There lived an old man and an old woman. They had two sons. The eldest's name was Toivo. He was good, hard-working, but very gloomy. He never laughs, never sings, he knows one thing - he smokes a pipe and blows smoke. He catches fish on the lake - he is silent, he cuts down a pine tree in the forest - he is silent, he makes skis - he is silent. For this he was nicknamed Toivo the Unsmiling.
And the youngest was called Matti. He was a good guy. He works - sings songs, talks - laughs merrily. He also knew how to play the kantele harp. As soon as the strings begin to pluck, as the dance song begins to play, no one can stand still, everyone’s legs start dancing on their own. That's why everyone called him Matti the merry fellow.
Once Toivo went to the forest to buy firewood. I took the sled aside and started chopping. There was a knock and a crash through the forest.
And near the pine tree there was a bear’s den.
The owner-bear woke up:
- Hey, who's knocking? Who doesn't let me sleep?
He got out of the den and looked: a guy was cutting down a pine tree, chips from under the ax were flying in all directions. Wow, the bear got angry:
“Why are you knocking in my forest and not letting me sleep?” Why are you smoking? Get out!
Yes, how he rears up, and how Toivo grabs his paw - only the jacket crackles.
Toivo dropped the ax out of fear, rolled in the snow, somersaulted right into the sleigh and fell.
The horse got scared, pulled and carried the sleigh through the snowdrifts, over stumps, across clearings, and even took Toivo out of the forest.
Toivo arrived home - no firewood, no axe, his jacket was torn and he was barely alive. Well, what can you do?
But we need firewood—there’s nothing to heat the stove with.
Matti the merry fellow was going to the forest. He took an ax and a kantele, got into the sleigh and drove off. He drives, plays and sings a song.
Matti the merry fellow arrives in the forest and sees: there is a pine tree, chopped on one side, and an ax lies next to it in the snow.
“Hey, it was my brother Toivo who chopped it!”
Mattie took the sleigh aside, picked up the ax, was about to chop down a pine tree, but changed his mind: “Let me play the kantele first - the work will be more fun!” That's what he was, Matti the merry fellow!
He sat down on a tree stump and started playing. A ringing sound went through the forest. The owner bear woke up:
- Who is that ringing? Who's tickling my ears?
He crawled out of the den and saw a guy playing the kantele, a hat on the back of his head, round eyebrows, cheerful eyes, rosy cheeks—he was singing a song.
The bear wanted to rush at Mattie, but he couldn’t: his legs were just asking to dance - I couldn’t stop him!
The bear danced, hooted, and roared:
- Wow, wow, wow, wow!
Matti stopped playing the kantele. The bear took a breath and said:
- Hey, guy! Teach me to play the kantele!
“You can,” says Matti the merry fellow. “Why not teach?”
He put the kantele into the bear's paws. And the bear has thick paws, he hits the strings - oh, how badly he plays!
“No,” says Matti, “you’re not playing well!” You need to make your paws thinner.
- Do it! - the bear screams.
- Well, have it your way!
Matti took the bear to a thick spruce tree, chopped it with an ax, and inserted a wedge into the crack.
“Come on, master, put your paws in the crack and hold it until I give you permission to take it out!”
The bear put his paws into the crack, and Mattie hit the wedge with an ax! The wedge flew out and the bear's paws were pinched. The bear roared, and Matti laughed:
- Be patient, be patient, until the paws become thinner!
- I don’t want to play! - the bear roars. - Well, you and your kantele, let me go!
-Are you going to scare people? Are you going to drive me out of the forest?
- I won’t! - the bear roars. - Just let go!
Matti drove a wedge into the gap, pulled out the bear's paws and quickly climbed into the den.
“Look,” says Matti, “don’t forget your promise!” Otherwise I’ll come and remind you!
Matti chopped a sleigh full of pine wood and drove out of the forest. He rides, plays the kantele himself and sings songs.
Here he is, Matti the funny fellow!
Since then, the bear has stopped attacking people. When he hears a voice and the sound of an axe, he thinks: “Has Mattie arrived?” And he lies in his den quietly and peacefully.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru