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Two butchers work in an old-fashioned shop, one cuts meat on a wooden block while the other stands at the counter, with customers waiting.

Two butchers work in an old-fashioned shop, one cuts meat on a wooden block while the other stands at the counter, with customers waiting.

After a while, the men prepared to hang the body in a tree, but Tom and Jim didn’t stay. They hurried back to town as soon as they could ride. It was already late afternoon, and people were gathering early to buy meat for Sunday before it was all gone. Tom and Jim rushed to open their butcher shop. Tom did all the hard work—killing and cutting the meat, then hanging it in the icehouse. When customers came in, he took a piece from the hook, put it on the block, and cut whatever they asked for. Jim worked at the counter. He talked to customers and handled the money, while Tom did the cutting and weighing. Jim’s large belly made it hard for him to work at the block, so he stayed behind the counter and put the money into the cashbox. They arrived just in time, as a big crowd had gathered outside. Inside the shop, customers ordered their meat. One asked Tom for pork chops, and while Tom cut them, they made small talk. “Everything’s fine,” Tom said, “except my wife is sick again.” Tom wrapped the meat, and the customer paid Jim, who placed the money in the cashbox. Mehr sehen