Page:Turkish fairy tales and folk tales (1901).djvu/228

 "To hang thyself with, eh? " inquired his affectionate spouse.

"Well, thou knowest what a hideous racket thou dost make sometimes," replied her husband, meaning to pacify her.

"What I have done hitherto is little enough for a blockhead like thee," she replied, and with that she gave her husband such a blow that it seemed to him as if the red dawn was flashing before him.

The next morning the wood-cutter rose early, saddled his ass, and went towards the mountains. All that he said to his wife before starting was to beg her not to follow him into the forest. This was quite enough for the wife. Immediately he was gone she saddled her ass, and after her husband she went without more ado. "Who knows," murmured she to herself, "what he may not be up to in the mountains, if I am not there to look after him!"

The man saw that his wife was coming after him, but he made as if he did not see, never spoke a word, and as soon as he got to the foot of the mountain he set about wood-cutting. His wife, however, for she was a restless soul, went up and down and all about the mountain, poked her nose into everything, till at last her attention was fixed by a deserted well, and she made straight for it.