A escolha da noiva


Brides on their trial


Houve, uma vez, um jovem pastor que desejava casar-se, Ele conhecia três irmãs, tão lindas as três que a escolha entre elas era bem difícil e ele estava sem saber qual devia preferir. Então, dirigiu-se à mãe e pediu-lhe conselho; esta disse-lhe:
- Convida as três para virem aqui; oferece-lhes queijo para comer e repara de que maneira o cortam.
O rapaz assim fez e viu o seguinte:
A mais velha engoliu logo o queijo com casca e tudo; a segunda cortou-lhe a casca, mas fê-lo com tanta pressa que deixou grande parte grudada na casca e jogou tudo fora; a terceira, porém, tirou-lhe a casca de maneira conveniente, nem um pouquinho a mais, nem um pouquinho a menos.
O pastor relatou à mãe o que havia notado, e esta disse-lhe:
- Casa-te com a terceira.
Ele acatou o conselho e viveu muito feliz e contente com ela.
There was once a young shepherd who wished much to marry, and was acquainted with three sisters who were all equally pretty, so that it was difficult to him to make a choice, and he could not decide to give the preference to any one of them. Then he asked his mother for advice, and she said, "Invite all three, and set some cheese before them, and watch how they eat it." The youth did so; the first, however, swallowed the cheese with the rind on; the second hastily cut the rind off the cheese, but she cut it so quickly that she left much good cheese with it, and threw that away also; the third peeled the rind off carefully, and cut neither too much nor too little. The shepherd told all this to his mother, who said, "Take the third for thy wife." This he did, and lived contentedly and happily with her.