On the day of the big holiday, the old peasant decided to visit his ahupha. He didn’t want to go to him empty-handed - he caught a rooster, tied it by the leg with a rope, took a stick and set off.
[Ahupha – pupil.]
He walked leisurely, urging the rooster on with a stick. Those he met, looking at him in bewilderment, smiled and shrugged their shoulders. Finally he came to the princely court. The servants were surprised at the weirdo. One of the servants ran to report to the prince.
- Some old man came to us, dragging a rooster on a rope! He wants to see you.
The prince laughed and said:
- Let the old man come to me, and put the rooster in the chicken coop! The old man greeted the prince and said!
– I wish you to celebrate the holidays every year as fun as this year!
The prince sat him down at a wide table, where there was everything except bird's milk. The peasant behaved with dignity. He drank wine for the health of those for whom he was supposed to, entertained the guests, telling them all sorts of things.
When the old man was getting ready to go home, the servant brought a black horse with a bridle out of the stable, led him to the old man and said:
“The prince gives you a horse and thanks you for not forgetting him.”
The old man took his leave, wished the prince a happy life, and, after thinking a little, asked for an ax.
Not far from the palace, an old man cut down a young tree, cleared it of branches, put it on his horse and began to climb. The prince, seeing this from the balcony, shouted:
“I gave him a horse without a saddle!” What a disaster! Give him the saddle.
They saddled the horse. The peasant thanked the prince again and set off on his way back. The day was hot, and the old man wanted to rest. Choosing a courtyard at random, he directed his horse towards the gate.
The owners were at home. But according to some long-standing custom, they did not receive guests on this day. And for themselves they prepared a hearty lunch: boiled chicken was white in a bowl with cherry plum sauce, hot hominy was steaming in the cauldron, the churek was already browning. The men managed to skin the lamb halfway.
When the owners saw a guest at their gate, they hid it all. And he, standing up in his stirrups, noticed how all this food had disappeared. The owners opened the gate for the old man and with the words “welcome” invited him into the house. After talking with the guest for a while, they fell silent. The old man hesitated, and then addressed them with the following speech:
– Dear owners! I will tell you about an incident that happened to me today. On the way, I climbed a small mountain and saw a puddle below. There was about the same amount of water in it as you have sour gravy in your bowl. In this puddle sat a frog the size of your chicken. Nearby I noticed a stone the same size as a churek. I jumped off my horse, grabbed a stone and threw it at the frog, which stared at me with such huge eyes as your cauldron of hominy. If this is all a lie, let them skin me half like your lamb!
The owners were stunned and did not know what to do with shame. What was to be done? They quickly set the table, saying: “Forgive us, dear guest, and don’t disgrace us in front of people.” You turned out to be wiser than usual.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru