One day, fishermen went to the island of Hiiumaa to fish. The wind was blowing favorably, and they soon reached the place. We caught a lot of fish there and began to think about returning. We turned our boats with their noses to the mainland and began to row. Then a strong wind suddenly rose and carried the fishermen back to the island of Hiiumaa. The wind kept blowing and blowing, and it didn't look like it was going to subside.
The fishermen landed on the island and saw a hut. An old man lived in this hut. They asked the old man to stay for the night.
The old man asks them:
- Where are you from? Where are you headed?
Fishermen say:
- We are from the mainland. We fished near Hiiumaa. We wanted to return home, but then a headwind rose and drove us back to the island. The wind is such that there is no point in thinking about returning.
The old man says:
“I would help you return if you know how to keep your word.”
The fishermen answer:
“We will keep our word, just help us.”
Then the old man took a three-inch long rope from the wall. There were three knots on the rope. He gave the rope to the fishermen and said:
- Go, prepare the boats, and when you are ready, untie the first knot on the rope. A tailwind will immediately rise. In the blink of an eye, he will take you far from the island. Halfway through, untie the second knot. And the third knot can only be untied on the shore. At sea, be careful not to untie.
The fishermen took the rope, thanked the old man and decided to go out to sea early in the morning.
They get into boats in the morning and still don’t believe:
- This rope will help us! Why!
But the youngest fisherman said:
“And in my opinion, this old man is a wise old man.” You'll see - as he said, so it will be!
The fishermen decided to try the power of knots. They lowered the boats and untied the first knot. And then a miracle - out of nowhere, a strong tailwind arose. The boats cut through the water, only the waves foam behind them.
Halfway through the journey, the fishermen untied the second knot. The boats flew even faster. It was already quite close to the mainland.
Near the shore, the fishermen decided to untie the third knot.
“Wait,” said the young fisherman. “After all, the old man from Hiiumaa ordered to untie the third knot only on the shore.” Otherwise something bad might happen.
But the other fishermen did not listen to him:
- What other problem? We are very close to the shore.
And they untied the third knot.
At the same moment, the wind changed and drove the fishermen back to the island.
The fishermen rowed with all their might, but the shore did not come any closer. It took them only a few moments to travel all the way from the island of Hiiumaa, and then they fought until sunset, until they finally reached the shore, which was just a stone's throw away.
The fishermen repented that they had not listened to wise advice, but what was the use of such repentance?
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru