There were only two people in A San's family: himself and his wife. The couple worked in the fields from morning to night, but lived very poorly. Today we thought about how to live tomorrow; and the next day they lamented that the day after tomorrow there would be nothing to eat. And their life passed without a single joyful day. One day before the New Year, Ah San came to visit a rich neighbor and saw that his family was preparing for the holiday: they were baking sweet cakes, preparing soy cheese, and frying meat. Ah San felt sad. He remembered that he didn’t even have a handful of beans at home. Sad, he returned to his room and said to his wife:
“The neighbors are preparing a rich treat for the New Year, but we don’t even have soy cheese to make from.” What about sacrifices to ancestors?
- Yes! After all, if you don’t treat your ancestors, it will be bad for them in heaven. “We need to think of something,” the wife replies. They began to think, and suddenly the wife said:
- I know what to do. Can you pretend to be dead? If you can, we will also have a treat for the holiday.
“I don’t understand,” A San was surprised, “why would I pretend to be dead?”
“Okay,” the wife answers, “then you’ll understand.” Now listen to what you need to do. Tomorrow, just before dawn, lie down on the threshold and pretend that you are dead. I will call the monk, of course he will come. And then you will see how cleverly I will carry it through. Ah San didn’t understand anything, but still decided to listen to his wife.
And the monk, it turns out, had long been attracted to A San’s wife, and he was looking forward to A San dying.
The next day, Ah San did everything as his wife told him: he lay down by the door, covered himself with a blanket, and put a bamboo stick next to him - well, he was just like a real dead man. Soon the monk came. He brought with him a lot of pork, soy cheese, wine, and held a holy book under his arm. He was going to read over Ah San, who was going to the afterlife, and then hold a wake. A San's wife cried and lamented pitifully:
- Oh, my poor husband, to whom have you left me? Will you never come back again? Oh, poor me! Who will pity me, who will caress me?! The monk heard her words and decided that all this was being said not without intention. He opened the book and began to read:
- Amitofo, Amitofo, who will pity her? I'll feel sorry for her! Amitofo, Amitofo, who will caress her? I'll pet her!
And from behind the book he winks at Ah San’s wife. She continues:
“Oh, my dear husband, go back and beat this stupid wicked monk!” When Ah San heard this, he threw off the blanket, grabbed a stick and, well, beat the monk! He barely made it.
And all the food was left for Ah San and his wife, and they celebrated the New Year joyfully.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru