Section 1
For a considerable length of time, a cobbler and his wife resided in a famous city in Germany. The cobbler repaired and created new boots and shoes when he had enough funds to purchase the necessary leather, while his wife sold produce from their small garden. A large number of clients frequented her stand in the marketplace, enticed by her tidy demeanor and the methodical presentation of her goods.
The respectable pair had a son named Jacob, an attractive and mature eight-year-old. He assisted his mother at the marketplace and occasionally transported the customers' acquisitions to their homes.
On a particular day, while the cobbler's spouse was seated in the marketplace and young Jacob was beside her announcing the prices of the produce, an elderly woman with a slightly tattered attire, a gaunt face, red eyes, and a lengthy, pointed nose passed by. The old woman relied on a lengthy staff, and walked with a hobble, as if her feet were plagued with corns and she appeared to be unsteady on her feet and as though she might fall on her nose at any moment.
"Are you Hannah, the vendor of vegetables?" she inquired, shaking her head.” Allow me to inspect if you possess what I require." Using her unsightly brown hands, she turned and tossed the cabbages around, damaging their leaves. With her lengthy and bony fingers, she prodded various areas. After she had disorganized all the baskets, she complained, "Poor quality, dreadful cabbages - they were much better fifty years ago; poor quality!"
The old woman's comments infuriated young Jacob, and he exclaimed, "Listen here, you unpleasant old lady! You refer to our vegetables as 'poor quality,' and with your elongated nose, you sniff and scrutinize them so that nobody else will want to buy them. Nevertheless, the Grand Duke's cook purchases as much as he requires from us!"
The elderly woman gazed at the lovely boy and replied indignantly, "Young man, it seems that my nose is to your liking. "You shall have one like it, but even longer!" she threatened. She inspected the cauliflowers once more and tossed them back into the basket while muttering, "Poor cauliflowers, poor quality!"
"Decide what you want," retorted the cobbler's wife, irritated by the pointless delay. "It's better than spouting nonsense to my son!"
"I'll take these six cauliflowers," declared the elderly lady. "However, I can't carry them home myself. Let your son come with me, and I'll compensate him for his trouble."
The boy was reluctant to go, but his mother convinced him that it would be unfair to let the frail old woman carry such a heavy load. With tears in his eyes, Jacob agreed and went with her.
The elderly woman walked at a slow pace, and it took nearly an hour for them to arrive at a small house located outside of the town. She opened the door, and Jacob was taken aback by the interior of the house, for it was splendid. The house was embellished with marble walls and staircases, and the furniture was made of ebony with gold inlay and the floors were extremely smooth and polished, which caused Jacob to slip and fall. The old woman retrieved a whistle from her pocket and blew it. Instantly, some guinea-pigs appeared, dressed in men's clothing and walking on their hind legs. Jacob found this sight amusing.
The old woman demanded her slippers by shrieking and shaking her stick at the guinea-pigs, causing them to become quite frightened. They immediately returned with two coconut shells that were soled with leather, and the old woman put them on her feet.
The old woman started to move around energetically. She grasped Jacob's hand firmly and hurriedly led him across the smooth glass surface. Eventually, she led him to a room that resembled a kitchen. "Take a seat, young boy," she said, urging him to sit in the corner of a sofa." You have had a heavy load to carry. Men's heads are not light."
"What are you talking about?" exclaimed the boy. "I carried cauliflowers here, not men's heads."
The old woman laughed and said, "You now understand that it's not true," as she removed a man's head from the basket. This terrified the boy, as he worried that if anyone found out, his mother would face serious consequences.
"I must offer you a small gift," stated the old woman. "Just wait for a moment, and I'll serve you some delicious soup."
