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DOCTOR KNOW-ALL. 54! |
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; aid to his companions : " That doctor knows everything we have been doing; he has just said that I am the first !"
On hearing this, the other servants felt almost afraid to go into the dining hall; but they were obliged to perform their duty, especially as their master was present Another servant, therefore, appeared at the second course.
The moment he placed a dish on the table, he heard the doctor say to his wife, in That is the second !"
The man was as much alarmed as his fellow servant, and got out of the room as quickly as he could. It was the same with the third, for as each appeared the doctor spoke of him to his wife, and they were all obliged to assist in waiting at table. When the fourth servant brought in a dish, and placed it on the table, the nobleman, wishing to prove the cleverness of his visitor, asked him to say what was under the cover.
Now it happened to be a crab, which, of course, the doctor did not know, so he looked at the covered dish, and felt that he was in a great dilemma, from which he could not escape; so he said in a low tone : " Krebs ! Krebs ! what will you do ?"
But the nobleman only heard the word Krebs,* and he cried eagerly: " Yes, it is a crab. Ah, I see now that you know everything, and you will be able to tell me where my money is, and who has stolen it!"
The servants were all terribly alarmed, and winked at the doctor to come out to their offices. As soon as he could get away from the table, he went out, and they all came round him, owned that five of them had stolen the money, and offered him in their terror money to any amount if he would only not betray them. He pio-mised on condition that they would show him where they had hidden the money ; and they took him to the spot at once.
On this the doctor was quite satisfied, and, returning to the dining-room, seated himself at the table, and said : " My lord, I will now consult my book, and discover where the money is concealed."
The fifth servant, who wanted to hear whether the doctor knew any more about them, crept into the hall, and hid himself to listen. Not thinking of a listener, the doctor pulled out his book, and turned over leaf after leaf, pretending to find the necessary infor-
* Krebs is the German for crab. |
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