The Goldsmith 's Fortune -LSB- From Thorpe 's Yule-Tide Stories . -RSB- Once upon a time there was a goldsmith who lived in a certain village where the people were as bad and greedy , and covetous , as they could possibly be ; however , in spite of his surroundings , he was fat and prosperous . He had only one friend whom he liked , and that was a cowherd , who looked after cattle for one of the farmers in the village . Every evening the goldsmith would walk across to the cowherd 's house and say : ` Come , let 's go out for a walk ! ' Now the cowherd did n't like walking in the evening , because , he said , he had been out grazing the cattle all day , and was glad to sit down when night came ; but the goldsmith always worried him so that the poor man had to go against his will . This at last so annoyed him that he tried to think how he could pick a quarrel with the goldsmith , so that he should not beg him to walk with him any more . He asked another cowherd for advice , and he said the best thing he could do was to go across and kill the goldsmith 's wife , for then the goldsmith would be sure to regard him as an enemy ; so , being a foolish person , and there being no laws in that country by which a man would be certainly punished for such a crime , the cowherd one evening took a big stick and went across to the goldsmith 's house when only Mrs. Goldsmith was at home , and banged her on the head so hard that she died then and there . When the goldsmith came back and found his wife dead he said nothing , but just took her outside into the dark lane and propped her up against the wall of his house , and then went into the courtyard and waited . Presently a rich stranger came along the lane , and seeing someone there , as he supposed , he said : ` Good-evening , friend ! a fine night to-night ! ' But the goldsmith 's wife said nothing . The man then repeated his words louder ; but still there was no reply . A third time he shouted : ` Good-evening , friend ! are you deaf ? ' but the figure never replied . Then the stranger , being angry at what he thought very rude behaviour , picked up a big stone and threw it at Mrs. Goldsmith , crying : ` Let that teach you manners ! ' Instantly poor Mrs. Goldsmith tumbled over ; and the stranger , horrified at seeing what he had done , was immediately seized by the goldsmith , who ran out screaming : ` Wretch ! you have killed my wife ! Oh , miserable one ; we will have justice done to thee ! ' With many protestations and reproaches they wrangled together , the stranger entreating the goldsmith to say nothing and he would pay him handsomely to atone for the sad accident .
At last the goldsmith quieted down , and agreed to accept one thousand gold pieces from the stranger , who immediately helped him to bury his poor wife , and then rushed off XXXXX the guest house , packed up his things and was off by daylight , lest the goldsmith should repent and accuse him as the murderer of his wife .
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