A long time ago there lived an old man. How passionately he loved to drink tea and always made the tea himself. And he looked after the tea utensils with great care. One day an old man came into the shop and looked at a cast-iron pot standing on the shelf. So old and rusty. But the old man had a trained eye, quickly and under the rust he saw that the bowler hat was amazingly beautiful.
The old man returned home with the purchase and immediately got down to business: he carefully cleaned the pot - not a trace of the previous rust remained on it - and then called his friends.
“Look at what a wonderful pot I bought today,” he boasted. “Now I’ll pour water into it and treat you to excellent tea.”
The old man put the coals in the brazier, lit the fire, and put the pot on it. Everyone sat around, waiting for the water to boil.
The pot was slowly heating up and heating up, but then this started happening! Just miracles! First, a badger's head appeared near the pot, then a badger's tail grew, and soon four short badger paws stuck out.
- Ugh! Ugh! How hot! - the pot shouted in a human voice. - Looks like I'm boiling! Y-yes, I'm boiling!
The pot jumped out of the fire and rushed headlong towards the door on its short badger paws.
The old man was dumbfounded, he looked - he couldn’t believe his eyes! Where have you seen pots running around the house?
- Hurry! Hurry! - the old man screamed. - Hold him! Don't miss out!
One of the guests grabbed a broom, another grabbed the sticks used to stir the coals in the brazier, and the third grabbed a ladle. Everyone started chasing the bowler!
They chased the extraordinary bowler for a long time, and when they finally caught up with it, they saw that the badger’s head, the badger’s tail and four short badger paws had disappeared somewhere - just an ordinary bowler, and that’s all!
- Strange! — the old man was surprised. “The bowler hat is apparently enchanted.” I have no use for him. I should give it to someone.
Just then the junk dealer showed up. The old man handed him a bowler hat and said:
- Here, it’s lying around the house. I'll give it away cheap. Pay as much as you can.
The junk dealer took the pot, turned it over in his hands and gave a copper coin for it. The ragman is happy with the good deal, and the old man is happy with the fact that he got rid of the strange pot.
In the evening, the ragpicker lay down to spend the night, the house was quiet, suddenly a voice:
- Dear, where are you? Do yourself a favor and respond! The ragpicker opened his eyes and lit the lamp:
-Who is this calling me?
He looks at the bowler hat standing on the pillow: with a badger’s head, a badger’s tail and four short badger’s legs.
- Who are you? Wasn’t it you I bought from the old man today? - the rag man spoke.
“Yes,” came the answer, “just know that I’m not a bowler hat, I’m a badger, and my name is Bumbuku.” I bring good luck. The old man put me on the fire, decided to boil water, and I ran away from him. Don't offend me, don't put me on fire, I'll bring you good luck.
“You tell amazing things,” said the junk dealer. “Please tell me, how can you bring me luck?”
- ABOUT! Don't worry! — The bowler hat cheerfully waved his badger tail. “I can do hilarious tricks, you’ll see for yourself!” We will give performances and collect money from the audience.
Well, good! A ragpicker made a stage and wrote a poster: “Bumbuk’s magic cauldron brings good luck!” People were eager to see Bumbuka. The badger didn’t do anything except please people: he jumped, and rolled, and hung on the crossbar. But most of all, the audience liked it when Bumbuk walked on a rope: a lantern in one paw, a fan in the other. Miracles, and that’s all!
And after each performance, the rag man gave Bumbuk a few rice cakes.
The junk dealer got rich. So one day he says to the badger:
“You amuse people every day, I’m probably tired.” I have plenty of money now. Better return to the old man, live with him quietly and calmly.
Bumbuk was happy.
“I’m very tired and would happily live with the old man, but he kept trying to put me on fire.” What if he won’t treat me to rice cakes?
“Don’t worry, Bumbuku, I’ll sort everything out,” answered the ragpicker.
He took the money, grabbed his favorite badger cakes, and together with Bumbuku went to the old man.
“Allow, venerable sir, Bumbuk to stay with you,” the rag-picker asked. “Just please, don’t put him on the fire and treat him to rice cakes.”
“Of course, let him stay,” the old man agreed. “I will give Bumbuk the most honorable place in the house, he really brings good luck.” If I had known about this earlier, would I have put it on fire!
The old man installed two tall cabinets in his house. On one there is a pot, on the other rice cakes are laid out.
They say that Bumbuku still lives in the old house, he really likes it. People come, bring rice cakes and never put it on the fire again. This is how Bumbuku lives - calmly and happily.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru