There lived one old man. He could no longer earn a piece of bread, so he decided to take up divination. And one gentleman in that district had just lost an expensive gold ring, and he was looking for a sorcerer who could find that ring. The master heard about the old man and sent servants after him. The old man's servants brought him to the master, and the old man said:
“You won’t find the missing ring so soon.” Feed me properly for three days, and give me some money, then I’ll tell you where that ring is.
The master agreed and ordered to feed the old man as much as he liked. After dinner the old man says to the servants:
- Thank God, there is one, but there are two more in stock. He was thinking about a good day, and the servants, who were to blame for the loss, thought that the sorcerer had already found out about one of the thieves.
The next day the old man ate well again and said again:
- Thank God, there are two, and the third is in stock.
He again talked about two glorious days spent, and the servants became even more convinced that the sorcerer had already found out about the two thieves.
On the third day the old man again had a good dinner and said, as if to himself:
– Thank God, all three are as they are. Now I know what to do.
He was thinking of escaping at night, but the servants were completely alarmed, all three gathered and conferred: “The old man must have found out that we stole the ring. We’d better go to him ourselves and promise him a lot of money so that he doesn’t tell the master.” The servants went to the sorcerer, told him everything and asked him not to betray them to the master. The old man answers:
“I knew for a long time that you had the ring, but I didn’t want to tell the master right away.” If you pay well, I’ll try to hide your sin somehow. Bring me this ring, we will hide it.
The servants brought the ring, the old man put it in a piece of bread, and fed the bread to the turkey.
The next day the master calls the old man.
- Well, three days have passed, have you found out where my ring is?
– Your ring was swallowed by a turkey, I’ll show you which one now.
They slaughtered a turkey - and indeed they took a ring from its giblets. Oh, how happy the master was! He paid the old man a lot of money.
But the master didn’t quite believe the old man and decided to test him. He caught a cricket, put it in a mug, turned it over and asked the sorcerer if he could guess what was under the mug. And after all, this guy’s nickname was Cricket. He sighed heavily and said: “Oh, poor Cricket, so you landed in the wrong place!”
The master was surprised:
- Hey, hey, you really are a great sorcerer!
And he added rewards.
Throughout the area the old man was known as an unprecedented magician. And if he managed to enchant something, then everyone knew about it, but if he didn’t succeed, there was no talk about it.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru