one day an old man and his wife were sitting in front of a miserable house resting a while from their work. suddenly a splendid carriage with four black horses came driving up, and a richly-dressed man descended from it. the peasant stood up, went to the great man, and asked what he wanted, and in what way he could be useful to him? the stranger stretched out his hand to the old man, and said, "i want nothing but to enjoy for once a country dish; cook me some potatoes, in the way you always have them, and then i will sit down at your table and eat them with pleasure." the peasant smiled and said, "you are a count or a prince, or perhaps even a duke; noble gentlemen often have such fancies, but you shall have your wish." the wife went into the kitchen, and began to wash and rub the potatoes, and to make them into balls, as they are eaten by the country-folks. whilst she was busy with this work, the peasant said to the stranger, "come into my garden with me for a while, i have still something to do there." he had dug some holes in the garden, and now wanted to plant some trees in them. "have you no children," asked the stranger, "who could help you with your work?" "no," answered the peasant, "i had a son, it is true, but it is long since he went out into the world. he was a ne’er-do-well; sharp, and knowing, but he would learn nothing and was full of bad tricks, at last he ran away from me, and since then i have heard nothing of him."