Doctor Know-all facts for kids

Doctor Know-all (German: Doktor Allwissend) is a fun German fairy tale. The famous Brothers Grimm collected this story. It is tale number 98 in their book, Grimms' Fairy Tales. This type of story is about being in the right place at the right time. It shows how cleverness and a bit of luck can lead to success.

The Peasant Who Became a Doctor

This story begins with a simple peasant named Crabbe. He was not a doctor. Crabbe saw how well a real doctor lived. The doctor ate good food and seemed very happy. Crabbe was curious. He asked the doctor how he became so successful.

The doctor gave him some advice. He told Crabbe to buy a special ABC book. This book had a picture of a rooster on the front. Then, Crabbe needed to sell his oxen and cart. With that money, he should buy doctor's tools and fancy clothes. Finally, he should call himself "Doctor Know-all." Crabbe took this advice very seriously. He followed every step. Soon, he was known as Doctor Know-all.

The Case of the Missing Money

Not long after Crabbe became a doctor, a rich nobleman visited him. The nobleman had a big problem. Some of his money had been stolen. He asked Doctor Know-all to help find it. Crabbe agreed, but he insisted his wife must come along.

At the nobleman's home, Crabbe and his wife were invited to dinner. They sat down to eat a fancy meal. As each dish was served, Crabbe nudged his wife. He quietly said, "That's one," then "That's two," and "That's three." He was just counting the dinner courses.

However, the servants who brought the food heard him. They were the ones who had taken the money! They thought Doctor Know-all was pointing them out. They believed he knew exactly who they were.

A Clever Guess

A fourth servant then brought the last dish. It was under a covered tray. The nobleman asked Doctor Know-all to show his amazing skill. He wanted the doctor to guess what was under the tray. Crabbe had no idea what it was. He felt sorry for himself. He sighed and cried out, "Ah, poor Crabbe!"

Guess what? The meal under the tray was a plate full of crabs! Everyone was amazed. The servants were now in a complete panic. They were sure Doctor Know-all knew everything.

The Secret Confession

The four servants secretly went to Crabbe. They begged him to speak with them. They confessed that they had taken the money. They promised to return it all. They even offered him a part of the money as a reward. They just wanted him to keep their secret. Crabbe agreed to their deal.

The servants then showed him where the money was hidden. Crabbe went back to the nobleman. He sat at the table and pretended to look for the answer in his ABC book. Meanwhile, a fifth servant was hiding inside a stove. This servant wanted to listen in. He wanted to know if Doctor Know-all knew even more secrets.

Crabbe looked at his book. He then said, "I know you are there, so you better show yourself!" The servant in the stove thought Crabbe meant him. He jumped out of the stove in surprise!

A Wealthy and Famous Man

Doctor Know-all then revealed where the stolen money was hidden. The nobleman was very impressed. He gave Crabbe a lot of money as a reward. The frightened servants also gave him a share of the money, as they had promised.

Because of his cleverness and a bit of luck, Crabbe became a very wealthy and famous man. He was known far and wide as the amazing Doctor Know-all.