Der var engang en fattig bonde, som hed Krebs. Han kørte med to okser et læs brænde ind til byen og solgte det til en dokter. Doktoren sad netop til bords, da han talte pengene op, og da bonden så, hvor dejligt han spiste og drak, fik han lyst til også at være doktor. Han blev stående der i nogen tid og spurgte endelig, om han ikke kunne lære at blive doktor. "Det er såmænd nemt nok," svarede doktoren. "Hvad skal jeg da gøre?" spurgte bonden. "For det første skal du købe dig en ABC, hvori der er en gårdhane, for det andet skal du sælge din vogn og dine okser, så du får penge til at købe dig klæder og hvad der ellers hører med til lægekunsten, for det tredie skal du på et skilt lade male: "Her bor doktor Alvidende," og sætte det op over din dør." Bonden gjorde det altsammen. Da han havde været doktor i nogen tid, blev der stjålet nogle penge fra en fornem herre. Han fik at høre, at der der i landsbyen boede en mand, som hed doktor Alvidende, og altså måtte vide, hvor pengene var. Han lod så spænde for, kørte hen til bonden og spurgte, om han var doktor Alvidende. Jo, det var han da. Så skulle han gå med og skaffe de stjålne penge igen. Bonden ville også have sin kone Grete med, og de steg så alle tre op i vognen og kørte af sted. Da de kom til slottet, stod bordet dækket, og han skulle først spise. "Grete skal også spise med,." sagde han, og satte sig til bords med hende. Da den første tjener kom med den gode mad, gav bonden sin kone et puf og sagde: "Det er den første." Han mente, at det var den første, som kom med maden, men tjeneren troede, at han mente, det var den første tyv, og da han virkelig havde stjålet, blev han bange og sagde til sine kammerater: "Den doktor ved alting. Det går galt. Han sagde, at jeg var den første." Den anden tjener ville slet ikke gå ind, men han måtte dog til det. Da han kom med fadet, puffede bonden til sin kone og sagde: "Det er den anden." Han blev ligeså bange, og kom ud i en fart. Den tredie gik det ikke en smule bedre. Bonden sagde: "Det er den tredie, Grete." Nu kom der en fjerde tjener med et tildækket fad og herren sagde til doktoren, at nu skulle han give en prøve på sin kunst og sige, hvad der var i fadet. Det var imidlertid krebs. Bonden så på fadet og vidste ikke sine levende råd. "Å, jeg stakkels krebs," sagde han. Da herren hørte det, råbte han: "Se han ved det. Så ved han også, hvor pengene er."
There was once on a time a poor peasant called Crabb, who drove with two oxen a load of wood to the town, and sold it to a doctor for two thalers. When the money was being counted out to him, it so happened that the doctor was sitting at table, and when the peasant saw how daintily he ate and drank, his heart desired what he saw, and he would willingly have been a doctor too. So he remained standing a while, and at length inquired if he too could not be a doctor. "Oh, yes," said the doctor, "that is soon managed." - "What must I do?" asked the peasant. "In the first place buy thyself an A B C book of the kind which has a cock on the frontispiece: in the second, turn thy cart and thy two oxen into money, and get thyself some clothes, and whatsoever else pertains to medicine; thirdly, have a sign painted for thyself with the words, "I am Doctor Knowall," and have that nailed up above thy house-door." The peasant did everything that he had been told to do. When he had doctored people awhile, but not long, a rich and great lord had some money stolen. Then he was told about Doctor Knowall who lived in such and such a village, and must know what had become of the money. So the lord had the horses put in his carriage, drove out to the village, and asked Crabb if he were Doctor Knowall? Yes, he was, he said. Then he was to go with him and bring back the stolen money. "Oh, yes, but Grethe, my wife, must go too." The lord was willing and let both of them have a seat in the carriage, and they all drove away together. When they came to the nobleman's castle, the table was spread, and Crabb was told to sit down and eat. "Yes, but my wife, Grethe, too," said he, and he seated himself with her at the table. And when the first servant came with a dish of delicate fare, the peasant nudged his wife, and said, "Grethe, that was the first," meaning that was the servant who brought the first dish. The servant, however, thought he intended by that to say, "That is the first thief," and as he actually was so, he was terrified, and said to his comrade outside, "The doctor knows all: we shall fare ill, he said I was the first." The second did not want to go in at all, but was forced. So when he went in with his dish, the peasant nudged his wife, and said, "Grethe, that is the second." This servant was just as much alarmed, and he got out. The third did not fare better, for the peasant again said, "Grethe, that is the third." The fourth had to carry in a dish that was covered, and the lord told the doctor that he was to show his skill, and guess what was beneath the cover. The doctor looked at the dish, had no idea what to say, and cried, "Ah, poor Crabb." When the lord heard that, he cried, "There! he knows it, he knows who has the money!"
Tjenerne var imidlertid forfærdelig angst og gjorde tegn til doktoren, at han skulle komme ud til dem. Da han kom, tilstod de, at de havde taget pengene. De ville gerne give ham dem og mange flere, hvis han ville love ikke at forråde dem, for så var de om en hals. De førte ham så derhen, hvor de havde skjult pengene, og dermed var han fornøjet. Han gik igen ind, satte sig til bords og sagde: "Nu skal jeg se efter i min bog, hvor pengene er." Den femte tjener krøb ind i ovnen for at høre, om doktoren vidste mere endnu. Bonden sad og bladede i sin ABC-bog og ledte efter hanen. Da han ikke straks kunne finde den, sagde han: "Du er jo dog herinde, så du skal nok komme ud." Tjeneren i ovnen troede, at det var ham, sprang forskrækket ud og råbte: "Den mand ved alting." Doktor Alvidende viste nu herren, hvor pengene lå, men sagde ikke, hvem der havde stjålet dem. Han fik store belønninger, både af ham og tjenerne, og blev en berømt mand.
On this the servants looked terribly uneasy, and made a sign to the doctor that they wished him to step outside for a moment. When therefore he went out, all four of them confessed to him that they had stolen the money, and said that they would willingly restore it and give him a heavy sum into the bargain, if he would not denounce them, for if he did they would be hanged. They led him to the spot where the money was concealed. With this the doctor was satisfied, and returned to the hall, sat down to the table, and said, "My lord, now will I search in my book where the gold is hidden." The fifth servant, however, crept into the stove to hear if the doctor knew still more. The Doctor, however, sat still and opened his A B C book, turned the pages backwards and forwards, and looked for the cock. As he could not find it immediately he said, "I know you are there, so you had better show yourself." Then the fellow in the stove thought that the doctor meant him, and full of terror, sprang out, crying, "That man knows everything!" Then Dr. Knowall showed the count where the money was, but did not say who had stolen it, and received from both sides much money in reward, and became a renowned man.