Atondido Stories
"I don't see why you find so much fault with me! I'm sure I'm
not the only gullible person in the world."
"Well," the laborer said, "I don't know. Perhaps there are peo-
ple in the world as gullible as you. I tell you what I'll do: I'll go
out and see if I can find them. If I do, I won't beat you."
So the laborer went out into the world to see if he could find
any one as gullible as his wife. He traveled several days until he
reached a countryside where he was unknown. Here he came to
a fine castle at the window of which stood the lady of the castle
looking out.
"Now then, my lady," the laborer said to himself, "we'll see
how gullible you are."
He stood in the middle of the road, looked intently up at the
sky, and then reaching out his arms as if he were trying to catch
hold of something he began jumping up and down.
The lady of the castle watched him for a few moments and
then dispatched one of her servants to ask him what he was do-
ing. The servant hurried out and questioned him and this is the
story the clever rascal made up:
"I'm trying to jump back into heaven. You see I live up there.
I was wrestling up there with one of my comrades and he
pitched me out and now I can't find the hole I fell through."
With his eyes popping out of his head, the servant hurried
back to his mistress and repeated the laborer's story word for
word.
The lady of the castle instantly sent for the laborer.
"You say you were in heaven?" she asked him.
"Yes, my lady, that's where I live and I'm going back at once."
"I have a dear son in heaven," the lady said. "Do you know
him?"
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