The priest and the horse.

In a small village there lived a poor farmer whose work horse had just died. Without a means of pulling wagons and plows and no money to buy a new horse, the farmer just sat down by the side of the road, crying and wondering how he would feed his family now.

Then along came a priest and wondered why he was crying, so the farmer told him about the dead horse. The priest told him that he would help him.

When evening had fallen, the priest had the farmer follow him over to the baron's mansion, and together they sneaked into the baron's stable, to the box where the baron kept his prized white arabian war stallion. The priest opened the box and led out the horse, gave the reins to the farmer and told him to be off.

"But if the baron finds out, he will hang me for sure!" the farmer objected.

"No problem," said the priest, "you just go home and take care of your family, and I'll take care of the baron."

With renewed hope the farmer quietly led the white horse out of the stable and home to his farm. Meanwhile, the priest laid down to sleep in the horse's box.

In the morning the baron fancied a ride through the countryside, so he came out to the stable and opened the box, but instead of finding his prized stallion, he found a priest lying in he hay.

"What is the meaning of this!? Where is my horse!?" shouted the baron.

The priest woke up and saw the baron, then looked down at himself, sprung up and started shouting "Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!"

The baron was very surprised and asked what he meant. So the priest tells him "I used to be a priest in a village not far from here, but for many years I secretly sinned. I drank, visited prostitutes and gambled, even while telling my congregation to not do so. Because of my sins and hypocrisy, the Lord transformed me into a horse as punishment, and tonight it appears I have finally been shown mercy! Praise the Lord!"

The baron is amazed and also starts praising God's mercy. Then he lets the priest leave.

In the afternoon, however, the baron, now lacking a horse, goes down to the village to buy a new one. In the market place he encounters the farmer, leading his old white horse by the reins. At seeing this, he is furious, runs up to the farmer and horse and starts shouting:
"You damned scoundrel! You couldn't last even a day before you went right back to your sinful ways, could you!?"