Once upon a time there lived a rich peasant, his name was Peteris. He had a farm laborer, also Peteris. To avoid confusion, people called the owner big Peteris, and the farmhand little Peteris. The farmhand has served his master faithfully for ten years now, but has not yet received a half-ruble.
Little Peteris took the owner to court for this. The court could not reconcile them, so the case moved to another court, then even higher, until it reached the king himself. And so the king appointed a day when both the owner and the farmhand should appear before his court.
On the appointed day, early in the morning, both Peteris set off for the capital. They walked a little, and little Peteris saw an ant on the road. He was about to step on the ant, but it begged:
- Have pity on me, don’t push me. I will thank you for this.
Little Peteris felt sorry for the ant and moved on. They walked several miles and saw that a bee had fallen into the water, was completely choking, and was asking passers-by to be pulled out.
The owner didn’t even look at her, but the farmhand came up and pulled the bee out of the water. The bee thanked little Peteris from the bottom of her heart and promised to help in trouble.
It's noon. Big Peteris sat down on the side of the road and began to eat. Little Peteris was also hungry, but he had nothing to eat. Suddenly he saw a dove on a tree. I took a stick and wanted to kill him. But the dove began to beg for mercy so pitifully that little Peteris took pity on him. The owner had eaten, and they both went further until they came to the king.
The king immediately called them to him and ordered them to tell him their complaints. The owner saw that, perhaps, the farm laborer would win the case, and he told little Peteris that he had boasted of threshing all the grain in the royal barn in no time.
The king believed big Peteris and ordered the farmhand to be taken to the barn, where there was a lot of bread, and the doors to be closed: let him thresh for himself. Little Peteris was sad and didn’t know how to help his grief. Suddenly the same ant that Peteris felt sorry for crawled up to him and asked why he was sad.
“There’s no reason for me to be cheerful,” answers little Peteris, “the king ordered me to thresh all this grain.” If I don’t fulfill the royal will, bad luck will come to me.
“Don’t be sad,” says the ant, “I will help you.” Go to bed peacefully and don’t think about anything!
Little Peteris listened to him and went to bed. While he was sleeping, many ants came running into the barn. They picked out all the grain from the ears and poured it into bags, and dragged the straw and chaff into the barn. Little Peteris woke up and looked: everything had already been done.
The king was very surprised to learn about this. But big Peteris again told the king about the farmhand that he had boasted of building a wax bridge across the river, such that the royal carriage could pass over it.
The king believed his master and ordered little Peteris to build a bridge by noon, otherwise he would not blow his head off.
Little Peteris became sad, came to the river bank and did not know how to help his grief. But then a bee flew to him, the same one that he pulled out of the water, and asked why he was sad.
“There’s no reason for me to be cheerful,” answers little Peteris. “The king strictly ordered me to build a wax bridge across this river before noon, otherwise he would not blow my head off.”
“Don’t be sad,” the bee says to Peteris. - I'll help you. Go to bed quietly and don’t think about anything.
Little Peteris listened to her and lay down, but he couldn’t fall asleep - he was really hungry. Suddenly a dove flies up to him and asks why he is sad.
“I’m very hungry,” Peteris answers.
“Wait a little,” said the dove and flew away somewhere.
He soon returned and brought a lot of delicious food and drink.
Peteris ate and drank, cheered up a little, and then lay down and fell soundly asleep. And when I woke up, the wax bridge across the river was already ready.
Then the king came, he couldn’t be surprised at the wonderful bridge, he couldn’t be happier. He praised little Peteris for his skill and ordered him to be generously rewarded. And the king ordered big Peteris to pay the farmhand for all the years. He ordered his servants to give the deceiver a good beating.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru