There
was once a tailor, who was a quarrelsome fellow, and his wife, who
was good, industrious, and pious, never could please him. Whatever
she did, he was not satisfied, but grumbled and scolded, and knocked
her about and beat her. As the authorities at last heard of it, they
had him summoned and put in prison in order to make him better. He
was kept for a while on bread and water, and then set free again. He
was forced, however, to promise not to beat his wife any more, but
to live with her in peace, and share joy and sorrow with her, as
married people ought to do. All went on well for a time, but then he
fell into his old ways and was surly and quarrelsome. And because he
dared not beat her, he would seize her by the hair and tear it out.
The woman escaped from him, and sprang out into the yard, but he ran
after her with his yard-measure and scissors, and chased her about,
and threw the yard-measure and scissors at her, and whatever else
came his way. When he hit her he laughed, and when he missed her, he
stormed and swore. This went on so long that the neighbors came to
the wife's assistance. |