Once upon a time there lived a very pretty young black girl. Her eyes always laughed and her legs danced. All the young people were crazy about her, as everyone told her about. She was always accompanied by a whole retinue wherever she went. The young men were even ready to quit their jobs just to admire her. And she still couldn’t decide which of them she should marry. She was a little arrogant. And she kept looking at them and taking them apart, piece by piece.
You shouldn’t scold her for this, because there were so many young people, and it was so difficult to make a choice!
And yet she preferred four of them to others. But who would be the only chosen one, she could not decide.
“Or maybe I should marry the one who works the fastest?” - she finally thought and shared this with her fans.
Well, all four were strong young men and were not afraid of difficulties. And everyone had a lot of tender words in stock for the pretty black woman.
One morning she walked to the source for water, holding a wooden tub in her hands.
One of the young men caring for her, the eldest of the four, approached her. He was a carpenter.
He knew well the girl's character and what was on her mind. And he said jokingly:
— I am a master looking for a job. Tell me, honey, where are you going?
- I'm going for water! - was the answer.
- And I'm with you! Let me help you carry the tub.
He took the tub from her hands, they reached the source, and he took a full tub of water from it. And then we went back. And, I can assure you, the lover's mouth was not shut. He said a lot of kind words to the girl and asked her to marry him.
While he was declaring his love to her, suddenly - crash! — the bottom of a wooden tub full of water crackled and was about to fall out.
The young man did not make a mistake. What do you think this resourceful carpenter did? Before the girl had time to blink an eye, he already had a suitable board in his hands. Before she had time to open her mouth, he was already cutting out a bottom suitable for a tub from this board. Before she had time to breathe, he had already inserted the bottom into the tub, as tightly as the bark sits on a tree. In a word, so quickly that not a drop of water escaped from the tub.
“You might think that I’m a master without work, but that’s what a carpenter I really am!” - he said to the girl. -Will you marry me, my joy?
- You are the best carpenter in the entire state! But I still have to think. Wait a little, then I will give the answer.
Times have changed, but the girl has not. Winter has come
It was bitterly cold. One day, the second of the young men who was caring for her was visiting the girl. He was a woodcutter.
He knew well the girl's character and what was on her mind. And he said jokingly:
- I am a lumberjack who sits idle!
He added more tender and warm words, but still their warmth was not enough to warm the room.
- Then get some wood for the stove! - said the girl. “There’s not a chip in the house.”
- With joy! I will do everything to make you feel warm and comfortable, my only one! - the young man said affectionately.
He took the ax and went out. Nearby grew a mighty tree, almost ten feet in girth. The young man checked whether the ax was sharp enough.
At this time, a thunderstorm suddenly broke out - only in the state of Mississippi in winter there are such strange thunderstorms, when thunder rumbles, lightning flashes, but there is no rain.
When the young man swung his ax for the first time, lightning flashed above. Its blinding ball rushed from the sky towards the tree that he was about to chop down.
The ax flew up, then fell down. Up, down, up, down - a thousand times faster than lightning.
Once! Once! Wow! Wow! The tree fell.
Geek! Geek! Geek! Chips flew in all directions.
And no matter what you think, before the lightning had time to strike the tree, the young woodcutter already ran into the house with a whole bundle of firewood.
“Here, my only one, I brought a lot of firewood, now we will be warm, and I can tell you how much I love you, and therefore I ask: marry me!” I may indeed be a lumberjack who sits idle, but I am the best lumberjack in the entire state of Mississippi.
“I don’t argue that you are a wonderful woodcutter, but you still need to think about marriage.” Wait a little, then I will give the answer.
But time waits for no one, not even pretty girls. Spring has arrived in Mississippi. Everything turned green and blossomed. One fine morning a girl and her third ear
We were walking in the forest. This young man was a blacksmith.
The sun was shining, the birds were singing, it was a wonderful day. The most suitable day to propose to a girl. This is what the young blacksmith did, following the example of previous young people, and asked the girl to marry him.
Needless to say, not a single beauty in all of Mississippi has probably received so many proposals!
He knew well the girl's character and what was on her mind. Just for fun, he said:
- I'm a shoemaker without boots! But marry me and you will see what I am good for!
Rabbits and turtles! He always carried a hammer, nails and horseshoes with him. While they were talking, a deer ran past.
- Honey, now I’ll show you how a shoemaker works without boots. Why am I not a blacksmith?
He caught up with the deer, took out a hammer, nails and a horseshoe... One, two, and done! The deer was shod on the fly. Having finished his work, the young man exclaimed:
“You see, my love, what a worker I am!” Now will you decide to marry me without delay, just as I did not hesitate when chasing a deer?
“You’re a wonderful blacksmith, you couldn’t find a better one.” But we still need to think about marriage,” the girl said. - There is no need to rush here, as in chasing a mule or a deer. Wait a little, then I will give the answer.
Summer has passed, autumn has come. One day the girl met the fourth of her admirers, a barber.
“My beauty,” he exclaimed, “I’m an unemployed barber!” But I love you and will make you happy.
And he told her everything that young people in love say in such cases.
Suddenly a fluffy rabbit with long ears jumped out of the bushes.
“My beauty,” exclaimed the young man, “I’ll show you how an unemployed barber shaves!”
He pulled out a razor, soap and water, which always
strength with him, and before the rabbit had time to cross the green lawn, his muzzle was already shaved. And even behind the ears.
- You see! Now will you marry me?
“You are a wonderful barber, but what a husband... You still need to think about this.” Give me time, then I will answer.
And the dear girl thought and thought. I thought and thought...
She thought for so long that we didn’t have the patience to wait to find out who would be her groom. We can only guess. And you too. And when you guess who, tell me!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru