I myself don’t know where the hare got two gold coins, but the fairy tale says that one autumn the hare went to the fair. He had been thinking for a long time that it would be nice for him to get himself a white hat with a peacock feather and a green jacket... But it was too early to even dream about it: after all, he still had nothing on his legs.
And the autumn rain was falling, and the cold began to grip my feet. Therefore, the hare pulled his old hat down onto his forehead, pulled his zip tight around him and walked faster in order to quickly get to the fair and buy some shoes there.
So he walked and walked, looking first to the right, then to the left and raising his ears at every rustle. And just towards evening I met a greyhound dog on the path.
This dog was fat and strong. She was dressed in a warm fur coat, and on her feet were boots - brand new. The hare greeted the greyhound dog, and they walked together through the forest.
They walked, but the hare never took his eyes off the dog’s boots: they were very beautiful, and besides, the hare’s feet were getting colder and colder.
— Tell me, please, how much did you pay for the boots? - asked the hare timidly.
“Two gold,” the greyhound answered proudly.
- So I’m going to the fair to buy some boots.
- Yes, I’m going there too. You can find as many boots as you want there. There would be money.
“I have two gold ones,” whispered the bunny. The greyhound dog did not say anything, but began to twirl its whiskers with such an independent look, as if it was not at all interested in whether the bunny had money or not.
They walked like this until it got completely dark. Even the road was no longer visible, and then cold rain poured down on them from above, so much so that the poor bunny’s teeth began to chatter from the cold.
“Listen, godfather, to what I tell you,” said the dog. “I see you’re barefoot... but it’s night and cold... and besides, you have money with you.” Me too. Who knows who you will meet, and the forest is sure to be full of robbers.
The hare pulled his jacket tighter around himself in order to better feel the money lying in his pocket.
- What should we do? he asked.
- Why is there a tavern in the world? To shelter in case of need. There is a bear tavern nearby. Let's go to Grandfather Martyn, get some sleep, and tomorrow morning we'll move on. Maybe the rain will stop by then.
The bunny agreed, and he and the greyhound hurried to the tavern. Grandfather Martyn received them very cordially.
- What a weather! - he muttered, shaking the ashes from his pipe. “You can’t turn the dog out into the street... And you also have no shoes on... Go to the fire, warm your feet.” The hare approached the hearth, and he was trembling all over.
“Ask me for something to eat and drink,” the greyhound said quietly.
- You ask, godfather. I'm not hungry. Besides, I don't have any change. And if I exchange gold, I’ll remain barefoot for the whole winter.
- What an eccentric you are, godfather! Who's asking you to change gold? I have enough money to pay, but I won’t be flattered by such a poor man as you.
And, turning to grandfather Martyn, the greyhound said:
- Hey, Grandfather Martyn, what will you give us to eat?
- Here are the pies.
- I would try them! - the greyhound licked its lips.
- There is roast, honeycomb, grape wine.
“Give us everything, godfather: we are so hungry that it’s even dark in our eyes,” said the greyhound.
Then Grandfather Martyn tied up his apron, just like a real innkeeper, and began to carry the food. The greyhound kept swallowing piece after piece. But the bunny was shy and barely tasted the cabbage pie. Perhaps he would not have tasted anything at all if the greyhound had not ordered him:
- Eat, godfather, this is for you!
You would have thought that the greyhound had not eaten for a whole month: it worked so quickly with its jaws and moved its tongue. While grandfather Martyn was smoking his pipe, all the food was eaten. Finally, the greyhound asked for a mug of grape wine, which she drank in one gulp. The bunny was surprised! Grandfather Martin was also surprised.
- Yes, I have never seen a hungrier traveler than you. Let this do you good. And now here’s what: friendship is friendship, but tobacco is separate, as they say. We ate and drank enough for two gold coins.
The greyhound began to search through his pockets. She searched for the fur coat, she also searched for the trousers, but there was no money. Here she is, laughing, and says to the hare:
- Pay up, godfather!
- How do you pay? Is this what we agreed on?
- Pay! I forgot my wallet at home. I'll give it to you at the fair. I'll borrow it from a merchant I know.
- I won’t pay... Because then I’ll remain barefoot. Here the greyhound began to laugh with all his might. Grandfather Martin also lost his temper.
- No, it won’t work like that with me! - he shouted. - Pay up, otherwise I will find justice for you!
“He called me to the tavern, he invited me to the table,” said the greyhound, rolling with laughter, “let him pay!”
- All this is not true, Grandfather Martyn! Winter is at the gates, and if I cry, I will remain barefoot.
- Shouldn’t I warm up all the tramps in the world? Now I understand what kind of people you are! We agreed among ourselves how to guide me! - And grandfather Martyn grabbed the stick that he hid behind the door for such guests. Then the greyhound shows him the hare. The hare trembled with fear. Willy-nilly, he took a handkerchief from his pocket, in which two gold pieces were wrapped, and gave them to the bear. The greyhound will burst out laughing! And then she went to bed and started snoring.
Grandfather Martyn also went to his room. Only the bunny couldn't sleep. You could hear the wind whistling fiercely outside the window and the rain pounding on the glass. The bunny cried quietly. And how did he allow the greyhound to play such a joke on him? Just think that winter is about to come, snowstorms and drifts will begin, it will become even colder, and he will walk barefoot. The bunny didn't sleep until midnight. He kept thinking about what he should do. And so
It occurred to him to wake up the greyhound and demand payment.
He entered the room where she was sleeping, and the first thing he saw were the boots of a greyhound dog that were standing by the stove. The bunny didn’t think any more; He put on the greyhound dog's boots and quietly left the inn.
“I only acted fairly,” thought the bunny, running away into the forest.
This morning the greyhound dog woke up and wanted to put on his shoes. Here and there, but the boots are not visible. Grandfather Martyn just shrugged his shoulders. The greyhound dog no longer lingered in the tavern, but ran to look for his boots. There were footprints from boots in the dirt. So the greyhound dog ran along these tracks. At first it was very difficult for her to run, since she was fat and could barely move, but little by little from this running she began to lose weight.
I can’t say whether she caught the bunny or not, but I know that from the moment a greyhound sees a bunny, she will rush after it as fast as she can!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru