Once upon a time there lived a gentleman, rich and arrogant. I didn’t want to know anyone. And he didn’t even recognize men as people at all: they had a bad spirit—they smelled like earth. And he ordered his lackeys to drive the men away.
Once the men gathered, they began to talk about the gentleman. One says:
“I saw our gentleman up close—I met him on the field.”
Another says:
“Yesterday I looked over the fence and saw the gentleman drinking coffee on the balcony.”
The poorest little man came up to them, listened and began to laugh.
“Eki,” he says, “it’s important!” Not only will I look at the gentleman over the fence, but I’ll have lunch with him if I want!
-Where should you and your lord have lunch? Yes, as soon as he sees you, he will order you to be pushed out and will not let you close to the house! - they answer him.
The men began to bicker and argue.
- You're lying! - they shout. “But I’m not lying!”
“Well, if you have lunch with your master, you will receive from us three bags of wheat and two oxen, but if you don’t have lunch, you will do whatever we order.”
- Agree! - the man answers.
He went to the master's estate. The lackeys saw him, jumped out, and wanted to chase the man away.
- Wait! - says the man. - I have good news for the gentleman. - What is your news? - I won’t tell anyone, I’ll tell only one gentleman!
The lackeys went to the master and reported: so, they say, so. The gentleman became curious: the man did not come to ask, but with some news. Maybe it will be of some use... He ordered the lackeys:
- Let the guy go!
The lackeys let the poor man through. The gentleman came out to him and asked:
- What is your news?
The man looked at the lackeys and said:
“Sir, I would like to talk to you face to face.”
The gentleman became curious: what is it? He ordered the lackeys to leave.
When the two of them were left, the man quietly said:
- Tell me, dear sir: how much does a piece of gold worth a horse's head cost? - Why do you need it? - asks the gentleman. - Do I need...
The master's eyes lit up, his hands shook. “Eh,” he thinks, “the man is asking for a reason! Apparently he found a treasure..."
He began to inquire:
- Tell me, little man, what do you need to know?
The man sighed and said:
- Well, if you don’t want to say it, it’s your choice. But I don’t have time - I need to go to lunch!
Pan has forgotten his arrogance and is shaking with greed: “I’ll fool this guy and lure gold out of him!”
The gentleman says to the man:
- Here's the thing, little man: why do you need to rush home? If you're hungry, have lunch with me!
He shouted to his lackeys:
- Quickly set the table, bring us some vodka!
Lackeys - once again! — the table was quickly set, appetizers and vodka were served.
The gentleman began to treat the man:
- Drink, man! Eat up, man! Eat to your heart's content! Don't be shy.
The man eats and drinks and doesn’t refuse. And the lord, know, pours everything for him and pours it out.
He fed and gave the man enough to drink and said:
“Well, now go quickly and bring me a piece of gold the size of a horse’s head!” I can deal with him better. And you will have a reward - I’ll give you a karbovanets!
- No, sir, I won’t bring you this gold! - But why, little man? - But because I don’t have it. - How come - I don’t? Why did you ask how much it costs? - Well, just for fun.
The gentleman became angry, turned blue all over, stamped his feet, and shouted:
- Get out, you fool!
And the man answered him:
- Oh, my dear sir! I’m not such a headless fool as you think: I made fun of you too, and won three sacks of wheat and two steep-horned oxen. The fool doesn't understand this!
And with that he left.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru