He lived, or maybe he didn’t live, a poor man. He had an only son. One day a poor man says to his wife:
- Let's send our son to study in the city. Maybe at least he will live a better life than us.
And so they did. They sent the boy to study in a distant city. Poor parents denied themselves a piece of bread so that their son could become a learned man. Years have passed.
The young man studied, learned all the wisdom of science and returned to his native land. But there was no work for him at home - no one would give work to the learned peasant son.
The young man was sunbathing: his parents spent so much money on his education, but he could not feed them. I thought and thought about what to do and decided to leave home.
__ I can’t live like this any longer, I can’t see you in poverty,” he says
he told his father and mother, “I’d rather sell myself into slavery and help you.”
The parents did not let their son go; they begged him to stay with them.
“We won’t die of hunger, we’ll always get a piece of bread.”
No matter how much they asked, no matter how much they persuaded him, the guy still left home.
He walked a lot of roads and ended up in one city, but even there there was no work to do according to his knowledge. Then he went to the king, even though he had heard a lot about his stinginess and cruelty.
“Sir, take me into your service,” said the guy.
- What can you do?
- Find out the truth, unravel all the tricks.
- How much should I pay you?
- Decide for yourself. I am trained in all sciences. The king threw him two gold pieces:
- Take it, you're not worth it anymore. The young man took the money and sent it to his parents.
The king ordered that the new servant be placed in a closet and given one corn cake per day.
One day a man brought a nag to sell to the king:
- Buy my horse, great sir.
- How much are you asking for it?
- Ten gold.
The king thought: “Let me check what my new servant understands.”
They brought the young man to the king.
“What do you say, my learned servant, is it worth giving ten gold pieces for a horse?” The young man walked around the nag, looked at it from all sides and said:
“She’s very skinny, that’s true, and she loves to lie in the water, but still
costs ten gold.
The king bought a horse, gave it to the grooms and ordered him to be fed to his fill with barley and raisins.
Time has passed. I began to love looking at the horse - so beautiful and playful, I could only play with the stars!
The king was getting ready to go for a walk. He ordered a new horse to be saddled and rode out
in the field with his viziers.
“Let’s see how he gallops,” said the king and set off his horse at full speed. The horse pranced under the king and flew forward like a swallow.
“Now let’s check whether the horse really likes to lie in the water,” said the king and rode into the river.
The horse had not even reached the middle when it suddenly lay down and almost drowned
rider
The servants barely had time to catch the king. And the horse, having gotten rid of the burden, still
I lay in the water for a long time for my own pleasure. The king returned to the palace. He called the wise servant and asked:
— How did you know that the horse likes to lie in the water?
“This horse was raised by a buffalo, and she taught him to drink water. If you don’t believe me, ask the former owner.
The king sent a servant to fetch the peasant who had sold the horse.
“What kind of horse did you sell me?” asks the king.
“The horse is like a horse, only a buffalo fed him,” answered the peasant.
nin.
The king gave the young man more food - in addition to corn cakes, he ordered him to give
another wheat bread. It was a pitiful reward, but the young man consoled himself: “It doesn’t matter that it’s difficult for me, but life is easier for my parents now.”
Time has passed. One day a deceiving merchant comes to the king and offers:
“Buy, great sir, a magic stone and you’ll make a fool of it.” He will fulfill all your desires.
The merchant deceived the king - it was not the magic stone he sold, but the greedy human eye.
“How much do you want for it?” asks the king.
- How much gold will it take?
A magic stone was placed on one pan of the scales, and gold on the other. Natvristvali pulled it over. They added more gold, almost the entire treasury was put on the scales, but the magic stone still weighs heavily. They won’t understand what a miracle this is!
The king called the omniscient guy. The peasant son took the “magic stone”, rolled it on the ground and returned it to the king.
- Now put it on the scales!
We weighed it - and the magic stone turned out to be lighter than a copper!
To celebrate, the king increased the peasant’s son’s food: he began to give him one and a half loaves of bread a day. The guy was offended by the king’s stinginess, but he kept silent and thought: “Even though it’s difficult for me, I’ll endure it, but life is easier for my parents now!”
Time has passed.
Life was bad for the people in that kingdom - there was no justice and order - and many rebelled against the king. And so the king decided to gather all the dissatisfied people and kill them.
“Go around my entire kingdom, bring everyone who is dissatisfied with me!” he ordered the viziers.
“No one will tell us the truth, great sovereign,” said the chief vizier. “You better send your wise servant.” He will probably find out the truth from people.
The king called the peasant's son.
- Go around my entire kingdom and bring here everyone who is dissatisfied with me. What to do, how to disobey the king? The young man thought.
Before he had time to set off, a rumor spread throughout the country: “The king’s servant-truth teller is coming, he wants to find out who is dissatisfied with the king!”
And almost everyone was unhappy with the king.
Anxiety gripped people. They turned for advice to an old man known for his wisdom.
- Tell me, what should we do, how should we behave with the king’s envoy?
“When he comes, we’ll ask him to protect us.” “If he is truly a seer of truth and a lover of truth, he will be on our side and will not betray us to the king,” said the old man.
A peasant son came to the village where the old man lived. He sees that people from almost all over the kingdom have gathered there.
The elder came forward and said:
__ We know why you were sent. Do not destroy us, do not drive us to the king, he will outweigh
He is everyone - both the law is in his hands and the power.
__ Don’t be afraid,” the young man answers. “Come with me, I’ll tell the king for everyone.”
the truth.
People began to think: what if he wants to lure them to the king by deception?
But then the elder said his word again:
__ Let's listen, people, to this guy. If he betrays us, then our death will be on his conscience. We were born once, we die once! The young man led the people to the king.
__ Great Sovereign, I have fulfilled your command! - he reported to the king.
__ Well, tell me what you found out!
- First, promise not to be angry for the truth. The king promised and swore.
__ The people in your state are honest and hardworking - you are not worth it
him, sir. From morning to evening people bend their backs, work, and you take away the last thing from them. You are an unjust king. Needless to say, he bought me, a living person, for two gold coins, and gave ten for the nag! Do you remember how the deceiving merchant wanted to sell you a greedy eye and almost took your entire treasury, because it was the eye of a greedy man and nothing could satisfy it except damp earth? That's why I rolled my eye on the ground - let it get enough! I helped you out, and how did you repay me? Added half a loaf of bread per day! I walked around the entire kingdom at your command. Look, all the people are here, everyone is unhappy with you!
The king became angry, rage overwhelmed him, he forgot about his oath and ordered every last one to be hanged!
No such luck!
- People, we will pronounce our verdict on the king, we will deal with him before he kills everyone! - the young man shouted.
And the people moved as one against the king.
Since then, a comfortable, peaceful life began in that country, so peaceful that, as they say, the wolf did not offend the goat, and the cat did not harm the mouse.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru