One merchant had four sons. When they grew up and it was time to marry them, the merchant went to look for suitable brides for them.
He came to one city and stopped near a pond. Soon the girls came to the pond for water. One of them was the daughter of a famous rich merchant in that city. The girls filled their jugs with water, placed them on their heads and went back. All the girls had new, beautiful jugs, and only the daughter of a rich merchant carried a jug with broken edges on her head.
“Your father is the first rich man, why do you go fetching water with a broken jug?” – her friends asked.
“It’s true, my father is rich,” answered the girl, “but who knows who I will be married to: a rich one or a poor one?” Therefore, while I am not married, I want to get used to both wealth and poverty.
The girls left. The merchant, who heard their conversation, was very happy and decided to take this smart girl as a wife for his son.
He followed her, came to her house and addressed his proposal to her father. And he was just looking for a worthy groom for his daughter. He agreed to give her to the merchant’s son, and they immediately agreed on a wedding.
The merchant returned to his home and called his sons.
- I found one bride. I just don’t know which of you to marry first? - he said.
“Let the elder brother marry her, and she will be our sister,” the younger brothers said in one voice.
And the elder brother celebrated the wedding.
After some time, the merchant decided to find out which of his four sons was the smartest. He gave each of them one hundred rupees and told them to buy whatever they wanted with this money.
The brothers took the money and left. On the way they came across a pond. They sat down by the pond to rest, ate and went in different directions to look for something that each of them would like.
The older brother bought himself a mirror. It had one magical property: if its owner died at home, it was immediately reflected in the mirror.
The second brother bought a tray. But this was not an ordinary tray: all you had to do was cover it, and the most delicious dishes appeared on it.
The third brother bought himself a piece of magic leather: as soon as they sat on it, it immediately rose into the air and in an instant transported the owner wherever he wished.
And the youngest brother bought a magic wand: it was enough to touch the deceased with it and the person would come to life.
The brothers again gathered near that pond and began to show each other their purchases. They covered the tray - and it was immediately filled with wonderful dishes. The brothers ate their fill, and then one of them accidentally looked at the mirror and saw that the older brother’s wife had died at home. They began to cry, but the third brother ordered them all to sit on the skin. They sat down and in a moment were already at home. The younger brother touched the deceased with his magic wand, and she immediately came to life and stood up.
Everyone was very happy, and the brothers began to show their purchases to their relatives. And the merchant was happy to know that all his sons were so smart.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru