Once in one ulus all the people gathered together with the noyons to choose a ruler-khan. Those gathered decided to make the bald Tarkhalzhan khan. At this time, a little boy of about five kept running around and asked him to make him khan. They chose Tarkhalzhan.
One day that boy (his name was Baldan) says to the khan:
- Make me khan instead of you.
“I appoint you as khan over these flies, which are full of them.” OK? - Khan says laughing.
The boy Baldan made himself a horse out of a twig and played in the street. He approaches the khan and sees a large fly on his bald head. The boy hit the khan on the head with a rod. The enraged khan turned around - a five-year-old boy, Baldan, was standing.
- What are you doing? Come on, come here quickly!
- Lord Khan, I’m punishing the fly. Why should this lousy fly sit on the head of the Lord Khan? You yourself made me a noion over flies.
The khan was confused, could not answer anything, and remained silent. And the boy sat astride the twig and ran to kill flies wherever he saw them.
Several years have passed since then. The eldest wife of a rich man gave birth to a son. And he had no children from his younger wife. When the rich man's boy was five years old, his father died. The wives started a lawsuit: they couldn’t divide the property. A dispute broke out between them over their son. The younger wife decided to take her son away from the eldest.
To end the dispute, the wives turned to the khan. For several days the khan searched for the right answer and was lost in thought. Suddenly he remembered: “Long ago, I made one boy, little Baldan, a noyon over flies. That boy has probably grown up and become smart now.”
Khan met him, recognized the guy and said:
“Two women are about to come to me, they are arguing over their son.” Whose son this is is unknown. How can I find out which of them is the real mother, how can I resolve this dispute? Come and judge for me. And I will give you everything you ask.
“It’s possible, I’ll come tomorrow,” the guy promised. The next day Baldan came to the khan.
Soon those two women came up with their five-year-old boy.
“Reverend Khan, this is my son,” says the younger one.
- She's lying! “She never gave birth to children,” says another.
Baldan ordered the servant to bring his sword. When the sword was brought, Baldan led both women out into the street.
- If you both gave birth to this boy, share him. With this sword I will cut your son in two. Stand on either side and pull his hands.
As soon as he swung his sword, the woman holding the boy's left hand fell, covering her face. And the other one stands there, holding the boy’s hand.
Baldan took two women and a boy into the house and revealed the whole truth to the gathered people.
“Of these two women, I guessed the boy’s own mother.” What a pure and kind heart my mother has! When a mortal threat loomed over her son, she fainted. What is a liar like? She has a wolf's soul and a heart of stone, she calmly awaited his death.
People are amazed, they are amazed at Baldan’s wisdom.
There was no end to the joy and happiness of the eldest of the women. She took her son and went home.
-Have you seen a man with a pig here? “Should I drive along this road,” asked the rich man.
- Saw.
-Where did you go?
- In the middle of these three roads.
- Listen, boy, I rode very fast and was terribly tired. “Be kind, get on this horse, catch up with that man and bring him to me,” says the rich man.
- No time.
- Why?
“And you see, I covered the golden bird with my hat.” You can't watch it during the day, you can only watch it at night. Otherwise, she will turn into an ordinary bird.
- Come here! I'll hold you until you come.
- Well then! We'll have to help a good person. Just look, if you open it before nightfall, there will be no golden bird.” The hunter mounted his master’s horse and rushed off, found the tarantass with the pig and calmly rode home.
And the rich man sits, afraid to release the golden bird and lose his gold, sits, carefully pressing down his hat. The person he sent does not return. Night has fallen. “Okay,” the greedy rich man thinks, “let him not come back, I’ll take the golden bird for myself. This will be much more expensive than a pig and a carriage!” He stuck his head under his hat, and there was a piece of dry cow dung.
The rich man almost died of shame and anger.
Meanwhile, our hunter arrived home and said to his wife:
“I shouldn’t have been angry with you.” It turns out that there are people in the world who are seven times stupider than you.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru