Once upon a time there lived a man named Quoy, a great rogue and deceiver. Once he even managed to fool the district foreman himself and lure ten silver coins out of him. He stuffed these coins into the tattered lining of his old robe and slowly went to the market.
[District foreman is the head of the district. ]
Kuoi stopped near a row where copper cauldrons and frying pans, gongs and drums were sold. He sees an old and sedate district foreman standing nearby and selecting goods. Quoi pushed his way through the crowd closer to the important official and asked to see a small gong. He asked the price, bargained for show, and then calmly took off his tattered robe, shook it - there was a clink of silver, shook it again - and two silver coins rolled on the ground. Quoi bent down, picked up the coins and handed them to the merchant.
The people surrounding Kuoi stare in amazement, but the sly man doesn’t even care about them, he’s already asking the price of a copper pot. He made a deal, took off his robe again, shook it - a ringing sound was heard, and again five silver coins rolled along the ground, one after another.
The district foreman could not contain his curiosity and asked Kuoy:
- Tell me, my dear, what kind of robe do you have? It seems to be old and tattered, but when you shake it, coins start pouring out of it. Miracles!
“Oh, this extraordinary robe was sent down to me by God Theng,” answered the sly man. “The all-merciful One found out that I was poor and had nothing to buy me either a copper gong or a pot, so he took pity on me and gave me a wonderful robe.” I’ll shake him, and money will start pouring out of all the holes. God Then only warned me that I shouldn’t be greedy, otherwise the robe would lose its magical power.
When the district foreman heard that money flowed out of the magic robe by itself, he was overcome by greed and wanted to become the owner of this robe.
“Won’t you sell me your robe, my dear?” – he asks in an insinuating voice. “I’ll give you a good price.” You will have a lot of money and you will buy everything you want.
But Quoy flatly refused.
“Let’s exchange clothes then: I’ll give you my brocade dress, and you’ll give me my robe,” suggested the district foreman.
Quoi refused again:
“Your attire, venerable sergeant major, is very rich.” But he is still far from my torn robe. After all, thanks to the robe, I don’t even need to carry money with me. If I want, I’ll buy buffaloes, if I want, I’ll buy horses. Whatever your heart desires. No, there is no benefit to changing my robe.
The foreman frowned and decided to threaten the poor man:
“If you don’t change, look, I’ll put you in prison!” To his surprise, Quoi didn't even think about being scared.
“For me, it’s better to serve time in prison than to lose an extraordinary robe,” he answers calmly.
The district foreman realized that Kuoi could not be frightened, and again began to persuade and persuade him:
“Listen, buddy, don’t you have the least bit of respect for my rank?” In a good way, I ask: let’s change. And in addition I will give you a handful of silver coins and a goat. Here it is, a goat, I just bought it.
Quoi looked at the handful of silver, glanced at the bearded goat and pretended to be thoughtful.
“It’s only out of respect for you, venerable foreman, that I decide to make such an exchange,” he finally said. “Indeed, who would have previously given a new richly embroidered dress and a goat to boot for a torn robe?.. But this robe was granted to me by the god Then!” Therefore, look for yourself, sir, if you have any misunderstanding with your robe, don’t hold it against me. It is only on this condition that I change, sir.
The greedy foreman agreed to everything, and immediately, in front of all the honest people, he gave Kuoi his torn robe for the rich dress of an official and took a goat in addition.
The district foreman, having finally received the coveted robe, was incredibly happy: he was already admiring the rags, and stroking them, and pressing them to his chest! Then he threw it over his shoulders and walked importantly through the shopping aisles in search of a suitable product. “From now on, I am the richest man in the world!” - his lips whispered.
In the cavalry line the district foreman stopped. He didn’t bother asking about the price for each horse separately; he asked how much they wanted for the entire herd. And he didn’t bargain. He took the torn robe off his shoulders and, like Quoy, shook it once, twice, and three times. Two silver coins fell out, but in vain he shook the rags - neither the silver clinked, nor the coins fell, only clouds of dust rose around the foreman...
The district foreman was taken aback, turned white as chalk, and broke out in a cold sweat. And the people around are laughing, pointing at him:
- No other way, the man is crazy! Run here quickly, look at this fool!..
Then the district foreman realized what treasure he had given his dress and goat for. The foreman ran, spurred on by everyone's laughter, reached his horse, jumped into the saddle and took off running, away from shame.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru