Friday, January 18, 2008

GWB: The Man Who Kept House

OK, I just read that little story and now I'm supposed to write down everything I remember...
  • a man thought his job (cutting wood in the forest) was harder than his wife's
  • she tells him he hasn't a clue what she does
  • why don't they switch for a day, but he should know that he'll have to watch the baby, make the butter, feed the animals, and clean the house
  • so the next day they switch - he starts to feed make the butter thinking this is easy! THen he hears the baby
  • she is outside! He runs out to get her and brings her back in - only to discover that he left the door open and a big pig has knocked over the butter churn and spilled it all on the floor
  • He starts to feed the baby and then hears the cow mooing. Thinking the cow must be hungry too, he goes out - he has no time to collect food, so he puts the cow on the roof, thinking it can find food there (is it a grass roof?)
  • then he's afraid the cow will fall, so he ties a rope around the cow's neck(?) and puts it through the chimney, tying the other end to his ankle - thinking that will keep the cow safe
  • Oh yes... he put porridge on the fire to cook
  • But now the cow does fall anyway, and yanks him into the chimney, hanging upside down over the porridge - the cow half suspended on the side of the house.
  • The wife comes home, sees the cow, cuts her loose which causes the husband to fall face first into the porridge
  • She discovers the house dirty, the baby crying, and her husband in the porridge.
  • The next day her husband goes back to the forest to cut wood - never again to complain that his job is hard and hers easy.

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