In the royal city there lived a boy named Kolenka. If he eats in the morning, there is nothing to eat in the evening; If you eat in the evening, there is nothing to eat in the morning. He lived in a house that looked like a bathhouse. His clothes are all torn. That's how I lived. He had no one.
One day he thinks: “I am very poor, I will go to the king to judge the need.”
I went to the king. Came. The king asks:
- Kolenka, what do you need? Kolenka says:
- I'm very poor. I have nothing to eat, I have no clothes. You, king, judge the need, why am I so poor?
The king bowed his head to the table. Then he raised his head and said:
- I can’t judge the need. I’ll tell you this: Kolenka, go to work with a rich man, you’ll feed yourself, he’ll give you clothes.
Then the king’s daughter spoke from behind the wall. The king's daughter said:
- Father, you marry the poor man. He and his wife will work together. If two people work, then it will be good. And if only one works, what will he earn?
The king jumped to his feet, grabbed his daughter from behind the wall, pushed her towards Kolenka and said:
- If you want to know more than me, go with Kolenka, find yourself wealth.
The Tsar's daughter, whether she wanted it or not, left with Kolenka.
They live in a house that looks like a bathhouse and work together. The Tsar's daughter sews every day and earns food. We began to live better. Then they healed well. Something also appeared inside the house.
One day the king's daughter sewed a fly and said to her husband:
- Sell your fly, its price is a hundred rubles!
Kolya took away his fly. Carries around the city. He walks around all day and can’t sell. Some say: “There is no money,” others say: “We don’t need it.”
Kolenka is walking down the street and meets a Russian old man. The Russian old man asks:
-Where are you going, Kolenka? Kolenka says: “I’m selling my fly, I can’t sell it.” Russian old man asks:
- What is the price? I'll buy it! Kolenka says:
- Price - one hundred rubles.
The Russian old man took out a hundred rubles and said:
- Will you take your word or will you take the money? Kolenka thought and said:
- I’ll take the floor, but what word? The Russian old man said:
- The word is: “You pull out the saber, you carry it down, don’t bring it to the ground” - that’s my word.
The old man put the money in his pocket, took his fly and left, Kolenka went home. I reached home. Wife says:
— Did you sell your fly?
Kolenka said:
“It turns out I’m the fool.” The Russian old man said: “Will you take your word?” I took my word. The wife said:
- A word will be needed someday. They live again, they live for a whole year. A year later, the Tsar’s daughter sewed the fly again and said:
- This price is two hundred rubles.
He took Kolenka and carried him to the city. He wears it around the city all day and can’t sell it. Some say: “There is no money,” others say: “Expensive.”
He goes back and meets an old Russian man. Russian old man asks:
-Where are you going? Kolenka says:
— I’m selling my fly. Russian old man asks:
- What is the price? Kolenka answers:
- Two hundred rubles.
The Russian old man took two hundred rubles out of his pocket and said:
- Will you take your word or will you take two hundred rubles? Kolenka thought and said:
- I’ll take my word! The Russian old man said:
- My word is: “An agreement is more valuable than silver.” He put the money in his pocket, took his fly and left. After the old man left, Kolenka went home. At home, my wife asks Kolenka:
— Did you sell your fly? Kolenka says:
- Sold it. It turns out I'm a fool. I took the floor. Wife says:
- Let the word come in handy someday. They live like this for a whole year. A year later, my wife sewed the fly again and said:
- This fly costs three hundred rubles, bring it to the city. Kolya took it and carried it to the city. He walks around the city all day, but he can’t sell it. Some say: “There is no money,” others say: “We don’t need it.”
Kolenka walked back and met an old Russian man on the street. Russian old man asks:
- Kolenka, where are you going? Kolenka says:
- I'm selling my fly. Russian old man asks:
- What is the price?
Kolenka says:
- Three hundred rubles!
The Russian old man took three hundred rubles out of his pocket and said:
— Will you take the money or your word? Kolenka thought and answered:
- I’ll take my word!
Then the Russian old man said:
- My word is: “There are ships under the sea ridge; on one ship there is no cook.” This is my word.
The Russian old man put three hundred rubles in his pocket, took his fly and walked away. Kolenka remained standing. Thinks:
“My wife will swear, I won’t go home.” And he went wherever his eyes led him. Kolenka walked for a long time and came out to the edge of the city. The city ended up on a sea ridge. There are three ships under the sea ridge. From the middle ship one Russian shouts:
- Kolenka, come here, we don’t have a cook.
Kolenka boarded the ship and became a cook. Three ships have just set sail and have been sailing for a week. A week later, in the middle of the sea, the ships stopped, they didn’t go forward, they didn’t go back. Three ships have been stationary for a week. Everyone gathered on the middle ship. A week later the people on the ship say:
- Now why are we standing? We've been to this place many times. Let's cast lots! On whomever the lot falls three times, we will throw him into the sea.
They cast lots. Three times the lot fell on Kolenka. They grabbed Kolenka and threw him into the water.
Kolenka is rushing across the sea. Finally, he fell on the porch somewhere and fell on his feet. It turned out to be a house. Russian men are arguing in the house.
One says:
— The agreement is more expensive. Another says:
- Silver is more expensive.
Kolenka entered the house. Russian men ask:
-Who will you be? Tell us what is more expensive: agreement or silver?
Kolenka said:
- How stupid you are, how come an agreement is not worth more than silver? Two Russian men said:
“We’ve been fighting all our lives,” one says: . “The agreement is more expensive,” another says: “Silver is more expensive.” Indeed, the agreement is more expensive. For what you indicated to us, we will give you a gift.
The Russian men gave Kolenka a self-propelled stone and said:
“We will fill a copper casket with self-shooting stones and tie it to the forecastle of a medium ship. When you need it, you can get it yourself. Now we will take you out along the deck of the middle ship.
The men took Kolenka out. Kolya boarded the ship. The three ships raised their sails again. The ships have been sailing for seven days. Seven days later the ships stopped near the royal city. The owners came down. Kolenka also got off the ship. The owners went, Kolenka also followed them. His comrades tell him:
- You're covered in soot, torn. Then the king will say: “Bring the cook here,” he will tease us and laugh.
Kolenka keeps following them. We reached the royal house. His comrades entered the house, Kolenka also entered, hid behind the stove, and sat there. His comrades are sitting and enjoying themselves. The king stood up and walked away. He walks back and forth on the floor, putting his hands in his pockets. So the king went near the stove. Then Kolya dropped a self-propelled stone into the king’s pocket. The king turned back. When he saw the self-inflicted stone, his eyes almost burst. He said:
- My guest, it turns out, is here! He took Kolenka by the hand, took her to a distant room and began to treat her. The people who were on the three ships began to say:
- King, you found a guest, you took away the cook. He probably has a lot of wealth. Our wealth on three ships must be counted and recorded. His wealth must also be counted and recorded. If he has a lot of wealth, we will become his slaves. If we have more wealth, we will cut off his head.
They immediately went to the ships. We got there. All things on the ship were counted and recorded. Then they say:
“Now let’s count and write down all of Kolenka’s wealth.” Kolenka gave them two self-propelled stones. They counted and wrote down. A little was not enough. Then Kolenka jumped into the water and rolled out a copper tub. People began to count self-propelled stones. No matter how they counted, they couldn’t count: they didn’t have enough intelligence, they didn’t have enough paper. The people of the three ships became Kolenka's slaves.
Kolenka has been trading in the royal city for thirty years. In thirty years he filled thirty ships with goods. Thirty years later, Kolenka says to the king:
- I had my own city. I'll go there! The king said:
- Kolenka, come and trade! -
Kolenka went to his ships. Thirty ships rushed out to sea.
The ships take two weeks. The royal city appeared. It got dark. The ships stopped. It became completely dark. Kolenka went down to the ground, walked, cloth was spread in front of him, and cloth was collected behind him. A fire is visible near the royal house.
There is no fire in other places. Kolya keeps going. A new house appeared near the royal house. Kolenka goes to this house. Fire is visible. I reached the door of the house. There are two soldiers standing near the outer doors, guarding. They said:
“Don’t come here: the Tsar’s daughter sleeps here.” Kolya took two hundred rubles from two pockets and said:
- Buy yourself some tobacco! Kolenka walked through twelve doors, soldiers were standing guard at each door. They say:
“Don’t come here, the king’s daughter is sleeping.”
Kolenka reached the last room. The king's daughter was sleeping. Two Russian men were sleeping on both sides. There were sabers, Kolenka took the saber. He pulled out the saber, raised it up, and began to lower it down. He wants to cut off his wife's head. Then I began to think. He says to himself: “The Russian old man said:
“You pull out the saber, start lowering it down, don’t lower it at all.”
Kolya bent the saber again, put it aside, and went to bed.
Early in the morning the king's daughter got up and said:
- My sons, get up! Your father has arrived! Where was he for thirty years? I've probably suffered for thirty years.
The guys jumped up and kissed their father. Kolenka sat down to help himself and called the king. Goods are transported from thirty ships every day.
When they were eating, the king’s daughter said to her father:
- Earlier you kicked me out and said: “If you want to be smarter than me, go with Kolenka, find yourself wealth.”
She also said:
“And you should always do this: marry a poor man, he will work with his wife.” Both will work and find wealth sooner. The king said:
- Indeed, this is how it should be done; It turns out I wasn't smart enough! Now, Kolenka, sit down, sit down instead of me!
So Kolenka healed.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru