Publisher's Synopsis
Once upon a time there lived an old couple who had one son called Martin. Nowwhen the old man's time had come, he stretched himself out on his bed and died.Though all his life long he had toiled and moiled, he only left his widow and son twohundred florins. The old woman determined to put by the money for a rainy day;but alas! the rainy day was close at hand, for their meal was all consumed, and whois prepared to face starvation with two hundred florins at their disposal? So the oldwoman counted out a hundred of her florins, and giving them to Martin told him togo into the town and lay in a store of meal for a year.So Martin started off for the town. When he reached the meat-market he foundthe whole place in turmoil, and a great noise of angry voices and barking of dogs.Mixing in the crowd, he noticed a stag-hound which the butchers had caught andtied to a post, and which was being flogged in a merciless manner. Overcome withpity, Martin spoke to the butchers, saying: 'Friends, why are you beating the poor dog so cruelly?
