Once a farm laborer was herding horses and a pitchfork by the lake. The devil crawled out of the lake and asked:
- What do you need ropes for?
“I want to dump mountains into the lake,” the farmhand answers.
- Don't do this! - the devil begged. - Where will I live then? Here's a whole lot of money for you, just don't do it!
Okay, the farm laborer took the money and promised the devil not to touch the mountains.
“Come on,” says the devil, “let’s try to see who can throw the highest.”
OK. The devil took a big, big hammer from the bottom of the lake and threw it so high that it was almost invisible.
Now it’s the farmhand’s turn to throw in the towel. But the farmhand knows: he can’t lift the hammer. And he decided to cheat: he grabbed the hammer, looked up and shouted:
- Hey, there in the sky! Open the window so I can throw the hammer at you! The devil heard this and rushed to the farmhand:
- Don’t throw it, don’t throw it! - asks. - This is the property of my grandfathers and great-grandfathers! The farmhand laughed and let go of the hammer handle.
“Come on,” says the devil, “we’d better fight.” The farmhand agreed, but added:
- Why should we fight? You still can't beat me. You better go and compete with my older brother. Maybe you can handle it.
- That's right, that's right! - the devil shouted.
The farmhand showed him the bear that was sleeping in the swamp under a bush. This is the older brother. The devil began to fight with the bear, and the bear almost broke all his bones. But the devil is not enough.
“Come on,” he says, “let’s run a race.”
- Why should I run away with you? - the farmhand answers. “You still can’t outrun me.” You better run with my little brother!
- That's right, that's right! - the devil shouted.
The farmhand showed the devil the hare that was sleeping on the hummock.
The devil and the hare ran in a race. I didn’t have time to look back - the hare was already much ahead, where was the line to catch him! But the devil still doesn’t have enough: he calls the farm laborer for a walk along the shore of the lake. They walked and walked and saw two harrows lying down.
- What is this? - asks the devil.
“And these are my father’s combs,” the farmhand answers, “that’s right, he forgot them here this morning.”
- Oh, and your father’s combs are great! - The devil was surprised and stuck harrows in his hair: one on the right side, the other on the left.
They go further and see: two boats off the shore.
- What is this? - asks the devil.
- My father's pastalas. This morning he was plowing here and put them in the water to soften them.
- Oh, and your father’s pastals are great! - The devil was surprised and put his right leg into one boat, his left leg into the other.
They walked a little, and suddenly thunder struck. The devil's soul sank from fear, and the farmhand reassures him:
- There’s no need to be scared in vain! It was my father who called the neighbors to the cleanup, but the neighbor’s mare’s foal always lags behind, so she calls him.
The devil perked up. Then the thunder rumbled again, the devil completely curled up into a ball, and the farm laborer kept calming him down:
- Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid! This is a mare. Thunder struck for the third time and the devil was struck by lightning and killed. The farmhand returned home happy: he had outwitted the devil!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru