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By this time he had arrived very near the town. The crowd on the high road had be en gradually increasing, and there was quite a rush of men and cattle. The cattle walked on the path and by the paling, and at the turnpike gate they even walked into the toll-keeper's potato-field, where one fowl was strutting about w ith a string tied to its leg, for fear it should take fright at the crowd, and run away and get lost. The tail-feathers of this fowl were very short, and it winked with both its eyes, and looked very cunning as it said, 'Cluck, cluck. ' What were the thoughts of the fowl as it said this I cannot tell you; but directly our good man saw it, he thought, "Why, that's the finest fowl I ever saw in my life; it's finer than our parson's brood hen, upon my word. I should like to have that fowl. Fowls can always pick up a few grains that lie about, and almost keep themselves. I think it would be a good exchange if I could get it for my goose. Shall we exchange?" he asked the toll-keeper. "Exchange?" repeated the man; "well, it would not be a bad thing." And so they made an exchange; the toll-keeper at the turnpike gate kept the goose, and the peasant carried off the fowl. Now he really had done a great deal of business on his way to the fair, and he was hot and tired. He wanted something to eat, and a glass of ale to refresh himself; s o he turned his steps to an inn. He was just about to enter when the ostler came out, and they met at the door. The ostler was carrying a sack. | 这时候他即将到达镇上了。 小径上的人群逐渐增加，人畜推挤得非常壅塞。 牲畜走在小路或栅栏旁，在关卡的大门边，它们甚至走进了收税员的马铃薯田地，那里有一只鸡，它的脚被绳子绑着，却仍然昂首阔步地走着。它的脚被绑着乃是为了防止它被群众惊吓着了，会因此落荒而逃而不见。 这只鸡的羽毛相当短，更使得它的双眼炯炯有神，当它「咯，咯！」的啼叫时，更显得非常伶俐。 我无法告诉你这只鸡咯咯叫时心里在想什么，可是善良的农夫一看到它叫就想着：「哇！那是我这一生中见过最上等的鸡，我保证它比我们牧师的孵蛋母鸡更好。 我希望得到那只鸡。 因为鸡总是啄拾掉落的一些谷粒，就可以维持生命的。 我想如果我用鹅来交换它的话，会是一项好交易吧！ 我们来交换吧？」他问收税员。 「交换？」那人反复地说；「好，反正不会是一件坏事。」 于是他们做了交换，收税员在关卡大门摆了一只鹅，农夫则带走那只鸡。 如今农夫在赶集的路途中确实做了许多交易，后来他觉得很热，也很疲倦。 想吃点东西，并想喝杯麦酒来提神。因此他走向一家酒馆。 他才要进去时，酒馆的马夫正巧走出来，他们在门口相遇。 马夫的手上提着一个袋子。 |
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