Akhmed was left an orphan and from an early age he did not know what it was like to eat enough: he was always haunted by need. However, he grew up, matured and reached the time when he could, as they say, drive away a fly from himself, he could stand up for himself. He began to think about how to continue to live, and soon married a nice girl who had long fallen in love with him. That girl's name was Zhangulaz.
They had nothing except the four walls of a poor saklya. But Zhangulaz received a breastplate and a belt made of silver with gilding as a gift from her mother. The young people consulted and decided: they don’t need such luxury.
“We’ll sell my jewelry,” Zhangulaz said decisively, “and buy two bulls.”
Ahmed took the jewelry to the market and exchanged it for a couple of good bulls. He threw a lygach over his bulls and went to wander around the bazaar. I saw a milk cow with a calf - he took it and exchanged a couple of bulls for this cow. And as soon as he exchanged it, he saw that someone had brought out a horse to sell, and it was so stately, so playful! Akhmed had long wanted to show off on a horse. He exchanged the cow and calf for a horse and saddle. He got on his horse and rode through the market. He looks around, looking at the goods. Suddenly I saw a goat with a kid. Yes, so fat, so beautiful! I gave my horse and saddle for this goat and kid. He walks through the market, chases a goat in front of him, looks at the goods. He liked the thin cloth. “I’ll take it,” he thinks, “I’ll sew a Circassian jacket!” And he exchanged the goat and kid for a piece of cloth. I wandered around the market for a long time with a piece of cloth under my arm and saw a white felt hat. He really wanted this hat! He gave the cloth and took the hat for himself. Now you can return to the village!
When Ahmed was walking home and crossing the suspension bridge across the river, a wind blew, tore his hat off and threw him into the water. Akhmed rushed to catch it, but it didn’t work out: the hat floated away with the flow, you won’t catch it!..
Ahmed became sad, went further empty-handed and met a merchant with nine carts of all kinds of goods. The merchant was transporting goods to the bazaar, learned that Akhmed had already been there, and began asking him: what he bought, what he sold, how much money he made, how many buyers there were at the bazaar.
Ahmed told the merchant how he exchanged his silver breastplate and belt for a pair of good bulls, and
bulls for a cow with a calf, and a cow with a calf for a fast horse, and a horse for a goat with a kid, and a bull with a kid for a piece of cloth, and a piece of cloth for a felt white hat.
“Where is the hat?” asked the merchant, looking at his head.
- The wind blew it, and the river carried it away!
- You're doing badly, friend! Now don't come home! You'll get it from your wife!
“My wife won’t say a word.”
“This cannot be,” the merchant argued.
They argued and argued and made bets. If the merchant loses, he pays Akhmed a thousand rubles. If Ahmed loses, he will have to work as a merchant's laborer for three years without pay.
They arrived in the village. Ahmed left the merchant under the window of the sakli, and he himself entered the house. Zhangulaz saw her husband, was delighted, and hugged him.
“How’s the market?” he asks.
“Everything turned out well,” says Ahmed. “As soon as I arrived, I immediately exchanged your jewelry for a couple of good bulls.”
“Well done!” Zhangulaz praised her husband. “Our bulls will plow the field and carry firewood from the forest.”
“They won’t,” says Ahmed. “I exchanged the bulls for a cow and calf...
“This is even better!” Zhangulaz rejoiced. “Now I won’t envy those who milk their cows!”
- The truth is yours! I only exchanged a cow and calf for a horse...
- Well, that’s great! You've long wanted to show off on a fast horse! Now you have a horse.
“I was!” says Akhmed. “I exchanged the horse for a goat with a kid.”
- That's good! I have long wanted to have a goat. When our boy is born, he will tend the goat and play with the kid.
“Don’t be happy!” said Ahmed sadly. “I exchanged the goat for cloth for the Circassian coat.”
- And he did the right thing! Stop walking around like a ragamuffin.
- Oh, wife! I exchanged the cloth for a white felt hat.
“You also need a hat,” said Zhangulaz. “It will provide protection from the sun in the summer.”
- I don’t even have a hat, wife! The hat was carried away by the wind and thrown into the river when I crossed the bridge.
“Oh, how good it is that you are alive!” Zhangulaz exclaimed joyfully and hugged her husband tightly. And then she quickly started packing his dinner.
“I have a guest there,” said Ahmed, “before sitting down to eat, he called the merchant.”
The merchant heard everything. But he was a stubborn man and decided to argue again.
“I’ll say only nine words,” the merchant suggested to Ahmed, “and if your wife answers them without hesitation, all my nine carts with goods will be yours.” If he doesn’t answer, you’ll give me your wife.
Zhangulaz agreed to answer.
And so, when it seemed to the merchant that Zhangulaz was busy with something and would not hear him, he whispered:
- One!
“One smart person is worth many fools,” Zhangulaz responded.
“Two,” said the merchant.
- Two friendly eyes see far.
- Three!
- Without three legs, a table is not worth it!
- Four!
- A cow's four teats give milk! “Five!” said the merchant through clenched teeth.
“The five fingers on the hand are brothers!” Zhangulaz answered.
- Six!
— Six days a week, except Friday! “Seven!” muttered the merchant. - The seven star brothers will turn around themselves - the morning will come!
- Eight!
- Eight giant bulls will plow the whole earth!
The merchant realized that he had lost and said quietly:
- Nine!
“Nine friendly mice will pull the lid off the cheese tub!” Zhangulaz laughed here. “You too, merchant, pull your nine carts here!”
The resourceful Zhangulaz defeated the merchant, and he had to pay for the dispute.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru