There was once upon a time a poor peasant called Crabb, who drove with two oxen a load of wood to the town, and sold it to a doctor for two talers. When the money was being counted out to him, it so happened that the doctor was sitting at table, and when the peasant saw how well he ate and drank, his heart desired what he saw, and would willingly have been a doctor too. So he remained standing a while, and at length inquired if he too could not be a doctor. ‘Oh, yes,’ said the doctor, ‘that is soon managed.’ ‘What must I do?’ asked the peasant. ‘In the first place buy yourself an A B C book of the kind which has a cock on the frontispiece; in the second, turn your cart and your two oxen into money, and get yourself some clothes, and whatsoever else pertains to medicine; thirdly, have a sign painted for yourself with the words: “I am Doctor Knowall,” and have that nailed up above your house-door.’ The peasant did everything that he had been told to do. When he had doctored people awhile, but not long, a rich and great lord had some money stolen. Then he was told about Doctor Knowall who lived in such and such a village, and must know what had become of the money. So the lord had the horses harnessed to his carriage, drove out to the village, and asked Crabb if he were Doctor Knowall. Yes, he was, he said. Then he was to go with him and bring back the stolen money. ‘Oh, yes, but Grete, my wife, must go too.’ The lord was willing, and let both of them have a seat in the carriage, and they all drove away together. When they came to the nobleman’s castle, the table was spread, and Crabb was told to sit down and eat. ‘Yes, but my wife, Grete, too,’ said he, and he seated himself with her at the table. And when the first servant came with a dish of delicate fare, the peasant nudged his wife, and said: ‘Grete, that was the first,’ meaning that was the servant who brought the first dish. The servant, however, thought he intended by that to say: ‘That is the first thief,’ and as he actually was so, he was terrified, and said to his comrade outside: ‘The doctor knows all: we shall fare ill, he said I was the first.’ The second did not want to go in at all, but was forced. So when he went in with his dish, the peasant nudged his wife, and said: ‘Grete, that is the second.’ This servant was equally alarmed, and he got out as fast as he could. The third fared no better, for the peasant again said: ‘Grete, that is the third.’ The fourth had to carry in a dish that was covered, and the lord told the doctor that he was to show his skill, and guess what was beneath the cover. Actually, there were crabs. The doctor looked at the dish, had no idea what to say, and cried: ‘Ah, poor Crabb.’ When the lord heard that, he cried: ‘There! he knows it; he must also know who has the money!’
从前有个名叫克拉布的穷农民，他赶着两头牛拉着一车木头进城，以两枚塔勒的价格卖给了一个医生。当钱被数给他时，恰好那医生正坐在桌边用餐，农民看到他们吃得如此丰盛，心中便生出了羡慕之情，也渴望自己能成为一名医生。于是他站了一会儿，终于问道自己是否也能成为医生。‘哦，当然可以，’医生说，‘这很容易办到。’‘我该怎么做？’农民问。‘首先，买一本封面画有公鸡的《ABC》识字书；其次，把你的车和两头牛换成钱，再置办些衣服和行医所需的一切物品；第三，请人给你画一块招牌，上面写着“我是全知博士”，把它钉在你家大门上方。’农民照吩咐一一照办。他行医了一段时间后，一位富有的贵族家中失窃了一笔钱财。于是有人向他推荐住在某村的‘全知博士’，说此人定能知晓钱财的下落。于是领主命人将马套上马车，驱车前往村庄，问克拉布是否是‘无所不知博士’。克拉布答道：‘正是。’领主便让他一同前往，把偷来的钱取回。克拉布说：‘好的，但我的妻子格蕾特也必须同行。’领主同意了，让两人一同坐上马车，大家便一起出发了。到了领主的城堡，宴席已经摆好，克拉布被请入座用餐。他说：‘好的，但我的妻子格蕾特也要一起吃。’于是他和妻子一同在桌边坐下。当第一位仆人端着一道精致菜肴进来时，农夫轻轻碰了碰妻子，说道：‘格蕾特，这是第一个。’他的意思是说，这位是送上第一道菜的仆人。然而仆人却以为他在说：‘这是第一个小偷。’而事实上他确实是小偷之一，顿时吓得魂飞魄散，便对门外的同伴说：‘博士什么都知道：我们完了，他说我是第一个。’第二位仆人本不愿进去，却被强行拉去。于是当他端着菜进来时，农夫又碰了碰妻子，说道：‘格蕾特，这是第二个。’这位仆人也同样惊恐万分，赶紧逃了出去。第三个也没好到哪去，因为农夫又说：‘格蕾特，这是第三个。’第四个端来一个盖着的盘子，主人让医生展示他的医术，猜盘子里是什么。其实里面是螃蟹。医生看着盘子，不知该说什么，便喊道：‘啊，可怜的克拉布。’主人听到后说：‘瞧！他知道了；他也一定知道钱在谁手里！’
On this the servants looked terribly uneasy, and made a sign to the doctor that they wished him to step outside for a moment. When therefore he went out, all four of them confessed to him that they had stolen the money, and said that they would willingly restore it and give him a heavy sum into the bargain, if he would not denounce them, for if he did they would be hanged. They led him to the spot where the money was concealed. With this the doctor was satisfied, and returned to the hall, sat down to the table, and said: ‘My lord, now will I search in my book where the gold is hidden.’ The fifth servant, however, crept into the stove to hear if the doctor knew still more. But the doctor sat still and opened his A B C book, turned the pages backwards and forwards, and looked for the cock. As he could not find it immediately he said: ‘I know you are there, so you had better come out!’ Then the fellow in the stove thought that the doctor meant him, and full of terror, sprang out, crying: ‘That man knows everything!’ Then Doctor Knowall showed the lord where the money was, but did not say who had stolen it, and received from both sides much money in reward, and became a renowned man.
听到这话，仆人们个个神色惶恐，便向医生打手势，示意他暂时出去一下。于是医生一走出房间，四人便向他坦白钱是他们偷的，并说只要他不告发他们，他们愿意归还钱财，外加再给他一大笔酬金；否则一旦告发，他们就会被处绞刑。随后，他们带医生去了藏钱的地点。医生对此表示满意，随即返回大厅，在桌边坐下说道：‘老爷，现在我要在我的书里查找黄金藏在哪里了。’然而第五个仆人却悄悄爬进炉灶，想听医生是否还知道更多内情。医生静坐不动，打开一本字母书，翻来覆去地查看，寻找那只公鸡。因一时找不到，他便说：‘我知道你在那里，你还是出来吧！’炉灶里的那人以为医生是在说他，顿时吓得魂飞魄散，跳了出来大喊：‘这人什么都知道！’于是，全知博士向老爷指出了藏钱之处，却未透露是谁偷的，最终从双方都获得了丰厚的酬金，从此声名远扬。