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.
Der var engang en skrædder, som var lunefuld og gnaven, og hans kone, som var god og flittig og from, kunne aldrig gøre ham tilpas. Hvordan hun end bar sig ad, var han gnaven og utilfreds, brummede og skældte, og pryglede hende også. Da øvrigheden fik det at vide, lod de ham stævne og satte ham i fængsel, for at han skulle forbedre sig. Han sad der i nogen tid på vand og brød. Så blev han løsladt og måtte love, aldrig mere at prygle sin kone, men dele ondt og godt med hende, sådan som en god mand skal. En tid lang gik det godt, men så begyndte han igen på sin gamle maner, og var gnaven og opfarende. Han turde jo ikke slå hende, men prøvede på at gribe hende i håret og ruske hende. Konen slap fra ham og løb ud i gården, men han styrtede efter hende med alen og saks i hånden. Når han ramte hende, lo han, og når han slog ved siden af, blev han rasende og skældte ud. Han blev ved, lige til naboerne kom konen til hjælp. Skrædderen blev igen ført for dommeren, som mindede ham om, hvad han havde lovet. "Jeg har holdt mit løfte," sagde han, "jeg har ikke slået hende, men delt ondt og godt med hende." - "Hvor kan hun da klage sådan over dig igen," sagde dommeren. "Jeg har virkelig ikke slåethende," sagde han, "men hun så så mærkelig ud, og derfor ville jeg glatte hendes hår med mine hænder. Men hun blev vred på mig og løb sin vej. Jeg løb efter hende, og for at give hende en venlig påmindelse om, hvad der var hendes pligt, kastede jeg efter hende, hvad jeg kunne få fat i. Jeg har også delt ondt og godt med hende, for hver gang, jeg traf hende, gjorde det mig godt og hende ondt, og hvis jeg ikke traf hende, gjorde det mig ondt og hende godt." Dommerne lod sig imidlertid ikke nøje med den forklaring, men gav ham hans velfortjente straf.