygtig Sau for den.“ „Nei,“ raabte Konen, „du har da gjort det, akkurat som jeg skulde ønsket mig Alt; akkurat som jeg selv havde været med.
Hvad skulde vi med Gjeden? Jeg maatte da klyve i Bjerg og Dale og faae den ned igjen til Kvelds. Nei, har jeg Sau, kan jeg faae Uld og Klæder i Huset og Mad ogsaa. — Gaa ned og slip ind Sauen, Børn!“ „Men jeg har nok ikke Sauen længer, jeg,“ sagde Gudbrand, „for da jeg havde gaaet en Stund, byttede jeg den bort mod en Gaas.“ „Tak skal du have for det!“ sagde Konen, „og mange Tak ogsaa! Hvad skulde jeg med Sauen? Jeg har jo hverken Rok eller Teen, og ikke bryder jeg mig om at slide og slæbe og virke Klæder heller; vi kan kjøbe Klæder nu som før; nu faaer jeg Gaaseflesk, som jeg længe har stundet efter, og nu kan jeg faae Duun i den lille Puden min.
— Gaa ned og slip ind Gaasen, Børn!“ „Ja, jeg har nok ikke Gaasen heller jeg,“ sagde Gudbrand; „da jeg var kommen et Stykke længer paa Veien, byttede jeg den bort for en Hane.“ „Gud veed, hvordan du har fundet paa det Alt!“ raabte Konen; „det er Altsammen som jeg havde gjort det selv. En Hane! det er det samme som du havde kjøbt et Ottedages-Uhr, for hver Morgen galer Hanen Klokken Fire, saa kan vi ogsaa komme paa Benene til rette Tid. Hvad skulde vi vel med Gaasen?
Ikke kan jeg lave til Gaaseflesket, og min Pude kan jeg jo fylde med Størgræs. — Gaa ned og slip ind Hanen, Børn!“ „Men jeg har nok ikke Hanen heller jeg, sagde Gudbrand; da jeg havde gaaet endda et Stykke, blev jeg skrubsulten og saa maatte jeg sælge Hanen for tolv Skilling for at bjerge Livet.“ „Naa, Gud skee Lov for du gjorde det,“ raabte Konen; „hvordan du steller dig, gjør du Alting, netop som jeg kunde ønsket det frem. Hvad skulde vi ogsaa med Hanen? Vi ere jo vore egne Herrer, vi kan ligge om Morgenen saa længe vi vil.
Gud skee Lov, naar jeg bare har faaet dig igjen, som steller Alt saa godt, behøver jeg hverken Hane eller Gaas, hverken Grise eller Kjøer.“ Saa lukkede Gudbrand op Døren. „Har jeg vundet de hundrede Daler nu?“ sagde han, og det maatte da Granden tilstaae at han havde.
