This story begins not so long ago, in a cozy little cottage with a thatched roof, where an old man and his wife lived. They didn't have many shiny things, but they had big smiles and a lot of love for each other.

One sunny morning, the old man looked at their only horse. "Wife," he said, "this horse is strong, but we don't really need him. I think I'll take him to the market and see if I can trade him for something more useful."

"What a good idea, dear!" said his wife, beaming. "You always know what's best."

So, the old man set off with the horse. Soon, he met a farmer with a plump cow. "A cow gives milk!" thought the old man. "That's much better than just a horse." So, he swapped the horse for the cow.

A little further on, he saw a man with a fluffy sheep. "Hmm," thought the old man, "a sheep is smaller, easier to look after, and gives wool!" So, he traded the cow for the sheep.

He walked on, and next he met a boy carrying a big white goose. "A goose!" the old man thought. "We could have a wonderful roast dinner!" So, the sheep was traded for the goose.

Not long after, he saw an old woman with a clucking hen. "A hen lays eggs every day!" he realized. "That's very handy indeed." So, the goose was swapped for the hen.

Feeling a bit tired and thirsty, the old man stopped at an inn. As he sat, he saw a fellow with a big sack. "What's in there?" asked the old man.
"Rotten apples," said the fellow. "Not good for much."
The old man thought for a moment. "Well," he said, "I have this fine hen..." And believe it or not, he traded the hen for the sack of rotten apples!

At the inn, two rich travelers had been watching. They heard the old man cheerfully telling someone about all his trades.
"Your wife will be furious when you get home with rotten apples!" one traveler laughed.
"Oh no," said the old man, smiling. "She'll say I've done just right. She always does."
"We'll bet you a bag of gold coins she'll be angry!" said the other traveler.
"Alright," said the old man. "It's a bet!"

So, the old man went home, with the two travelers following quietly behind to listen.
"Wife, I'm home!" he called.
"Oh, welcome back, dear!" she said, giving him a hug. "How did the market go?"
"Well," he began, "first I traded the horse for a cow."
"A cow! How wonderful!" she cried. "Now we can have fresh milk, butter, and cheese! You are so clever!"
The travelers outside looked at each other, surprised.

"Then," said the old man, "I traded the cow for a sheep."
"A sheep!" she exclaimed. "Even better! We can have wool for warm clothes, and sheep are so much quieter in the yard!"
The travelers' eyes widened.

"And then," he continued, "I traded the sheep for a goose."
"A goose! Oh, delightful!" his wife clapped her hands. "Imagine, a fine roast goose for a special occasion!"

"But then," said the old man, "I traded the goose for a hen."
"A hen!" she chirped. "Perfect! Fresh eggs every morning for our breakfast! You think of everything, dear!"

The old man took a deep breath. "And finally, my dear, I traded the hen for... a sack of rotten apples."
The wife's face lit up. "Rotten apples!" she cried with joy. "Oh, that's the best trade of all! I was just saying to myself, if only I had some rotten apples, I could make the most delicious sweet apple sauce for the parson's children. They do love it so! You always, always do what's right, my dear!" And she gave him a big kiss.

Outside, the two travelers stared with their mouths open. They had to give the old man the big bag of gold coins.
And so, the old man and his wife were richer than before, but they knew their greatest treasure was the love and trust they had for each other, which made everything the old man did turn out just right.

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