And we had spachyas. Some had such estates that you couldn’t travel around them in a whole day. One of them had farm laborers on his farm—almost a whole village.
Once upon a time there was a fruitful year, and the hard-working and thrifty farm laborers, who also had their own poultry and pigs, hoped to improve their affairs a little. Spahia did not like this. Many people visited him, and he noticed that a well-fed farmhand leaves his owner more easily. And this was out of his hands. He liked to keep people strict. He had nothing to do, and soon he decided what to do.
Behind the farm in the valley there was a good vineyard planted. It was surrounded on three sides by mountains, and on the side of the farm by a moat. There was a bridge across the ditch.
The owner waited for the fall, when some pennies began to jingle in the farmhands’ pockets, and said to one of them:
- Do you know what came to my mind? I lost my desire for that vineyard beyond the ditch. It would be a pity to abandon it, there is no one to sell it to, because it is in the middle of the estate. So I decided to sell it to you, my people. I’ll give it away cheap, just to get rid of it, and after all, it’ll be a help to you. Lay down and take as much as you can.
Everyone, especially farm laborers, wants to become an owner, especially when they can buy land cheaply. So the farm laborers took the bait.
The landowner gives a mote (measure) of the vineyard for five forints - cheap. How can you not be flattered? The farm laborers bought - some one, some two, and those who pushed harder took more.
Everyone knew where their stripe was. One of the farmhands got up early the next day - he couldn’t wait to admire his vineyard. True, he had seen that land for many years, but the master’s property is one thing, and his own is another.
He got up, went to the ditch, wanted to cross the bridge to his vineyard, lo and behold, there was no bridge. Disappeared overnight.
There is no bridge, and on the other side of the ditch sits the guard of the spahia. He is dozing, leaning on a club, and a gun on his knees.
Well, since there is no bridge, we have to jump. And the farmhand jumped in the place where the bridge had previously passed - there the ditch was narrower.
He jumped over and straight to his vineyard. But the watchman won’t let me in:
-Where are you going?
- To my vineyard. I want to admire my goodness.
- Wait. Why did you jump over the ditch? The vineyard is yours, but the ditch is spahii.
- So what?
“What?.. Because, brother, spachyia doesn’t allow you to jump over the ditch for free,” said the watchman.
And then it became clear why he was sitting here with a loaded gun.
If you jump over the ditch, you pay five forints.
- Oh, so?
- How could it be otherwise? Once you jump over, pay five forints and admire your vineyard to your heart’s content.
The watchman leaned on his club, like an archangel on his sword at the gates of heaven, and guarded the ditch. The farmhand sees that he can’t get by without five forints. I thought for a while and sighed sadly.
“Well, give me five forints,” the watchman hurries him.
“Wait a little,” the farm laborer answers and - hop! — jumped back over the ditch.
- So you don’t want to go to your vineyard?
- What am I, a fool or something, I’ll start breaking my legs, jumping here and there.
Eh, brother, I’m not the only one, others are even deeper stuck. I only bought two coins for five forints. I jumped over the ditch there, jumped back, and now let the spachia rule my vineyard. For me to keep jumping and kicking my legs - he won’t wait for that.
The farmhands realized how the landowner wanted to benefit them.
Out of grief, they went to the ditch and let’s jump over it in front of the watchman. Whoever bought as many moths jumped over as many times. Those who, in addition to grapes, also had money, paid, but one farm laborer bought only one hoe from the spahii, and when he jumped over the ditch, he realized what trouble he was in.
After all, he gave all his money to the landowner, and jumped over once - and lost the purchased vineyard hoe. How can I get home now?
“Wife, run, sell what you can, collect five forints and buy a mole of earth from the spahii so that you have something to pay for, otherwise I will remain on this side until the end of my days.”
[Spahiya - Turkish landowner]
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru