One winter, village men gathered in an artel and decided to go to the city to buy goods. We decided and went. We drove all day from morning to evening. But the city is not close. In the evening we reached some unfamiliar village.
“Here, brothers, we need to spend the night.” And in the morning we will move on. We stopped at an inn, unharnessed the horses, and said:
- But the sleigh should be turned with its shafts forward so that it looks towards the city. Otherwise we’ll find out the way tomorrow. Where will we go?
And the sleigh turned its shafts towards the city. And one guy, a joker, heard their conversations, waited until they went into the hut and fell asleep - and turned the sleigh back, with its shafts back, towards the side of the house.
In the morning the men harness the horses, sit down, and go to the city. As they drive, they pass some village, and one of them says:
- Brothers, it seems like we passed this village yesterday!
- Yes, you understand a lot! There are many villages, all the same. We didn't go here yesterday!
And they continue on their way. We passed another village. And behind it is a bridge.
- Brothers, this is a familiar bridge. In the neighboring village, opposite ours!
- What else have you come up with! There are many bridges in the world, they are all similar to each other. Go ahead, Vaska!
They move on. They enter their home village.
- Oh, but the village is ours! I can’t leave my place - ours! And the Avon house is mine!
- Well, yes, yours! There are many identical villages in the world, and there are identical houses. Drive, Vaska!
- Yes, there is a woman washing clothes on the shore, she looks like my wife like two peas in a pod!
– There are many identical women in the world!
And the woman heard their speeches and shouted from the river:
- Oh, you good-for-nothings, oh, you such fools! Didn't you recognize your village? How did you manage to return home empty-handed?
So the men didn’t get into the city that time!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru