Characters: » Narrator 1» Stranger» Asmus (farmer)» Talking Pot» Greta (farmer's wife)» Narrator 2» Frogertha (rich man's wife)» Narrator 3» Farmhand» Casper (rich man)

STRANGER: Tak, thank you. And good luck!

NARRATOR 1: Asmus timidly entered his hut. He was afraid to tell his wife what he had done.

GRETA: Did you get a good deal for the cow?

ASMUS: Ja yes. The price was fair.

. GRETA: That is good. We need the money.

ASMUS: Well, I did not actually receive money for the cow.

NARRATOR 1: Asmus and his wife Greta lived in the smallest, poorest hut in the whole village. The only thing they owed was a cow. One day, they had no choice but to sell it. Asmus led the animal along the road.

STRANGER: God morgen, good morning. How much will you take for your cow?

ASMUS: A hundred crowns would be fair, I think.

STRANGER: I cannot offer you money. But I have something worth more than money. I am willing to trade this pot for your cow.

ASMUS: A three-legged iron pot for my cow? I have nothing to put in a pot. My children cannot EAT an iron pot! I must have money.

TALKING POT: Stop talking and take me!

ASMUS (thinking to himself): That pot can speak. If the pot can talk, what else can it do? (speaking out loud) You have a deal. My cow for your pot.

GRETA: Then what DID you receive?

ASMUS: This three-legged pot.

GRETA: You fool! I knew I should have taken the cow to market myself.

TALKING POT: Clean me. Then put me on the fire.

GRETA (thinking to herself): If the pot can talk, what else can it do?

NARRATOR 2: Greta carefully washed the pot. She then put it on the fire.

TALKING POT: I hop, I hop!

GRETA: Where do you hop?

TALKING POT: To the wealthy man's house!

NARRATOR 2: The pot hopped up the road. It went very fast. The rich man had never shared anything with the poor. His wife Frogertha was baking bread. The pot came hopping in. The pot jumped on the table.

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FROGERTHA: Ah, wonderful. I need a pot for my pudding.

NARRATOR 3: Frogertha heaped sugar, flour, butter, raisins, almonds, and a pinch of spice into the pot. She reached to put it on the stove. The pot hopped away on its three legs.

FROGERTHA: Stop! Where are you taking my pudding?

TALKING POT: To the poor man's home!

NARRATOR 3: The poor couple saw the pot filled with pudding. They were delighted.

ASMUS: Now what do you think of my bargain?

GRETA: It was excellent.

NARRATOR 1: The next morning, the pot was off again.

TALKING POT: I hop, I hop.

ASMUS: Where do you hop?

TALKING POT: To the wealthy man's barn!

NARRATOR 1: Workers were threshing the wheat in the barn.

FARMHAND: Just what we need, a pot! We will see how much it can hold.

NARRATOR 2: The workers poured a bushel of wheat into the pot. There was plenty more room. They poured in all of their wheat. The pot never got full. Then the three short legs began to move.

FARMHAND: Stop! Where are you taking our wheat?

TALKING POT: To the poor man's house.

NARRATOR 2: The poor couple was overjoyed. The wheat was enough to feed their family for several years. The third morning, the pot again hopped up the road. Casper, the rich man, had spread his money on a table near an open window. This allowed the warm sunshine to clear the mold from his gold. The pot came in and stood on the table.

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CASPER: Where did you come from? It doesn’t matter. You will make a fine place to store my money.

NARRATOR 3: He threw in handfuls of gold coins. All of his money was in the pot. The next moment, the pot hopped from the table.

CASPER: Wait, where are you going with my money?

TALKING POT: To the poor man's house.

NARRATOR 3: When the poor couple saw the pot of gold, they cried out in rapture.

TALKING POT: Clean me and put me aside.

NARRATOR 1: The next morning, the pot again hopped to the rich man's house. When Casper saw it, he flung himself on it.

CASPER: Return what you stole!

TALKING POT: I hop, I hop!

CASPER: Hop to the North Pole, if you like, only give me back my money!

NARRATOR 1: The miser furiously tried to free himself. But he was stuck to the pot. The pot carried him down the road. Asmus and Greta were now rich. They saw the pot pass their door. The pot did not stop. They never saw it again. Maybe it went straight to the North Pole!

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To cry out in rapture means to be carried away by overwhelming emotion.

A miser is a person who is very stingy with money.

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