One evening, my father-in-law and son-in-law were sitting outside the house, enjoying the evening coolness. When it got dark, the father-in-law rose from his seat and said:
- Listen, son-in-law, isn’t it time for us to sleep? It’s so dark that even if you had four eyes, you wouldn’t see anything.
The son-in-law blushed with insult, since he was blind in one eye, but remained silent.
The next evening, while the father-in-law and son-in-law were sitting outside the house talking, the moon rose in the sky. Son-in-law said:
- It's time to sleep. The moon shines like a bald head. Isn't it harmful for us to sit here?
The father-in-law was offended because he was bald. He silently went home, without even wishing his son-in-law good night. The son-in-law also went to bed.
Three days later, the father-in-law complained to the six village elders:
— My brother-in-law insulted me.
The elders sent for their son-in-law, and when he arrived, the father-in-law said:
— My son-in-law and I were sitting near the house in the evening. The moon rose in the sky. He didn't just tell me, "Let's go to bed." But instead he said these words that were offensive to me: “The moon shines like a bald head. It's time to sleep, father-in-law. Isn’t it harmful for us to sit here?” He insulted me and is no longer my friend. I'm bald. And he said: “It shines like a bald head.” Isn't this an insult? Therefore, I break off my friendship with him.
Then the son-in-law said:
“I wouldn’t have said that if my father-in-law hadn’t insulted me first.” One day, when it got dark, we were sitting near the house, talking. My father-in-law told me: “Well, let's go to bed. It’s already so dark that even if you had four eyes, you wouldn’t see anything.” I'm blind in one eye. Do you think he insulted me?
The elders confirmed:
- You're right, he insulted you.
And they turned to their father-in-law with these words:
- Why did you offend your son-in-law? By saying that the moon shines like a bald head, he simply returned the insult to you. Your son-in-law was blind in one eye even when you gave your daughter for him. They say if you buy something, don't speak badly about it. Knowing that your son-in-law is blind in one eye, you still hinted to him about it, and if he repaid you in the same coin, can this be considered an insult?
And the elders ended their speech like this:
- Father-in-law and son-in-law, make peace. You, father-in-law, have no son. Son-in-law is your son. You were the first to insult him, he only responded to you. Be friends. Get rid of evil thoughts from your head. There is no need to quarrel with each other over trifles. Bring me some rum, let's have a drink. And let's leave it at that.
The father-in-law and son-in-law drank. And they became friends, as before.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru