有一个女人刚刚失去了丈夫，她每天都要到丈夫的坟上痛哭一场。有一个农夫在不远处耕地，一直观察着这个女人，想娶她为妻。于是，农夫放下自己的犁，来到她身边坐下，也痛哭起来。女人问他为什么哭，农夫回答说：“我的妻子最近也死了，她和我非常恩爱，也许眼泪能够减轻我的悲伤。”女人说：“我丈夫也是刚刚去世。”两人就这样默然哀伤了一阵子。接着，农夫说：“既然你我遭遇相同，我们为何不结为夫妻，在一起生活呢？我替代你死去的丈夫，而你则替代我死去的妻子。”这个想法听起来的确很有道理，那女人高兴地同意了。这时候，有一个贼偷走了农夫丢下的公牛。看到自己的牛被偷了，农夫不禁捶胸顿足地悲叹自己的损失。此刻，女人听见了他的哭声，走过来问道：“为什么，你还在哭吗？”农夫回答：“是的！这一次是真心的。”
【女人和农夫的故事英文版】
THE WOMAN AND THE FARMER
A Woman，who had lately lost her husband，used to go every day to his grave and lament her loss.A Farmer，who was engaged in ploughing not far from the spot，set eyes upon the Woman and desired to have her for his wife：SO he left his plough and came and sat by her side，and began to shed tears himself.She asked him why he wept；and he replied，“I have lately lost my wife，who was very dear to me，and tears ease my grief.”“And I，”said she，“have lost my husband.”And S0 for a while they mourned in silence.Then he said，“Since you and i are in like case，shall we not do well to marry and live together?I shall take the place of your dead husband，and you，that of my dead wife.”The Woman consented to the plan，which indeed seemed reasonable enough：and they dried their tears.Meanwhile，a thief had come and st01en the oxen which the Farmer had left with his plough.On discovering the theft，he beat his breast and loudly bewailed his loss.When the Woman heard his cries，she came and said，“Why，are you weeping still?”To which he replied，“Yes，and I mean it this time.”