The landowner got angry with his worker and kicked him out of the house completely. But the next morning the worker again came to the landowner. The landowner saw him and shouted in anger: “Why are you here?” I drove you away! What do you need here? Get out of here!
The worker humbly said: “Sir!” When you drove me away yesterday, I came to my home, grieved and grieved and fell asleep. And the next morning I woke up and remembered that I had to tell you something, and as soon as I remembered what exactly, I quickly came to you to make you happy.
The landowner heard that the worker wanted to please him with something, and immediately changed his anger to mercy: “Well, tell me what you wanted to please me with!”
“Yesterday I dug up the soil in your garden,” the peasant began. “Suddenly my shovel came across something hard. I thought it was a stone and began to dig it out. And it was not a stone, but a large vat. It had your name written on the lid. I opened the lid and it was full of silver!
The landowner became worried, glanced sideways at the worker and thought: “Didn’t he take the silver from there?” But he did not dare to ask about this, but, on the contrary, pretending to be kind, said: “Although the treasure was found in my garden, but since you found it, it means you could take a share of the treasure.”
“No, sir,” answered the worker. “Only your name is clearly written there, how could I decide to take part of that silver for myself?”
The landowner was delighted that the entire treasure would go to him, called the worker into the house, began to treat him with wine, delicious food, and even sat down with him at the same table.
While the worker was treating himself, the landowner thought again: “It’s impossible that he didn’t hide some silver!” - Could you really calmly look at such a large vat of silver? Tell me honestly,” he asked.
The worker sighed and said quietly: “There is a proverb: being in water means not getting wet!” I’ll tell you honestly: I took myself a silver bar.
The landowner felt feverish, he looked angrily at the worker, but caught himself in time. “We can’t quarrel with him now - there’s still a lot of silver there. If I offend him now, he may not show where the treasure is,” he thought. Taking on a satisfied look again, the landowner continued to treat the worker. He drank and ate his fill.
And the landowner asks him again: “Did you really only take one ingot?” Probably more! Tell me honestly, because I won’t scold you.
The worker has already had enough to drink. He stood up, straightened up and said to the landowner: “I knew that this silver was yours, but greed overwhelmed me, and my hands involuntarily reached for other bars.” Just as I was about to grab them, suddenly someone slapped me on the back. I woke up from fright... It’s such a pity that I didn’t have to grab more silver! And my wife is to blame for this - she woke me up.
The landowner widened his eyes, then, choking with rage and stuttering, shouted: “So this is just a dream!”
The worker was already standing at the threshold and calmly said: “And you thought it was true?”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru