There lived in one parish a poor man, Husman, and he had an only son, so sick and frail that he could not do any work. Moreover, he was not tall enough, and therefore the people called him Veslefrik, which means “Little Freak” in Norwegian.
It was cold and hungry in the poor man’s house. So Husman decided to give his son to someone as a shepherd or farm laborer. But no matter what estate they came to, they had no luck anywhere.
“What good do we need such a runt,” said the owners. “He’s of no use, he’ll only waste bread!”
There was nothing to do, the poor man had to go with his son to the estate of the Lensman himself. And that Lensman was a scumbag, the likes of which the world had never seen, and therefore no one wanted to hire him as a worker.
The Lensman looked at Veslefrik and said:
“Even though you look ugly, oh well, I’ll take you.” I just sent my servant away yesterday. The little guy has become too gluttonous. I made it a habit to eat porridge three times a day. You will only serve me for food. And don’t stutter about money or clothes.
“Well,” thought the poor man Husman. - It's better than nothing. At least the boy will be full, and that’s okay.
So Veslefrik remained in the service of the Lensman. He lived with him for three years. The Lensman kept him from hand to mouth, forced him to work for three people, and did not give him any clothes. And during this time the boy’s dress was completely torn. And when the time came for Weslefrik to leave the Lensman, he forked out three shillings. Gave him a shilling a year for his diligent service. Even though it was not a lot of money, only Veslefrik was happy about it: after all, he had never held a coin in his hands in his entire life.
“I would like some more clothes,” he asked the owner. “Three years ago I was so worn out that I was wearing nothing but rags.”
“We didn’t have an agreement about this,” the Lensman answers him. “I already gave you three shillings over the allotted amount.” And if you feel like dressing up, go to the city and buy yourself a dress to wear.
Weslefrik put a loaf of bread in his knapsack, clutched three shillings in his fist and set off. So he walks along the road cheerful, joyful, and every now and then he stops to see if the money is intact, if he has accidentally dropped one coin.
The road led him to a narrow gorge. On both sides there are mountains like a wall, high and rocky. Weslefrik wanted to see what land lay beyond these mountains. He found a narrow path on a steep slope and began to climb up it. He was in poor health and quickly tired. He sat down on a mossy stone to rest and began to count his shillings. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge and scary beggar appeared in front of him. Veslefrik got scared, screamed in fear, and the beggar said to him:
- Don't be afraid of me. I won't harm you. I walk around the area begging for alms. Give me one shilling of your money.
“Well, I only have three of them,” Veslefrik answers. “I wanted to buy clothes for myself in the city with them.”
“It turns out that you are better off than me,” says the beggar. “You have three shillings and I have none.” And my rags will be even cleaner than yours.
Weslefrik felt sorry for the old beggar.
“Okay,” he says, “take one shilling.”
Veslefrik went further. Soon he was tired again; and sat down on a stone to rest. And then another beggar grew up in front of him, even larger and more terrible than the first. Veslefrik was scared to death and screamed in fear in a voice that was not his own. And the beggar says to him:
- Don't be afraid of me; I won't harm you. I am a beggar and walk around asking for alms. Give me one shilling too.
“Well, I only have two shillings left,” answers Weslefrik. “I wanted to buy clothes for myself in the city with them.” If only you had met me earlier!
“So you are better off than me,” says the beggar. “You have two shillings, and I have none; and my clothes are much worse than yours.
Weslefrik felt sorry for the beggar.
“Okay, take it,” he says.
And the boy went further. And the sun had already risen high in the sky. The heat bothers Weslefrik, sweat flows from him like hail. And he decided to sit down on a stone, have a snack and rest. Suddenly the giant beggar appeared in front of him again, even larger and more terrible than the first two.
Veslefrik was so frightened that he lost his voice from fear. He can't even scream. And the beggar says to him:
- Don’t be afraid of me, little one. I'm a beggar, I walk around begging for alms. Give me at least one shilling.
“Well, I only have one left,” Weslefrik answers. “I wanted to buy clothes for myself in the city with it.” Now, if only you had met me earlier, then the matter would be different!
“It turns out you’re better off than me,” says the beggar. “I don’t have any money at all, and I also have nothing to wear.”
Veslefrik took pity on the old beggar and gave him the last coin.
And the beggar was a wizard. It was he who appeared to Weslefric three times in different guises and took all three shillings from him.
“I see that you have a good heart,” said the wizard to Weslefric. “You were the last to share with me, and for that I will reward you.” For the three shillings you gave me, I will grant you three wishes. Say what you want.
Veslefrik thought for a while and said:
“From a young age, I loved listening to musicians play at weddings in our parish. I love to see people dancing and having fun to the music. And I would like a violin to which both old and young will dance against their will.
“You will have such a violin,” the wizard answers him. “It’s just a painfully simple desire.” Tell me what else you would like, but make sure you don’t make a mistake this time.
Veslefrik thought again and said:
“I love going into the forest to hunt and kill animals with a gun. I would like to have a gun that would hit the target without missing a beat, even if it were at the end of the world.
“Well, you will have such a gun,” the wizard answers. - Only this desire is not God knows what a tricky one.
Make a wish for the latter, but clear your mind first.
Veslefrik thought for a long time, and then said:
— I love living in friendship with kind, generous people. And I want people to never refuse me anything, no matter what I ask them.
“This is a good wish,” the wizard answers. - Okay, have it your way!
The wizard said so and disappeared from sight. And Veslefrik stretched out on the grass and fell into a deep sleep. The next morning he woke up and saw: a gun and a violin were lying next to him. He threw the gun over his shoulder, took the violin under his arm and walked away. He descended from the mountains into the valley, went to the peddler and asked him for new clothes, and then turned into a peasant’s yard and asked for a horse and cart. And nowhere was he denied anything. Veslefrik dressed himself in a new dress, got into the cart and drove home.
Not far from his native village, he met a Len-sman, with whom he worked as a laborer for three years. Veslefrik reined in his horse, bowed to the Lensman and said:
- Hello, master!
- Great! - answers the Lensman. - Just when was I your master?
“And remember how I worked as a laborer for you for three years.” You fed me from hand to mouth, gave me no clothing, and paid me only three shillings for my diligent service.
- Look how important you have become! - the Lensman is surprised. “How did this please you so much?”
- It’s really fun! - Weslefrik answers.
“Your life is fun, as I can see.” You drive around with a violin!
- Yes, I love people dancing to the violin and having fun. And I also have a gun that hits the target without missing a beat. Do you want to bet that I’ll shoot that magpie on that pine tree?
- Is it on that pine tree that grows at the other end of the street? - the Lensman burst out laughing. - Well, no, you won’t be able to get that magpie out of a gun! I’ll bet the horse, the estate, and a hundred dalers in addition, that you won’t shoot her.
Then Veslefrik took aim, fired, and the magpie fell from the branch like a stone. The squalid Lensman became sad, but there was nothing to do, he had to pay. And Veslefrik says to him:
- Would you like me to play the violin for you, so that it won’t be so hard for you to part with your property?
And Veslefrik began to play on his violin, and the Lensman began to dance, and stomp, and throw out all sorts of knees! The Lensman dances for an hour, then dances for another, completely exhausted, but cannot stop. His shoes fell apart, his dress was torn, his rags were still hanging.
“That’s how I was exhausted; “And the rags hung on me the same way when I served as your farmhand,” says Veslefrik. “Well, oh well.” It will be from you. Give me what you lost here and get out of here.
Veslefrik took all his money from the Lensman and continued on his way. He arrived in his parish, built himself a new house and lived happily ever after with his old father. Every day Veslefrik played at weddings and holidays, and the people had fun and danced to his violin. And everyone loved the violinist Veslefrik for this. And no matter what he asked from anyone, he was never refused anything. Only he himself, out of his kindness, never refused people anything. And the Lensman hated Veslefrik with a fierce hatred and planned to exterminate him from the world. He came to the judge and filed a complaint that Veslefrik had robbed him and almost took his life. The judge became angry and ordered Weslefrik to be hanged immediately. The guards came for him to lead him to the gallows. And Veslefrik, don’t be simple - grab your magic violin and let’s play! Here the guards began to dance. They danced and danced until they fell to the ground dead. Then the judge sent another soldier to help. But it didn’t work out any better with them either. Veslefrik pulled out a violin and just ran the bow along the strings - like soldiers, well, dance, and stomp, and throw out all sorts of knees! And Veslefrik played the violin until his hand was tired. Only the soldiers were exhausted even before him and fell to the ground, barely alive.
Then they decided to take him by deception. They crept up on him at night while he was sleeping, tied his hands and dragged him to prison.
And the next morning they led the fiddler Veslefrik to the gallows. When people heard that he was in trouble, they came running to the square from all over the area and began shouting for Veslefrik to be released. One Lensman rejoiced that his enemy was now hanging on the gallows.
Only things didn’t go as quickly as the villainous Lensman wanted. Veslefrik was frail and weak, but here he pretended to be completely weak - he was barely walking. And when they brought him to the gallows and told him to climb up, he sat down to rest on each step. So he climbed the last step, turned to the judge and said:
- Allow me, Your Grace, to play the violin for the last time before my death.
And the Lensman will shout:
- Don't let him play, there will be trouble!
The judge wanted to refuse Veslefrik, but the people in the square began to make noise:
“Shame and disgrace for a person to refuse his last request before death!”
The judge had to allow it, and they brought Weslefrik his violin. And the Lensman began to tearfully beg to be firmly tied to the birch tree when Veslefrik began to play his violin. Veslefrik began to play his violin, and everyone who was in the square began to dance. And the judge danced, and the executioner danced, and the bishop danced, and the clerk danced, and the guard danced. Cats and dogs danced, cows and pigs danced. Everyone danced until they were exhausted and fell down dead. And the Lensman got it worst of all - he skinned his entire back on a birch trunk.
Veslefrik took his violin and went home. And from that time on, no one tried to harm him, and he lived in peace and contentment until the end of his days.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru