In ancient times, all animals, birds and fish knew how to speak and lived in peace and harmony with each other.
One day, an eel, a frog and a gudgeon became entangled in nets set by a rich peasant. Considering themselves already dead, they wept bitterly.
But then the gudgeon asked the eel:
- Uncle eel! Shouldn't we think about how to get out of here?
– Think or don’t think – it’s the same! - the eel answered, wiping away his tears. “Tomorrow they will prepare a seasoning for us from young bamboo shoots.” You can't escape from the net!
Then the gudgeon turned to the frog:
- Aunt Frog! Do you think we will be able to avoid death?
The frog closed its eyes in response and croaked sadly:
“I’m sure that tomorrow you and the eel will end up in a frying pan, and I’ll end up on a spit!”
And the eel and frog began to cry again, and the gudgeon tried to calm down and collect its thoughts. A little later he again called out to his fellow sufferers:
- Uncle! Aunt! I figured out how to save us! Before the gudgeon had time to finish speaking, the frog and the eel rushed towards him:
– What did you come up with? Speak!
“All rich people are very greedy,” the gudgeon began to explain. “When the owner of the net sees that he has caught prey, he will completely lose his head with joy.” This is where you need to be on your guard. As soon as he throws us ashore, let Aunt Frog jump to the side, and the eel and I will try to slide back into the water.
So they decided. The next morning, as soon as the rich man shook out his catch onto the sand, the frog immediately quickly jumped to the side. The rich man chased after her, even tried to grab her several times, but all in vain. Then he looked back - and the gudgeon with the eel was already at the water’s edge! The rich man rushed towards them, but he didn’t have time either: the fish darted into the pool right in front of his nose. Meanwhile, the frog galloped off into the bushes.
Since then, the frog, as a sign of gratitude, always throws its eggs into the water and feeds it to the gudgeon, and the eel lifts silt from the bottom so that it is easier for the gudgeon to find food in it.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru