Once upon a time there lived a poor man who had neither land nor house, but only one skinny old donkey. A poor man once heard that there is a country on earth where there are no donkeys, where no one has ever seen a donkey.
“I’ll take my donkey there,” thought the poor man. “Maybe someone there will buy it from me.”
The poor man sat on his donkey and went to look for that country. He crossed mountains, crossed valleys, traveled around many lakes, and finally found a country where no one had ever seen a donkey. Already at the entrance to the city, residents came running from all sides to look at the strange beast. Suddenly the donkey screamed, as he usually screams. The piercing cry of the donkey frightened the residents, and they fled. But the donkey, having shouted, fell silent and stood still. This calmed people down. They approached the donkey and asked its owner:
- What kind of miracle is this?
“This is the conqueror of the world,” answered the poor man, smiling slyly. Among those gathered were those close to the padishah.
“If this is the conqueror of the world, we must quickly inform the padishah about him.” “Lest it fall into other hands,” the courtiers reasoned.
They took the poor man and the donkey to the padishah. From the balcony of his palace, the padishah looked at the unprecedented beast. Then the donkey raised his head and screamed again. It seemed to the padishah that the walls of the palace began to tremble. The horses in the yard were frightened by the piercing cry of the donkey, broke free of their leash and ran. There was a commotion. The courtiers collided with each other, in their haste they got stuck in doors and gates.
The padishah observed all this commotion, and he was struck by the sight of a calmly standing donkey. The padishah was delighted with him.
- Yes, what a find! Hey, old man, would you sell me the conqueror of the world?” he asked the poor man.
- Well, I can sell it.
- How much will you take?
- As much gold and silver as it weighs.
- Buy it, sir! He will conquer any country for you and will recoup his cost a hundred times! - the Wazirs advised the padishah.
The padishah ordered to buy a donkey, and the poor man was given as much silver and gold as the donkey weighed. The courtiers began to ask the donkey's owner how to care for the world conqueror and what to feed him.
- Put him in a good, clean stable with smooth whitewashed walls. Make a tall manger and fill it with chopped straw and barley with raisins. And the conqueror of the world must be given water from a bucket right in the stable. When the padishah decides to fight, take the conqueror of the world out of the stable and send him towards the enemy. Then you will see what will happen,” said the poor man. Having received gold and silver, the poor man bought two horses and all sorts of goods instead of a donkey. He put the gold and silver into khurjins, threw them over the saddles of the horses and went to his homeland. The rumor that the padishah had bought the conqueror of the world quickly spread to neighboring countries. All the neighboring padishahs learned that the conqueror of the world was being fattened up and would soon be allowed to conquer foreign countries. One of the padishahs thought: “We need to act before the conqueror is fattened.” One night he gathered his entire army, and the soldiers surrounded the city of the padishah who had bought the conqueror of the world. This city was located on a high hill. In the morning, the residents saw that they were surrounded by countless enemy troops. Having learned about the siege, the padishah ordered the conqueror of the world to be taken out of the stable and launched at the enemy. All this time the donkey was not allowed out of the stable. They fed him only raisins and barley, mixing them with finely chopped straw. They watered him from a bucket right there in the stall. The donkey was so overfed and so fat that he could not get through the stable door. We had to break through the wall to get him out. The padishah's servants brought the world conqueror to the city gates. Then they took the bridle off the donkey and, opening the gate, set him free. The donkey, standing in a closed stable, missed the free space of the meadows. The fresh air intoxicated him. Excited, he began to rush around the field from side to side. Then he threw himself on the ground and began to lie around, rolling from side to side and kicking his legs. Dust rose up like a cloud around the donkey and hid him from view. The donkey's tricks terrified the padishah of the enemy army. No one dared to move against the conqueror of the world. And when, having had his fill, the donkey jumped up and saw crowds of people and horses, he thought that it was a herd with shepherds on a free pasture. Anticipating the pleasure of tasting fresh grass, the donkey raised its muzzle to the sky and screamed shrilly several times in a row. Then, raising his ears, he galloped straight towards the enemy army. Horror gripped the enemies, and they turned back, fleeing from the terrible conqueror of the world. The fame of the extraordinary winner spread throughout all countries. None of the neighboring padishahs dared to attack the powerful owner of the donkey anymore. The grateful padishah ordered to feed the conqueror of the world even better. Every day they added more barley and sultanas to him. The donkey swelled up so much that it became completely round, like a ball. Finally, he overate himself and burst.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru