There lived one man named Miya, and he was an incorrigible liar, and such a skillful one that if two days later he had heard his own lies from someone, he would probably have accepted it as the pure truth.
One morning Miya got out of bed and remembered that he didn’t have a penny in his pocket. He began to think about how to get through the day. The wife and children are asking for food - at least go steal. He was already turning this way and that in his mind and finally decided to spin some tall tales and, with the help of his inventions, get money. Miya jumped up, grabbed his chibouk and pouch and flew straight to the coffee shop. And all the neighbors are there. Here Mia enters the coffee shop, doesn’t greet anyone and doesn’t say “God help me,” and he’s so sad, despondent - well, brother, it’s only because all his relatives died, and they’ve already taken her to the cemetery. Miya sat down, tapped her chibouk on the floor and didn’t say a word to anyone, strained and dropped a few tears onto her chest. Other agas sit around and smoke silently. Finally one aha says:
- Listen, Mia, it’s been a while since you lied to us. Come on, tell me a lie, you’re an expert in this area!
But Miya didn’t bat an eyelid. He stares at one point and taps his empty pipe on the floor - where can he get tobacco if there is not a pinch in his pouch and there is not a penny in his pocket. Then the other aga called out to Mia and asked her to tell a more interesting lie, and Mia seemed to have filled her mouth with water. The neighbors jumped up from their benches:
- Why are you playing silent when we want to listen to your lies!
- I pray to God, good people! Leave me alone! Great grief has fallen on my unfortunate head, such grief that I can hardly even move my tongue.
The neighbors were alarmed:
-What happened to you? Tell me, Mia!
- Oh, better not ask! My wife died this morning! The poor thing was about to give birth, but she died during childbirth. I have six children left, a few less; There is squealing and crying at home. I have no idea where to go, as a sufferer, so I rushed here as fast as I could! I don’t have a penny in my wallet, I have nothing to bury the dead, nothing to buy bread for my children!
They listened to the agi's story, and their faces were darkened by sadness.
- Unhappy Mia! And such a misfortune had to fall on his shoulders! - they felt sorry for their neighbor.
They began to collect money - some would donate a penny, some two, and soon Mia had a full handful of coins.
- Hey, Mia! - the Aghas then exclaimed. - Thank God that your mare is alive and your wife is dead! Allah Rakhmetila, may God rest her soul! It's easy for a man to find a wife. “A lucky man’s wife dies, but an unlucky man’s wife dies,” says an old saying.
- When are you going to bury the deceased? - one of the neighbors suddenly asked.
And Miya pretended not to hear. He asked once, twice, then shook Mia by the shoulder:
- Finally, answer, when are you going to bury the deceased?
“It would be nice to take her to the mosque at noon,” Miya muttered through tears, “and then bury her in the Wakie cemetery, because that was the will of the deceased.”
“Don’t cry, Mia,” the compassionate aga consoles him. “And my wife died, and you see, I’m alive and well.” I know how painful it is to lose a wife, but, thank God, this pain quickly passes! The same thing happens when you accidentally hit your elbow or knee - at first it hurts a lot, but then everything will heal as if nothing had happened. Thank God that your mare is alive and you can take a bundle of firewood to the market and buy bread for the children.
- Glory to Allah, good people! - Miya shouted here and, without saying goodbye, ran to the market. I bought meat at the market and took it home so that the puff churek with meat would be ready for dinner. I took the wicker bag and went back to the market; he bought everything he needed, and he hadn’t spent all the money yet! He walked briskly home. The time was approaching noon, but the cheerful Mia forgot to think about his lies. So Mia approaches the house - and what does he see! About a hundred people have gathered at its gate, waiting for noon to carry the deceased to the mosque. Miya was stupefied with fear: what to do now? But he immediately figured out how to get out. He pretended to be sad again and made his way through the crowd.
- God bless you, Mia!
- Be healthy, friends! - and he bursts into laughter. Finally Miya squeezed through to the gate, opened it and turned to the people.
- Why are you gathered in front of my gate? For what reason?
“To carry the dead woman to the mosque,” the neighbors answer him in unison.
-Are you out of your mind, people? - Miya exclaimed. - Or maybe they're crazy? Wasn’t it you yourself this morning in the coffee shop who asked me to lie to you about something utter, so I lied. And I will never lie again, and if, by the will of Allah, my wife dies, I will tell you so in good conscience, I will not lie anymore. And even now the need forced me to lie!
Then Miya slammed the gate and entered the house.
But the crowd doesn’t disperse - people are screaming, cursing Mia at all costs. But Mia doesn’t even care about that—today oil from a greasy churek will flow down his mustache.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru