Atondido Stories
the colt as his property.
The burgomaster, who was thinking of something else while
the case was being presented, said carelessly:
"The man who found the colt under his wagon is, of course,
the owner of the colt."
As the owner of the mare was leaving the burgomaster's
house, he met Manka and stopped to tell her about the case.
Manka was ashamed of her husband for making so foolish a de-
cision and she said to the farmer:
"Come back this afternoon with a fishing net and stretch it
across the dusty road. When the burgomaster sees you he will
come out and ask you what you are doing. Say to him that
you're catching fish. When he asks you how you can expect to
catch fish in a dusty road, tell him it's just as easy for you to
catch fish in a dusty road as it is for a wagon to foal. Then he'll
see the injustice of his decision and have the colt returned to
you. But remember one thing: you mustn't let him find out that
it was I who told you to do this."
That afternoon when the burgomaster chanced to look out
the window he saw a man stretching a fishnet across the dusty
road. He went out to him and asked:
"What are you doing?"
"Fishing."
"Fishing in a dusty road? Are you daft?"
"Well," the man said, "it's just as easy for me to catch fish in a
dusty road as it is for a wagon to foal."
Then the burgomaster recognized the man as the owner of
the mare and he had to confess that what he said was true.
"Of course the colt belongs to your mare and must be re-
turned to you. But tell me," he said, "who put you up to this?
You didn't think of it yourself."
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