a stupid boy, who was sent to market by the good old woman, his mother, to sell butter and cheese, made a stop by the way at a swift river, and laid himself down on the bank there, until it should run out.

about midnight, home he went to his mother, with all his market trade back again.

"why, how now, my son?" said she. "what ill fortune have you had, that you have sold nothing all day?"

"why, mother, yonder is a river that has been running all this day, and i stayed till just now, waiting for it to run out; and there it is, running still."

"my son," said the good woman, "thy head and mine will be laid in the grave many a day before this river has all run by. you will never sell your butter and cheese if you wait for that."