Once upon a time, beyond the dark forests, lived Baron Simple, Lord of Doltham. The baron was true to his name; he was so stupid that the sparrows on the roofs would twitter about his foolishness. Anyone who had any sense at all could catch him out with the simplest of ruses. No wonder he soon lost all that he owned to rogues and tricksters.
The baron was as proud as any peacock, and thought himself to be the cleverest fellow in the land. One day a pair of poor old beggars came wandering up to his castle. The only thing they had in the world was a dog who had taken up with them along the road, knowing beggars would treat him better than a rich master. The two old men banged on the blistered castle gate and asked the baron for alms.
"Go away, you'll get nothing from me!" growled Baron Simple, waving a rusty sabre and slamming the gate in their faces.
The beggars pleaded with him to give them at least a roof over their heads for the night, but the foolish baron would not soften.
"You wait, you old miser, we'll show you!" warned the old men.
They begged some old bones from the cottages nearby and threw them to the dog. What the hound did not eat, he buried in the ground. With each of the bones deposited in the earth the clever old men placed a copper coin they had received through their begging. Then they knocked on the baron's gate again.
"You'll get nothing from me, I tell you!" shouted the baron for the second time, when he saw the two beggars.
"We have not come for alms," the old men said with a bow. "We have for sale a magical dog, which can find buried treasure. The first day he digs up copper pieces; the second day silver pieces, and the third day gold. We are too old now to run after him, but if you give us your poor domain, you may have our magic dog."
The baron wanted to see for himself. The old men unleashed the hungry hound, and it began to scrabble away at the earth to uncover its buried bones. Every time it did so it dug up a copper coin, as well. Baron Simple could not believe his eyes.
"If on the morrow he digs up silver pieces, and the day after gold, I shall soon be able to buy a crystal castle, and shall be the richest noble in all the land," he thought to himself. Without delay he signed a contract with the two beggars, giving them his entire domain in return for their dog. Thus the two old men became the Lords of Doltham.
Now it was in vain that the baron tried the next day to get the dog to dig up silver coins. In the end he had to beg the two old men to give him a roof over his head. They made him plead and beseech them, but in the end they took pity on the nobleman and relented.
"You can keep your crumbling castle," they told him. "We shall make do with the blue sky above our heads."
Then they took their beloved dog and went their way, and told everyone they met the story of the stupid baron.
The baron was as proud as any peacock, and thought himself to be the cleverest fellow in the land. One day a pair of poor old beggars came wandering up to his castle. The only thing they had in the world was a dog who had taken up with them along the road, knowing beggars would treat him better than a rich master. The two old men banged on the blistered castle gate and asked the baron for alms.
"Go away, you'll get nothing from me!" growled Baron Simple, waving a rusty sabre and slamming the gate in their faces.
The beggars pleaded with him to give them at least a roof over their heads for the night, but the foolish baron would not soften.
"You wait, you old miser, we'll show you!" warned the old men.
They begged some old bones from the cottages nearby and threw them to the dog. What the hound did not eat, he buried in the ground. With each of the bones deposited in the earth the clever old men placed a copper coin they had received through their begging. Then they knocked on the baron's gate again.
"You'll get nothing from me, I tell you!" shouted the baron for the second time, when he saw the two beggars.
"We have not come for alms," the old men said with a bow. "We have for sale a magical dog, which can find buried treasure. The first day he digs up copper pieces; the second day silver pieces, and the third day gold. We are too old now to run after him, but if you give us your poor domain, you may have our magic dog."
The baron wanted to see for himself. The old men unleashed the hungry hound, and it began to scrabble away at the earth to uncover its buried bones. Every time it did so it dug up a copper coin, as well. Baron Simple could not believe his eyes.
"If on the morrow he digs up silver pieces, and the day after gold, I shall soon be able to buy a crystal castle, and shall be the richest noble in all the land," he thought to himself. Without delay he signed a contract with the two beggars, giving them his entire domain in return for their dog. Thus the two old men became the Lords of Doltham.
Now it was in vain that the baron tried the next day to get the dog to dig up silver coins. In the end he had to beg the two old men to give him a roof over his head. They made him plead and beseech them, but in the end they took pity on the nobleman and relented.
"You can keep your crumbling castle," they told him. "We shall make do with the blue sky above our heads."
Then they took their beloved dog and went their way, and told everyone they met the story of the stupid baron.