One day a young guy came to hire a shoemaker as an apprentice.
“There are a lot of you like that walking around here,” says the master. “Shoemakers are good at words, but when it comes to action, you don’t know how to do anything.”
“Test me,” the guy asks.
“Okay,” the shoemaker agreed, “let’s see if you know how to make boots.”
The guy sewed boots - a sight for sore eyes. The master was delighted and said:
- Your work is going well.
They shook hands and the shoemaker hired the guy as an apprentice.
In the evening the master showed him the closet right under the roof where he would live. The apprentice entered the closet and locked the door behind him. The shoemaker became curious and began to peek through the keyhole. And he sees the guy kneel down, bow and say:
- Well, Lord, will you finally tell me how much longer I have to pray? I pray and pray, but to no avail. There’s no way I can ask you for ninety-nine guilders!
He said, got up from the floor and went to bed. The master went to his place.
The next evening, the shoemaker again saw the apprentice on his knees, bowing, talking to God.
- Well, Lord, will you finally tell me when I will receive a hundred guilders from you?!
The shoemaker decided to play a joke with the guy. The next day he climbed onto the roof and punched a hole right into the closet where the apprentice lived. In the evening he again hears the apprentice asking God for money. Then the master took a purse embroidered with pearls, put ninety-nine guilders in it and lowered it into the hole. The wallet fell to the floor, and the apprentice said:
- Let's see what fell there. Maybe God is being generous?
He took the wallet, opened it, and began counting the money. He counted ninety-nine guilders and grumbled:
- Eh! Even though you are God, you are still dishonest. I asked you for a hundred guilders, but you only sent me ninety-nine. However, the purse is worth a guilder, so we’re even.
The shoemaker did not sleep all night: he was filled with curiosity - how would the apprentice behave?
The apprentice sat down to work in the morning, sewing boots, singing, whistling. He doesn't remember money. The master became annoyed, he could not stand it and said:
“Did you receive ninety-nine guilders last night?” And even a wallet embroidered with pearls?
- Right! - the apprentice answers.
- Do you know where this money comes from?
- I know, from God!
- Not at all! - says the shoemaker. - This money is from me. Give them back now.
- What else! — the apprentice grinned. “I prayed to God, begged for money, and so it fell on me from the sky.”
- Give me the money! - the master is seething.
- No way! — the guy grins.
- I'll sue you! - the owner threatens.
- Well, I scared you! - The apprentice laughs. The master actually went to court and conspired with the judge's apprentices to ruin him.
They called the guy to court. He approached the lawyer and asked:
- Maybe you know a way to keep my wallet?
— Share with me, I’ll give you good advice! - the lawyer answers.
- OK! - the guy promises.
The lawyer was a cunning one. He knew that the master and the judges were in cahoots, and decided to laugh at the guy.
“The judge will start questioning you,” he tells him, “but just whistle and stroke your mustache with your right hand!”
The apprentice remembered the advice. They called the guy into the hall, and the judge asked him:
“Did you receive a purse embroidered with pearls and ninety-nine guilders?”
The guy just whistles in response and strokes his mustache with his right hand.
The judge fought and fought with him, but all in vain. He is tired and says:
- Apparently, this apprentice is touched. There's nothing you can do about it.
And how he shouts at him:
- Get out of here!
He didn’t force the apprentice to repeat these words twice and ran out of the hall. And outside the door the rogue lawyer is catching up with him. He himself did not expect that the employee would be lucky, but decided to get money for advice.
- You get half of it!
The apprentice only whistles in response and strokes his mustache with his right hand.
- Oh, you rogue! - the solicitor yelled in his hearts. - I’ll show you!
But there was no trace of the guy. He goes and rejoices. How cleverly he fooled the two rogues!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru