"Scissors.” Europa’s Fairy Book, Joseph Jacobs, New York, London: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1916, pp. 31-33.

Tale Summary

There once lived a cobbler named Tom and his wife, named Joan, who always thought the opposite of him. One day, Joan accidentally knocked over some pots and pans, breaking them all. When Tom rushed in to see what had happened, she grabbed a pair of scissors and told him she had cut them to pieces. They argued with each other, until he said that if she did not tell him the truth he would throw her in the river. She wouldn’t budge on the issue, so he tossed her in. Before she went under, she made a motion with her fingers as if she were moving scissors, and Tom saw it was no use to try and persuade her. He ran upstream, where he met a neighbor who asked what was the matter. Tom told him that Joan had fallen in the river and he was trying to save her. When the neighbor pointed out he was going upstream, Tom replied that Joan always went contrary to what was really happening. He did not find her in time to save her.