In the old days there lived a merchant man. He had a son. One day a merchant was getting ready to go to the city to the market. The son asked his father to buy a gold knife for him. The father promised to fulfill his son's request. A merchant came to the city, found the best craftsman and ordered him to make a golden knife. Soon the knife was ready. The merchant took it, completed all his trading affairs and went home. On the way, he was attacked by forty robbers. They killed the merchant and took his property. And when they began to divide everything among themselves, there was an argument over a knife. Everyone liked the knife, and no one wanted to give it to another. They argued for a long time, and finally one of the robbers said:
“We shouldn’t quarrel over some knife, because they can track us down.” Let's leave it in the chest of the dead.
Everyone agreed to this willingly. They plunged a golden knife into the chest of the murdered merchant and went home.
The sad news reached my son. He immediately went in search and after a while found his father. He pulled the knife out of his father's chest and buried his corpse.
Two years later, the merchant’s son became poor and began to farm. At this time, the governor of the khan arrived in the village. He once knew the deceased merchant. And now he decided to visit his friend and inquire about his health. In the village they said that the merchant died two years ago, and his son lives very poorly and is engaged in arable farming. The guest wished to see his friend’s son and went to see him. He warmly received the governor, stabbed the bard and ran away for a long time.
sat with him. The next morning the guest began to get ready to go home. The merchant's son remembered the golden knife and said to the guest:
- I have a golden knife. I want to give it to you in memory of my father.
And he took out a knife. The guest examined the knife carefully and said:
“I’ll tell you three pieces of advice: firstly, never tell your secrets to your wife; secondly, never argue with anyone; thirdly, don’t show this knife to anyone.
The merchant's son promised to remember these tips and follow them exactly.
The guest has left. The merchant's son went to the melon field to see how the watermelons grew. He saw a lot of watermelons. There were two watermelons on each stem, which according to popular belief was considered a bad omen. To prevent trouble, it is necessary, according to custom, to sacrifice a ram and treat its meat to the neighbors.
The merchant's son returned with the melon, told everything to his wife and got ready to go to the market to buy the ram. But his wife stopped him:
- Don’t rush to the market, you’ll have time!..
The wife had known one person for a long time. She met with him secretly from her husband. And now she told him everything about the watermelons and that her husband was going to the market to buy a lamb.
“When your husband appears at the market,” she said, “you ask him why he came?” And when he tells you everything, you tell him: “Can such a person have watermelons growing in pairs?” Then he will answer you: if his watermelons grew in pairs, then you will give him your wife. And you say to this: if not in pairs, then you will give in to your wife.
After such an agreement, the lover went to the market. There he met a merchant's son and asked him why he came to the market?
“I want to buy a ram,” said the merchant’s son,
- Why do you need a ram?
“I have grown watermelons in pairs, and I want to sacrifice a ram and treat my neighbors,” said the merchant’s son.
- Can such a person grow watermelons in pairs? - Surprised? lover.
“Let’s go see,” said the merchant’s son. “If my watermelons are born in pairs, then you give me your wife, and if not, then I will give you mine.”
He agreed, and they went to the melon planting. And when they arrived, they saw only one watermelon on each stem. And the merchant's son had to give up his wife. The wife, of course, was very pleased. It was she who cut one watermelon from the stems.
The merchant's son began to live even worse. He remembered his father's friend and went to him for advice. He came and told about all his wife’s tricks and about his misfortune. He advised to forcefully bring his wife into the house and file a complaint with the khan.
“Khan will send you to me, and I’ll figure out how to do it better,” he said.
This is what the merchant son did: he brought his wife to the village and filed a complaint with the khan. The complaint reached the governor who gave him advice and instructions.
The governor said:
“I will stick a stake, and whichever of you runs to the stake first and pulls it out, the woman will belong to him.”
And he told the merchant’s son to lag behind a little, and when his opponent runs up to the stake, let him hug his wife.
And so it happened: to resolve the dispute, both husbands appeared before the judge - the governor. The judge stuck a stake and ordered the disputants to run in a race. When one grabbed the stake and the other grabbed the woman, the judge shouted:
- Whoever grabbed what, let him own it! The merchant's son had to take a wife, and his rival - a stick.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru