There used to be an old man and an old woman, they lived together and were very poor. They had neither cattle nor other goods. The old man went to work for rich people, but brought nothing home.
One day an old man and an old woman heard that the king was throwing a big feast and was inviting everyone: rich and poor. The old man also got ready. But how can you go to the king without a gift?
And he came up with an idea: he told the old woman to cook a pot of jelly and with this jelly he went to the king for a feast. The old man made the king laugh with his gift, and the king gave him a measure of gold for his ingenuity. The old man was happy. He goes home contentedly. He meets a man riding a horse.
-Where are you coming from, uncle?
- I’m leaving the royal feast. He took a pot of jelly and received a measure of gold for it. Now when I get home, I’ll buy something for myself and the old woman!
- Let's change! You give me gold, I give you a horse.
Well, to change is to change. The old man took the horse, gave it back the gold, and rejoiced:
- Now you can plow the field on your horse!
He got on his horse, rode a little, and saw a woman chasing a cow. Asks the old man:
-Where are you coming from, uncle?
- I’m coming from the royal feast. He took the pot of jelly and received a measure of gold. Exchanged gold for a horse. Now the farm will have its own horse.
- Let's change. You give me a horse, I give you a cow! The old man liked it and said:
- Let us have milk. The old woman will be happy! He took the cow home. He walked a little, met a woman, she was leading a pig into the city.
- Where were you, uncle?
- I was at the royal feast. He took the pot of jelly and received a measure of gold. Exchanged gold for a horse, exchanged a horse for a cow. I’m taking the cow home, so the old woman and I will have milk.
- Would you exchange a cow for a pig?
“It’s possible,” the old man agreed. “When I come home, I’ll slaughter a pig, and then we’ll have meat!”
He was chasing a pig and met a woman with a sheep.
-Where did you go, uncle?
- I went to the royal feast. He took the pot of jelly and received a measure of gold. He exchanged gold for a horse, a horse for a cow, a cow for a pig. When I get home, I’ll kill the pig and the old woman and I will eat plenty of meat.
- Would you exchange a pig for a sheep? The old man rejoiced:
- Why not? I’ll exchange it, you’ll see, there will be wool, the old woman will tie on some mittens and stockings.
Walked a little further. He catches up with the woman with the chicken.
-Where did you go, uncle?
- I went to the royal feast. He took the pot of jelly and received a measure of gold. He exchanged gold for a horse, a horse for a cow, a cow for a pig, a pig for a sheep. Now at least there is wool, you can put on stockings and mittens.
- Let's change.
- That's good - the chicken will lay eggs. We will eat it ourselves and save it up to sell.
He walks on, carrying a chicken under his arm. A woman comes across her with a needle pinned to her chest.
-Where are you coming from, uncle?
- I’m leaving the royal feast. He took the pot of jelly and received a measure of gold. He exchanged gold for a horse, a horse for a cow, a cow for a pig, a pig for a sheep, a sheep for a chicken.
- Swap the chicken for a needle.
The old man agreed.
“When I come home, we’ll at least fix our rags.”
He walks and walks and is already approaching the house. He began to climb over the fence and dropped the needle on the ground. He began to rummage in the grass, tried every blade of grass, but couldn’t find a needle. So I came home with nothing. He says to the old woman:
“I shouldn’t have brought jelly to the king; it would have been better if they ate it themselves.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru