昔、一人の仕立て屋がいました。この仕立て屋は短気な男で、おかみさんは善良で働き者で信心深い人でしたが、決して亭主の気に入りませんでした。おかみさんが何をしても、亭主は満足しなくて、ぶつぶつ文句を言い、叱り、ぶちのめしたりしました。
ついに役所がそのことを聞き及んで、男を呼んで来させ、よくなってもらおうとして牢屋に入れました。しばらくパンと水を与えられ牢屋に入れられていましたが、また自由になりました。しかし、もうおかみさんをぶたないで、結婚している人たちがそうであるように穏やかに、喜びと悲しみを分かち合って暮らす、と約束させられました。一時は万事うまくいっていましたが、亭主はまた元に戻って不機嫌で喧嘩早くなりました。おかみさんをぶってはいけないので、髪をつかんでひきむしるのでした。女は男から逃げて、庭に跳び出しましたが、男はものさしと鋏を持って追いかけてきて追い回し、ものさしや鋏を投げつけるだけでなく、手近の何でも投げる始末でした。女にあたると笑い、外れると怒鳴って悪態をつきました。こういうことがしばらく続いたので、近所の人たちがおかみさんを助けにのりだしました。
仕立て屋は裁判官の前にまたも呼び出され、約束を思い出させられました。「だんな方、約束を守ってきましたよ。うちのやつをぶたないで、喜びと悲しみを分かち合いました。」と亭主は言いました。「それはいったいどういうことだ？おかみさんは相変わらずお前にかなりひどく苦情を言ってるぞ。」と裁判官が言いました。「あいつをぶっていませんが、ただあいつがとてもみょうちきりんなので私の手で髪をすこうとしたんですよ。ところが、あいつがおれから逃げて、とても意地悪くおれを置いていっちゃったんです。それで、急いで追いかけて、妻の務めに戻すために、ちょうど具合よく手元にあったものを、いい意味で思いだしてもらおうと、あいつに投げたんです。また喜びと悲しみも分かち合っていますよ。だって投げたのがあいつにあたればいつもおれは嬉しさでいっぱいで、あいつは悲しみでいっぱいですから。それで外れればあいつは喜んで、おれは悲しいんですからね。」裁判官たちはこの答えに納得しないで、仕立て屋にふさわしい罰を与えました。
There was once a tailor, who was a quarrelsome fellow, and his wife, who was good, industrious, and pious, never could please him. Whatever she did, he was not satisfied, but grumbled and scolded, and knocked her about and beat her. As the authorities at last heard of it, they had him summoned, and put in prison in order to make him better. He was kept for a while on bread and water, and then set free again. He was forced, however, to promise not to beat his wife any more, but to live with her in peace, and share joy and sorrow with her, as married people ought to do. All went on well for a time, but then he fell into his old ways, and was surly and quarrelsome. And because he dared not beat her, he would seize her by the hair and tear it out. The woman escaped from him, and sprang out into the yard, but he ran after her with his yard-measure and scissors, and chased her about, and threw the yard-measure and scissors at her, and whatever else came his way. When he hit her he laughed, and when he missed her, he stormed and swore. This went on so long that the neighbors came to the wife's assistance. The tailor was again summoned before the magistrates, and reminded of his promise. "Dear gentlemen," said he, "I have kept my word, I have not beaten her, but have shared joy and sorrow with her." - "How can that be," said the judge, "when she continually brings such heavy complaints against you?" - "I have not beaten her, but just because she looked so strange I wanted to comb her hair with my hand; she, however, got away from me, and left me quite spitefully. Then I hurried after her, and in order to bring her back to her duty, I threw at her as a well-meant admonition whatever came readily to hand. I have shared joy and sorrow with her also, for whenever I hit her I was full of joy, and she of sorrow, and if I missed her, then she was joyful, and I sorry." The judges were not satisfied with this answer, but gave him the reward he deserved.