There lived two brothers. They only had one team of oxen. When they shared, they decided: We will not share the bulls, one bull is of no use to either one. Let's leave them together. When the time comes to plow or turn the mill, we’ll take turns using it. That's what we decided.
Spring came, the elder brother took the bulls to plow his land. He plows, sows his land, and the younger one sits with folded hands and waits for his turn to come and his brother to give him the bulls. Time passes, he is late with sowing, but his brother does not even think about giving up the bulls. And no. He has so much plowing, it seems like it’s time to get it done long ago, but no - he keeps dragging on, holding the bulls, not giving up.
Why would that be so? Here's why: if there weren't a nose between the eyes, they would have eaten each other's eyes. So it is with brothers: brother and brother are separated - they don’t think about each other; Moreover: you don’t have an enemy - share with your brother, an enemy will appear. The elder brother has this idea: he wants to appropriate both bulls.
Finally, when the youngest had lost all hope of plowing his field, just in time, when all his patience had run out, he said to his brother: “I will perish, brother, if you don’t give me the bulls at least now.” You have already worked hard enough, and if it is the will of God and your destiny, what you have plowed and sowed will be enough for you, but for me, if I am even a little late, my whole family will die of hunger. “What does it matter to me if your family dies of hunger?” We did not stipulate this during the division. I will lend you bulls - my will, if I don’t - and that’s my will. I haven’t finished my work yet, and if I give you the bulls, the whole village will laugh at me. “I’m not asking you for a loan, these bulls are not divided, and if you took care of yourself, then I want to think about myself.” “So I knew that you would come up with something.” Maybe you will also force you to feed your family, as if this was also agreed upon during the division? Where has it been seen that after division something still remains in common? When we shared, I got the bulls, and if it weren’t for the bulls, you would have given them to me for plowing in the spring! These bulls are mine, and whether I give them to you or not, that is my will alone.” “No, it’s not true!” These bulls are both yours and mine,” the younger one swears. But when cunning and meanness have taken root in a person’s mind and heart, can you really win him over with an oath? They had no witnesses during the division. “Okay,” said the younger one, “by whatever truth you take the bulls from me, let them serve you with the same truth.”
If a person doesn’t believe an oath, you can’t take him with a curse.” “So be it,” said the elder. Time passed. One day, the younger brother started a holiday - sapurshao. He called near and far, small and large: go, wish me happiness for my poverty. He also called his two-faced brother, but he did not really care about his brother’s happiness - he refused and went into the field to work with his ill-gotten bulls.
The elder brother went out into the field, brought out the bulls, he didn’t even walk one row, like a hornet out of nowhere. Come and let's bite the bulls. The bulls became enraged, they carried off, they rush here and there, they themselves do not know where they are being taken. They lifted their tails up, bent their heads down and rushed back and forth across the field. The elder brother held back the enraged bulls for a long time, fought for a long time, but did not defeat them. And how can you defeat the bulls when they are already foaming at the mouth and their eyes are all bloodshot? The bulls completely tortured him, knocked him down, hooked him with a sharpened ploughshare, like a sword, and dragged him away. The bulls are running, dragging the older brother, who is put on a plow, like a fish on a fishing rod. They run through fields and forests, through hedges and fences, jump over holes and ruts - they have tormented the unfortunate man. And so, enraged and scary, they burst straight into the yard of their younger brother.
All the guests got scared, jumped up from their seats and ran in all directions to escape from the bulls. Only the younger brother did not run away. When he saw his unfortunate brother, he jumped up, rushed to the angry animals, and grabbed them. The bulls, all covered in sweat and perspiration, suddenly calmed down, trembled, and began to stand. Apparently, the hornet just left them.
What to do? The younger brother buried his unfaithful brother with honor and appropriate brotherly sadness. Not only those bulls, but also all the property of the elder brother went to the younger brother in full possession.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru