The Argumentative Wife

A husband once had a wife, but she was so contrary that she always contradicted him. If he said, "Shaved," she would immediately shout, "Cut!" They argued every single day! The husband grew tired of his wife and began thinking about how to get rid of her.

One day, they were walking to the river, and instead of a bridge, there was a narrow plank across the dam.

"Wait," he thought, "this is my chance to get rid of her."

As she started to cross the plank, he said:
"Be careful, wife, don't shake, or you'll drown!"

"Well, I'll do it on purpose then!" She shook and shook, and then—splash!—she fell into the water. The husband felt sorry for his wife, so he jumped into the water to look for her. He started walking upstream, against the current.

"What are you looking for?" asked some passing men.

"My wife drowned; she fell off that plank!"

"Fool, fool! You should go downstream, not upstream; she must have been carried away by now."

"Ah, brothers, hush! She always did everything the opposite way, so now she must have gone against the current."

More fairy tales

• The Carefree Wife
• The Enchanted Princess
• Bag, Give Me Wisdom!
• The Bubble, the Straw, and the Shoe
• The Crystal Mountain