Once upon a time there lived a man named Phyu Tan. He had no corner of his own, and he wandered around the village as if restless. First one family will shelter him, then another. He didn’t bother himself with work, but his fellow villagers didn’t reproach him for it—they considered him a moron.
Once in one house he tasted a soup that he had never tried before. Phyu Than really liked the soup.
- What kind of food is this? – he asked the hostess.
“This is stellate sturgeon soup with eggplant,” she answered and asked: “What, you didn’t like it?”
“No, no, I liked it,” answered Phyu Tan. - The soup is very tasty. I just want to know what it is made from so that I can ask for the same in another house.
And Phyu Tan began asking in detail how it was prepared. And all because he decided to test his culinary skills. Only one thing confused Phyu Tan - he was very forgetful. “A few days will pass,” thought Phyu Tan, “and I will probably forget everything...” And then he decided this: “I will constantly repeat “stellar sturgeon and eggplants,” “stellar sturgeon and eggplants.” And so that those around him would not consider him crazy, he pronounced these words in a whisper.
A day has passed. The next morning Phyu Tan went to visit a friend in another village. Free from all worries, on the way he mentally repeated: “Stellar sturgeon and eggplants, sturgeon and eggplants.” He walked and walked and did not notice how he approached the river. The thought of delicious soup was so firmly lodged in his head that he stumbled, fell into the water and immediately forgot the magic words. I remembered and remembered, but I still couldn’t remember. Phyu Tan was very sad - and how could he not be sad - apparently, he won’t have to taste his favorite soup again! What a disaster!
Deciding that the forgotten words had drowned in the river, Phyu Tan began diving in the hope of finding them underwater. An old man who happened to come to the river found him doing this stupid activity.
- Hey, kid! Did you drop something in the water, or what? – : he asked, seeing with what zeal Phyu Tan was sinking to the bottom of the river again and again.
“I lost something that I had carefully preserved for a long time.” At first it was with me. But then I fell into the river, and it remained under water.
The old man thought that Phyu Tan had indeed lost something very valuable, and decided to come to his aid.
– Where did you drop the valuable thing - near the shore or further away? – he asked timidly, fearing to upset Phyu Tan even more.
Phyu Tan and the old man dived into the water for an hour, both turning blue from the cold. True, Phyu Tan still somehow held on - he was younger and, after all, he still maintained his interest, but the poor old man was completely exhausted. Then they decided to bask in the sun and relax. They lay down on the warm sand - it’s a miracle how pleasant - and little by little they began to come to their senses. When they had rested a little and were about to dive again, a breeze blew and brought with it fragrant smells from the village. The old man took a deep breath and said:
- It smells so delicious! No other way to prepare stellate sturgeon with eggplants!
Phyu Tan joyfully jumped to his feet, grabbed his clothes and rushed away, forgetting about the old man.
-Where are you going? - the old man shouted after him. -You won't dive anymore? Have you found what you lost?
“You found it,” Phyu Tan shouted back.
- What is this? – the old man was surprised. - Sevruga and eggplants!
The old man was more surprised than ever. So he stood there, his mouth open, and silently looked after the fleeing Phyu Tan.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru