Story: The Farmer’s Wife

Once upon a time there was a farmer’s wife. She was out in her orchard, picking apples from a tree, when one of the apples fell down a hole in the ground. She tried to reach it, but could not. So she looked all around for someone to help her, and she saw a little bird sitting on the branches of the tree.
‘She said to the bird: “Little bird, please fly down the hole and bring the apple back to me!”
‘The bird said, “Tweet! Tweet!” which, in bird language, means, “No, I won’t!”
‘The farmer’s wife was angry at the bird, and she said, “You .in- a very naughty little bird!”

‘And then she saw a cat. She said to the cat: “Cat, cat, jump up to the bird until he flies down into the hole and brings the apple lor me.”
‘But the cat just said, “Miaow, miaow!” which, in cat language, means, “No, I won’t!”
‘And the farmer’s wife said, “You are a very naughty little cat!”
‘Just then she saw a dog, and she said to the dog: “Dog, dog, I please chase the cat so she jumps up at the bird, so that he flies down the hole and brings back the apple for me.”
‘But the dog said, “Bow-wow-wow!” which, in dog language, means, “No, I won’t!”
‘And the farmer’s wife said, “You are a very naughty little dog!”

‘Just then, the farmer’s wife spotted a bee. And she said to the bee: “Bee, bee, sting the dog so that he chases the cat, so that she jumps at the bird, and he flies down the hole and fetches the apple for me.”
‘But the bee just said, “Bzz-bzz!” which, in bee language, means, “No, I won’t!”
‘And the farmer’s wife said, “You really are a very naughty bee!”
‘Then she looked around and she saw a beekeeper, and she said to the beekeeper: “Beekeeper, beekeeper, please go and tell the bee to sting the dog, to chase the cat, to jump at the bird, so that he flies down the hole and fetches the apple for me.”
‘And the beekeeper said, “No, I won’t!”
‘And the farmer’s wife said, “Good gracious, what a naughty beekeeper you are!”

‘And at that moment, the farmer’s wife saw a length of rope lying on the ground. And she said to the rope: “Rope, rope, tie up the beekeeper, until he tells the bee to sting the dog, to chase the cat, to jump down the hole, to get the apple for me.”
‘The rope did not say anything at all. It just lay there on the ground. “Oh!” exclaimed the farmer’s wife. “What a naughty, naughty rope you are!”

‘Then the farmer’s wife looked around and she saw a fire. She said to the fire: “Fire, fire, please burn the rope so that it ties up the beekeeper, so that he tells the bee to sting the dog, to chase the cat, to jump at the bird, to fetch the apple for me.”
‘The fire didn’t say anything at all. “You are a very naughty little fire!” said the farmer’s wife.

‘She looked around again, wondering what to do, when she saw a puddle of water. So she said to the puddle: “Puddle, puddle, please put out the fire, because it won’t burn the rope, because the rope won’t tie up the beekeeper, because he won’t tell the bee to sting the dog, to chase the cat, to jump at the bird, to get the apple for me.”
‘But the puddle of water took no notice at all. And the farmer’s wife said, “My, oh my, what a naughty puddle you are!”

‘And then she saw a cow. And she said to the cow: “Cow, cow, please drink up the puddle, so that it puts out the fire, and it burns the rope, and it ties up the beekeeper, and it tells the bee to sting the dog, to chase the cat, to jump at the bird, to fetch the apple for me.”
‘The cow said, “Moo, moo, moo!” which, in cow language, means, “No, I won’t!” And the farmer’s wife said, “Oh, good gracious, what a very naughty cow you are!”

‘And then the farmer’s wife looked around one last time and she saw the little bird sitting in the tree, the bird that had started ;ill the problems in the first place. And she said to the bird: “Little bird, little bird, please would you peck the cow for me?” And the bird said, “All right then, I’ll peck the cow but don’t expect me to fetch the apple for you!” And the naughty little bird pecked the cow, and the cow started to drink up the puddle, and the puddle started to put out the fire, which began to burn the rope, which started to tie up the beekeeper, who started to tell the bee, and the bee started to sting the dog, who started to chase the cat, who started to jump up at the bird, who had pecked the cow.

‘And then,’ said my father, clearing his throat, ‘the wind flew down the hole and brought back the apple for the farmer’s wife.’