This happened in the old, old times, when people smoked tobacco.
Peasants were threshing barley in the landowner's yard. The sun is scorching with might and main, it is hot, stuffy; The peasants are tired and have no strength. And then there’s the landowner sitting on a mat, smoking a long pipe, watching the workers.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a chicken jumped out and ran across the yard.
And then, by accident, one peasant—his name was Doc Sve—killed the chicken with his flail. The peasants were frightened, and Dok Sve fell at the owner’s feet.
“Forgive me,” he says, “I didn’t want to kill him.” And the owner will shout:
– You killed my best chicken! Pay for it now! Dok Sve sighed:
“But it’s not my fault, sir.” And why are you shouting like that? After all, Chicken only costs a few coppers. Okay, I'll pay.
The owner shouted even louder:
- A few coppers, you say? Yes, my chicken costs nine liang!
[Liang is a silver coin in old Korea.]
“For mercy, sir,” Dok Sve begged, “where has it been seen that a chicken costs nine liang?” I've never had so much money in my life!
– Are you going to argue with me? – the landowner stamped his feet. -Tell me, are you going to pay or not?
The peasant got angry:
“I won’t pay nine liang for a chicken, it’s unfair!” Let's go to the judge - let him judge us!
The peasant said so and went to the judge, and the landowner went there too. He chuckles: he knows that the judge always stands for the rich.
The peasants who were threshing barley with Dok Sve started arguing. The old men shake their heads:
– Where have you seen this: sue the rich? Doc Sve didn't start this business! And the young people stand behind Dok Sve:
- He did the right thing! Let the judge judge them in truth, in conscience! Let's go to court too!
The peasants came to court, and Dok Sve and the landowner were already there. The judge sits fat and important, behind him are two formidable guards, and on his right hand is a clerk. The peasants became quiet and began to listen to the judge administer justice. So the judge looked at the landowner and asked him politely:
- Tell me, sir, what happened to you?
The landowner bowed to the judge, pointed his finger at Dok Sve and said plaintively:
“The wicked Doc Sve killed my chicken, but doesn’t want to pay for it.” If everyone kills other people's chickens, what will happen then?
The judge looked at Dok Sve and shook his head sternly:
- Well, tell me, why did you kill the chicken? Dok Sve bowed:
- Well, I didn’t do it on purpose! We were threshing barley, and a chicken jumped out of nowhere and landed right under the flail. I didn't want to kill him!
- Why don’t you pay money for the chicken? - asks the judge.
“I would be glad to pay, but he’s asking a lot,” Dok Sve sighed. “He says his chicken costs nine liang.” Where has it been seen that you can charge nine liang for a chicken?
The judge became thoughtful, scratched his head and turned to the landowner:
- Is it true that you are asking for nine liang chicken? The landowner bowed low:
- The true truth, Mr. Judge! The judge was surprised:
- Why so many?
“Well, if Dok Sve had not killed the chicken, the chicken would have become a chicken,” the landowner answers, “and a good chicken is expensive.”
The judge nodded his head:
- That's right, that's right!
Doc Sve fell at the judge's feet.
“For mercy, sir,” he says, “but a chicken costs only four lans!”
Then the landowner shouts at Dok Sve:
- Four lyans, you say? What kind of chickens cost four lians: Yes, my chickens are very special! I feed them with selected grain, give them cold water, they live in real houses - each chicken has its own house. My chickens are all fatty and delicious! I don’t even feel sorry for ten liang for them. If Mr. Judge wishes, he can try any one.
The judge scratched his head again, then thought a little and said:
- That's it, Dok Sve, your master is right, pay him nine liang. The peasants made a noise here and shouted:
- The judge judges incorrectly! Not according to conscience! All rich people are at the same time! And Dok Sve suddenly agreed.
“Okay, Mr. Judge, I’ll pay him nine liang,” he says.
The landowner was delighted: he cleverly lured money from the poor man. And the judge is happy too: he quickly persuaded Dok Sve, now he can go to the landowner and taste the chicken. He wanted to get up from his place, and Dok Sve said:
- Allow me, Mr. Judge, to say a word.
-What else is there? – the judge grumbled. - Speak quickly! He bowed to Judge Dok Sve and said:
“Since you ordered, I will pay him for the chicken, but first let him pay me thirty liang.”
The judge jumped up and down:
“What, are you thinking of laughing at us?” And Dok Sve answers respectfully:
“Would I dare to laugh at Mr. Judge and Mr. Landowner?” I just want to say this. The landowner said that he feeds his chickens with selected grain and builds a house for each chicken for the winter. Calculate how much grain a chicken will eat before it becomes a chicken? Malya two, no less. And a grain of grain costs as much as fifteen liang. So let the landowner pay me for the grain that his chicken did not eat.
[Mal is a measure of weight, about 20 kilograms.]
The peasants laughed:
- Well done, Doc Sve! You did a great job of fooling them!
And the judge just threw up his hands: well, Doc Sve, he outwitted the judge himself!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru