Once there was a cook called Grethel. “I have a new guest coming to dinner tonight. I want you to prepare two chickens in his honour,” said her master. The tempting aroma of cooking made Grethel’s mouth water. When the guest was late in coming, the master went out to look for him. Unable to control her greed, Grethel ate up the chickens. She was just wiping her lips when the master arrived “My guest is coming in a while,” he announced.
Now Grethel was worried and wondered how to save herself. She waited for the guest at the door. When he came, she whispered in his ears, “Oh, sir! My master is very angry. He is going to cut off both your ears to punish you for arriving late.” On hearing this, the guest ran away in fear, never to be seen again. Grethel told her master that his guest had run away with both the chickens. The angry master cursed the guest. Clever Grethel peacefully went to sleep.