There lived in Jutland a man nicknamed Per the Rogue. They called him that because in every matter he strove to lie and cheat and leave honest people in the cold. Once he managed to sell his cow to seven butchers at once and received money from all of them as a deposit. They came in a crowd to buy, but there was only one cow! Who should take it?
The butchers got angry and started shouting:
- Oh, you are such a swindler, a rogue, a swindler! Well, just wait, you’ll cry with us! We will find justice for you!
They took him and sued him.
Here the rogue Pere began to think about how he could avoid reprisals. I thought and thought, my head almost burst, but no remedy came to mind.
So they called him to the city, to the judge. Per wanders down the street and keeps looking around, as if looking for help. A lawyer saw him from the window. And that lawyer was a swindler and a cunning man worse than Per. He got the hang of handling shady deals and saving swindlers from rightful courts. The lawyer looks at Per from the window and thinks:
“Apparently, this man can’t do without my advice. I’ll help him and rip off a dozen or two dalers for it.” He ran out into the street and shouted to Peru:
- Wait, good man! I see you're in trouble. Tell me what happened to you. Perhaps I can help you.
- What is there to tell! — Per answers. “No one will help me, unless it’s some trickster who can fit through the eye of a needle and get away with it.”
“You’re very lucky, my dear,” says the lawyer, “because I’m just such a trickster.”
He took Pera by the hand and led him into the house. The rascal told him about his troubles and asked:
- Well, can you help me?
“It’s a piece of cake for us,” says the solicitor. “Spend twenty dalers and you’ll get good advice.”
- Eh, no! - answers Per-rascal. - Well, how will the matter not work out? No, you give me some advice first, and then I’ll give you the money.
- Okay, have it your way. My advice is this: when you come to court and they ask you all sorts of questions, you answer only one thing: “Eh, leave me alone!” And don't say another word. Understood?
Per the Rogue came to court. The judge asks him:
- Is it true that you sold a cow to seven butchers at once?
Per in response:
- Eh, leave me alone! The judge asks him again:
“Tell me clearly, did you sell the cow or not?” And Per his:
- Eh, leave me alone!
Here the judge completely lost his temper. He turned red like a lobster, leaned close to Per’s ear and started yelling:
- Answer me, damn it, did you sell the cow to seven butchers? Did you receive money from them?
And Per answers:
- Eh, leave me alone!
They fought and fought with him, but they could not squeeze a good word out of him. And he looked kind of stupid. Then the judge says to the complainants:
“I can’t, good people, sort out your case.” You can see for yourself that this guy doesn’t have everything at home. We'll have to let him go as soon as possible.
He turned to Peru and said:
- Go home, you slacker! And Per answers:
- Eh, leave me alone! - And he doesn’t move.
The servants grabbed him by the collar and pushed him out the door. Per laughed and went home.
Meanwhile, the lawyer is waiting for him at the window. All he sees is Per coming from court, but he doesn’t even think of looking at him. I just passed the door! Then the lawyer jumped out into the street and shouted:
- Hey, wait a minute! Wait! Give me twenty dalers!
- Eh, leave me alone! - Per answered and went his way.
So the cunning lawyer fell into his own trap. And it serves him right! It turned out just like the proverb: “A thief stole a thief’s club.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru