There lived a guy in a village. His name was Peter. He was a kind, handsome, strong little guy, but very simple-minded. I could barely count the mother’s chickens, but there were only two dozen of them. When Peter's mother gave him a shilling and asked him to buy only three pence, he could not count how much change he would need. And if his mother sends him to the market, he will certainly be cheated.
And it’s not that he was lazy or some kind of idle talker, it’s just that poor Peter lacked intelligence.
“Eh, mom,” Peter used to say, “if I were just a little smarter, your life would be much easier!”
“Yes, Peter,” the mother sighed, “God offended you with your mind, needless to say.” But you have a kind heart and enough strength for two, so don’t be sad. Better run upstairs and bring me three buttons. I'll sew them on your jacket. Just remember well - three buttons! Not two and not four, but three.
But all the same, Peter could not calm down that he was so stupid, and every now and then he pestered his mother and asked how he could gain wisdom. Finally the mother could not stand it and said:
- Well, if you really want to become wiser, go to the wise old woman who lives on that hill over there. They say she is truly wise. She has magic books, and various powders, and herbs. She knows everything, maybe she’ll make you smarter too.
Peter finished his work and went to the hill. I climbed to the very top and saw the hut of the old sorceress there. Smoke was pouring out of the chimney, and a black cat was sleeping on the threshold.
“A good omen,” Peter thought and knocked on the door.
Nobody answered. Then he carefully lifted the latch and looked into the house. An old woman sat with her back to him by the fire, stirring something in a black cast iron pot. She didn't turn around or say a word. But Peter still entered the room and said:
- Good afternoon, grandma! The weather is nice today, eh?
The old woman did not answer and continued stirring the cast iron.
“Tomorrow, maybe it will rain,” Peter continued.
But the old woman again did not answer.
“Or maybe it won’t work,” he added, not knowing what to talk about next.
And the old woman kept stirring and stirring something in the black cast iron.
“Well, I’ve said everything about the weather, now we can talk about business,” Peter became brave. “You see, I’m a little simple-minded.” So, wouldn't you give me at least a little more intelligence? Because...
- Uma? - asked the old woman. Here she put down her spoon and looked at Peter for the first time. - Well, if you please! But what kind of mind are you asking for? If it's a general's or a teacher's, I'm unlikely to help you. Well, tell me, what kind of mind do you need?
“Yes, the most ordinary one,” answered Peter. - Not big, not small - just like everyone else.
“Okay,” said the old woman. “If you have such a mind, just first bring me the heart of the one you love most in the world.” Understood? And when you bring it, I will tell you a riddle to find out whether you brought what I ordered. Well, now go!
And, without waiting for an answer, she took the cast iron and left the kitchen with it, so that Peter could only leave.
He walked down the hill and kept thinking about the words of the old soothsayer. “The heart of the one I love most in the world... Who could it be?”
It wasn't often that Peter had to rack his brain like this.
He returned home and told his mother what the old woman had answered him. The mother thought and thought and said:
- In my opinion, more than anything else in the world you love fatty pork. Let's slaughter our old pig, and you will take her heart to the prophet.
They killed an old pig, took out its heart, and the next evening Peter carried it to a hut on the hill.
The old woman was sitting in a chair by the fire and reading a huge book. She didn’t raise her head, but Peter put the pig’s heart on the table and said:
“Here, I brought the heart of the one I love more than anything in the world.” Will it do?
The old woman looked up from her book.
-What runs without legs? she asked. - Answer me!
- Runs without legs? — the guy asked, scratched the back of his head and thought.
I thought and thought, even my head ached. And the old woman was still reading her book. Finally Peter said:
“Tell you what, I... I don’t know.”
“Well, it turns out you didn’t bring what I ordered,” said the soothsayer. - Take this and leave!
Poor Peter had no choice but to take the pig's heart and leave. And when he returned home, he found his mother in bed. She suddenly fell ill and now lay dying. Peter only managed to say goodbye to her, and she died. He stood on his knees at her bedside for a long time and cried and cried and could not calm down.
He remembered how kind and affectionate his mother was, how she loved him, how she pitied him when he was little, how she treated all his bruises and bruises, how she mended his dress, fed him and talked to him in the evenings.
“How can I live without her now? - Peter thought. “After all, I loved her more than anything in the world.”
And then he remembered the words of the prophetess: “Bring me the heart of the one you love most in the world.”
- No, I will never do this! - Peter exclaimed.
But the next morning he decided that he didn’t have to take out the heart, but simply take his mother up the hill to the old soothsayer.
So he did - because right now he really lacked a smart head on his shoulders.
He entered with his burden to the old woman and said:
“Now I have really brought you what is dearest to me than anything in the world.” This is my deceased mother. So make me smarter, as promised.
“Tell me,” said the soothsayer, “what is yellow, shining, and not gold?”
- Yellow, shines, not gold? - Peter thought. - This... this.
But for the life of me, I couldn’t think of an answer and finally said:
- I don’t know.
- Well, you won’t get any wiser these days! Yes, I see, you really are a complete simpleton. You'll probably never get smart enough.
And Peter again had to leave the old prophetic woman with nothing. But he didn’t want to return home - his soul was very heavy. He sat down by the road and cried bitterly.
Suddenly someone called out to him in a gentle voice. He raised his head and saw a pretty girl - she was looking at him and smiling.
- What's wrong with you? she asked. - Such a big guy and you cry!
“I’m a simpleton,” answered Peter, “I don’t have enough intelligence.” And besides, my mother died and left me alone. How can I live now? Who will feed me, clothe me, go to the market for me? And now there is no one to utter words with, no one to console me now. Poor, miserable me!
“Well, well, don’t be sad,” said Jenny, that was the girl’s name. “A simpleton like you needs to be looked after.” Do you want me to go with you and take care of you?
“Well, if that’s what you want, let’s go,” answered Peter. “Only you yourself will soon see that I’m a fool, of which there are few, and apparently I’ll remain like that if I don’t manage to somehow make myself smart.”
- It's nothing! - said Jenny. - As they say: the stupider the groom, the more flexible the hubby. Do you want to marry me?
- Do you know how to cook? - asked Peter.
- Certainly! - Jenny answered.
- What about sewing and darning?
- Well, of course!
- How about counting eggs? What about adding up pounds, shillings and pence?
- I can, I can!
“Well then, if you agree to marry me,” Peter was delighted, “I’ll marry you.”
And they went to the village together.
Peter's mother was buried, the whole village cried for her, and then Peter and Jenny got married and lived together in his house.
Soon Peter saw - even though he was a simpleton - that he got a wife, of which there are few. She cooked, and sewed, and tidied up, and everything was so cheerful and willing, and most importantly, she always knew how to please him with jokes and kind words.
True, Peter turned out to be a good husband. He also worked cheerfully and willingly. He didn’t care about anything, as long as he didn’t have to think for himself. There were no burdens too heavy for him, no roads too long. They turned out to be a happy couple, needless to say!
- You know what, Jenny? - Peter said one evening. “I realized that I love you more than anyone in the world.”
And then it seemed to dawn on him.
“Listen,” he continued, “did the soothsayer really want me to kill you and bring her your heart?” Do you think this is what she really wanted?
“Hardly,” Jenny replied. - Of course not! Nobody says kill. You can take me to her alive, as I am, heart and all.
-You judged this very well! - Peter was delighted. - How did I not think of it myself? That's right, let's go to her together. But wait, first tell me what is running without legs?
“The river,” Jenny answered. - It's not hard to guess!
- River? - repeated the simpleton. - So it is! And how come I didn’t guess it myself? Now tell me, what is it: yellow, shining, and not gold?
- Sun! - Jenny answered without hesitation. - Any child can guess such a riddle.
- Sun? - Peter asked in surprise. - Well, yes, it shines, and it’s yellow, not gold. What a head you have, Jenny! In all England there is no wife smarter than you. Let’s go quickly, maybe the old woman will add a little more intelligence to me, so that I become worthy of you.
And so they climbed the hill together and just found the soothsayer at home.
“Finally, I have brought you the one I love more than anyone in the world,” said Peter. “Here she is, here is her heart, and all of her.” And if you don’t make me smarter now, it means you are not a wise woman, but simply a cheat and a deceiver!
- Both of you sit down! - said the old woman.
They obeyed, and the old woman turned to Peter and said:
- Listen to my riddle. Who was born without legs, grew two, and then four?
Poor Peter thought and thought, but still couldn’t find an answer. Then Jenny whispered in his ear:
- Tadpole! Answer: tadpole.
- Tadpole! - Peter blurted out.
“That’s right,” said the old woman. “Well, I see that now you’re smart enough without me.” Just ask your wife for advice more often!
Well, Peter did just that and was very pleased with the advice of the wise old woman.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru