One peasant told me this story over a glass of good wine. He heard it from his grandfather, and his grandfather heard it from his grandfather. And no one knows from whom that grandfather heard it. Either this happened to him, or to his brother, or to a neighbor. Well, whatever! And the story is very interesting. Listen if you want.
Once upon a time there lived a king, and he had a favorite hunting falcon. The king loved him for his strong wings, keen eyes and strong claws. The falcon served his master for three years and never returned without prey. And for this the king hung a small bell half made of gold and half silver around his neck. As soon as the bird turned its head, the bell rang either golden or silver.
One day the king wanted to take a break from his royal worries. So he went hunting. The falcon, as always, sat on his outstretched finger. The king reached a level field and released the falcon. When he released it for the first time, he brought him a quail. The second time the falcon brought a partridge. And the third time he took off and never returned. Maybe the bird remembered its free life, maybe it chased a fast pigeon and flew far away. One way or another, the king had to return to his castle without his beloved falcon.
The king sent seven squires to search for the bird.
They searched for seven days, and on the eighth they returned empty-handed. Then the king ordered the heralds to announce such a decree throughout the kingdom. Whoever finds the falcon and brings it to the royal castle will receive a reward - two hundred gold florins, and whoever finds the falcon and hides it will also receive a reward - a rope around his neck.
While the king was grieving for his beloved bird, while the heralds were galloping from end to end of the kingdom, the falcon flew to the distant mountains and landed on a tree.
And it must happen that a peasant was plowing his field just not far from this tree. He was either the grandfather of the grandfather of the one who told me this story, or the grandfather’s brother, or a neighbor. He walked along the furrow behind a donkey harnessed to a plow and reasoned out loud.
The peasant had a wife and two daughters. If there are three women in the house, it is better for the man to remain silent. Words pour out of women like chaff from a torn sack. You can't shout them down. Unfortunately, the peasant himself loved to talk. He had to take his soul out into the field with himself or with his donkey.
“It’s good for you, long-eared,” he reasoned, “you don’t have any worries.” And I need to settle two daughters. They are quiet, modest girls, and they start quarrels no more than ten times a day. Yes, grooms these days have become too picky. There is no beauty, so give them a dowry, and where will I get it, this is a dowry.
Suddenly the peasant heard a quiet ringing. I turned around and saw a bird on a tree. The peasant raised his hand and jokingly beckoned the bird with his finger. And how surprised he was when the bird spread its wide wings and flew onto his finger, ringing a bell.
“Eh,” said the peasant, “you’re not a simple bird.” I suppose no one will hang gold trinkets around the neck of my hard-working donkey.
Then he looked more closely and saw a finely carved crown on the bell.
- We heard about such a hat. It does not provide warmth in winter and does not provide shelter from the sun in summer. And come on, whoever put it on his head never wants to take it off. It happens, of course, that they lose this hat, but only with their head. Well, it’s better to keep quiet about this. In a word, bird, I recognized you. You are the same falcon that the herald announced in the village square a week ago. But it’s not bad that you fell into my hands!
With these words, the peasant went home, carrying the falcon in front of him on his finger.
“Well, daughters,” he said, “here is your dowry,” and showed them the bird.
- You, father, are obviously laughing at us! – the daughters grumbled. “You’re promising some kind of bird as a dowry, which isn’t even worth a good chicken.”
“You understand a lot,” said the peasant, turned and shouted to his wife: “Hey, wife, get your husband ready for the road!” I'm going to the royal palace, but the way there is not close. Give me three flatbreads, three olives and three onions.
While his wife was putting three flat cakes, three olives and three onions into an oat sack, the peasant took the halter off his donkey, wrapped one end around the falcon’s leg, the other around his hand. Then he threw the bag behind his back and set off.
A day went by, two days passed, and on the third he came to the royal palace.
In a peasant's shack the doors are always wide open - just cross the threshold and that's it. And in the royal palace, stone walls and cast-iron gates are always locked. But this did not bother the peasant. He came closer and began to kick the goal, because his hands were busy - one was holding a bag, a falcon was sitting on the other.
The gates opened, the peasant was about to enter, but it was not to be. Two guards blocked his path with long spears, and the third guard rang the bell, as if calling him to a fire. Then the fat chief of the guard ran out of the palace and began to interrogate the peasant.
-Where are you going, hillbilly?
“I’m going to the king,” answered the peasant.
-What's on your hand?
- Falcon.
The chief of the guard, of course, immediately recognized the bird, but quickly realized that there was profit to be made here.
- A falcon is a falcon, but whose falcon is it? he asked.
“Royal,” said the peasant.
- Oh, scoundrel! - the chief of the guard shouted. - Do you know that the king does not eat or sleep out of longing for his beloved falcon? I finally caught you, the unscrupulous thief. Hey, guard of the right half of the gate, do your job!
The guards dragged the peasant to the right, and he saw right in front of him a gallows with a noose dangling at the ready.
“What a shame, they’ll actually hang you!” - thought the poor fellow and screamed:
- What, are you completely crazy? Where has it been seen that a thief brings stolen goods back to the owner!
“Wait to hang,” ordered the chief of the guard. - So what, did you bring this falcon to the king?
“Of course, to the king,” answered the delighted peasant.
“Well, give it to me,” said the fat chief of the guard, “and I’ll take it to the king.”
- Eh, no! My falcon!
- Oh, yours! – the chief of the guard shouted again. “So you still want to hide the royal bird.” Guard of the left half of the gate, do your job!
The peasant was picked up again and dragged to the left. To the left there was also a gallows, you can see the sister of the one on the right. The peasant liked it no more than the first one. Therefore, he broke free from the hands of the guards and ran up to the chief.
“Dear sir,” he said, bowing low. “For some reason I don’t want to hang around between heaven and earth.” Can't we come to an agreement some other way?
That's all the boss needed. He twirled his mustache and said importantly:
“Royal service is no joke.” Whatever happens, the chief of the guard is responsible for everything. I also don’t want to lose my head for nothing.
“Why for nothing, Mr. Chief,” said the peasant.
- This is a different conversation. So be it, let's go to the king together. Just look, the deal is this: we caught the falcon! together. And if there are two, then there is a reward for two.
“Have it your way,” said the peasant. - Let's go to the king.
The king even jumped up from his throne when he saw his beloved falcon. The peasant unwound the donkey's halter, and the falcon flew from his finger to the owner's finger. Then the king asked:
- Who caught it?
“I...” began the peasant, “and... he too.”
“Yes, me too,” said the head of the guard.
- Who saw my falcon first?
“Well, I saw it first,” answered the peasant. “But since we fished together, then everything that your royal majesty grants is due to us equally.” I ask only one thing from your royal grace - do not give us a reward in gold coins.
- And what? - asked the king.
- I would like to get whipped. And it seems to me that fifty blows to each will be just right.
The king was very surprised. But the king is not supposed to show surprise. He called the court executioner and ordered them to be given fifty blows.
The peasant offered his back himself, and he looked pleased. But the chief of the guard was dragged to the executioner by six servants, because his legs were completely giving way from fear.
Meanwhile, the king was simply dying of curiosity, and since the king is still a man, he could not stand it and ordered the peasant to be brought to him.
“Now that you both have received what you alone asked for,” the king told him, “explain to me why you chose such an amazing reward.”
“Because we both deserved it,” the peasant began to explain. “I am for allowing myself to be deceived, and the sir, the chief of your guard, is for deceiving me.”
- How so?
Here the peasant told everything in all honesty.
“Of course,” he added, “I would prefer something else, especially since I am a poor farmer and have two daughters of marriageable age.” And a broken back is an unenviable dowry. But I am a fair person and I reasoned this way: whoever earned what, get it.
The king burst out laughing. Then he said:
- Well, I’m a fair person too. Therefore, I will argue differently. I will order the commander of my guard to add another fifty lashes. And take yourself this wallet. It contains exactly two hundred gold pieces. Your daughters will have a good dowry.
“Well, if so, I’ll run and make them happy,” said the peasant. He took the wallet, bowed to the king and set off, singing merrily, on his way back.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru