Once upon a time there lived a husband and wife. And they didn’t really like each other. The husband called his wife a fool, and she called him a fool, so they always quarreled. One day my husband bought several pounds of rice and butter, loaded them onto a porter and brought them home.
The wife lost her temper: “And you still get angry when they call you a fool!” Why do we need so much oil and rice? Are you celebrating a wake for your father or your son’s wedding, or what? - What a wake, what a wedding! What are you talking about, woman? Take it and hide it. This is for barekendan.
The wife calmed down, took it and hid it. Many days have already passed, the wife is waiting and waiting, but Barekendan is still not there. And then one day she sits at the doorstep and sees someone hurrying down the street. She covers her eyes from the sun with her palm and shouts: “Brother, brother, come on, wait a minute!”
A passerby stops. “Aren’t you going to be Barekendan, brother?” The passer-by realized that the woman doesn’t have everything at home, and thinks: “Let me tell you that I am Barekendan and see what comes of it.” “Yes, sister, I am Barekendan.” What do you say? - Otherwise I’ll say that it’s high time you took the rice and butter from us. We were not hired to keep your property. You also need to know your conscience! - Why are you angry, sister-jan? That’s what I came for: I was looking for your house, but I still couldn’t find it. “Well, go and get it!”
A passerby enters the house and takes away the oil and rice. He turns his heels towards the house, facing his village, and remember his name!
The husband returns and his wife says to him: “This Barekendan came, I threw him his stuff and he took it away!” “Which Barekendan?” What's good? - Yes, here's butter and rice. I see he’s coming, looking for our house. I called him, made my way properly, put the bag on his shoulders, and he carried it away. “Oh, let your house collapse, stupid!” No wonder I always say that you are a fool! Which direction did he go? - And over there. The husband jumped on his horse and rushed after Barekendan. Barekendan turned around and saw that the horseman was catching up with him. I realized that this must be the woman’s husband.
So the rider caught up with him: - Good afternoon, brother! - Good health! - Has anyone passed along this road? - Passed. - What was he carrying on his shoulders? - Oil and rice. - That’s what I need! How long has it been since he passed? - Yes, quite a bit. - If I jump after him, will I have time to catch up? - Where are you! You are on horseback, and he is on foot. As long as your horse steps with four legs: one-two-three-four, he runs on his own two: one-two, one-two, one-two - and he’s gone! - What should I do? - What should you do? If you want, leave the horse with me, and just like him, run on your own, maybe you’ll catch up.” “Yes, that’s what you’re saying right.”
The husband gets off his horse, leaves it with a passerby, and sets off on foot.
As soon as he disappeared from sight, Barekendan put his burden on his horse, turned off the road and galloped away. And the husband walked, walked, and saw that he couldn’t catch up. He turns back, and there is no passerby or horse. He returns home, and they begin to quarrel again: the husband over butter and rice, and the wife over the horse.
And to this day the husband and wife are still quarreling. He calls her a fool, and she calls him a fool. And Barekendan listens and chuckles.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru