A hard-working servant had worked for a farmer for three years without any pay. Finally, he asked his master for his wages. The farmer was a greedy miser. He gave the man only three pennies—one for each year. The simple man was happy and decided to go and see the world.
On the road, he met a little dwarf who asked him why he was so happy. "I am rich!" the man said. "I have three pennies in my pocket." The dwarf said he was very poor and asked for the money. The kind servant gave him all three pennies.
In return, the dwarf granted him three wishes. The man chose: a magic bow that never missed its target, a fiddle that made everyone dance, and the power to make everyone say "yes" to his requests.
Later, the man met an old miser looking at a bird in a tree. The miser wanted the bird. The man used his magic bow to shoot the bird down into some thorny bushes. When the miser crawled into the bushes to get it, the man began to play his fiddle. The music forced the miser to dance. The thorns tore his clothes and scratched his skin until he was bleeding.
"Stop the music!" the miser screamed. "I’ll give you a hundred pieces of gold!" The man took the gold and walked away, very happy.
The miser was angry and went to a judge. He lied and said the man had robbed him. The police caught the servant and the judge sentenced him to hang. As he stood on the steps of the gallows, the man said, "My Lord Judge, grant me one last request. Let me play my fiddle one last time."
Because of the dwarf’s magic, the judge had to say yes. As soon as the man started playing, the judge, the police, and the miser started dancing. They couldn't stop! Finally, the judge cried, "Stop! I will give you your life and your money back!"
The man stopped playing. He looked at the miser and said, "Tell the truth! Where did you get that gold?"
"I stole it!" the miser admitted in front of everyone. The judge set the honest servant free and punished the miser instead.