In one village there lived an old woman, and she had two sons. One son died, and the other lived with his mother and worked as a laborer wherever he could.
The old woman was greedy and very stupid. One day, when her son was not at home, a soldier knocked on their door. The old woman opened the door for him and asked:
- What do you want?
“Let me spend the night,” said the soldier. – I’m very tired and hungry.
The old woman felt sorry for the food, and she replied:
“I have nothing to give you, I live from hand to mouth, and my house is very small, I have nowhere to put you.”
The soldier turned around and was about to leave, but the old woman became curious about where he was coming from, and she asked him about it. And the soldier answers her:
- From the other world.
“Did you see my son there,” asks the old woman, “who died last year?”
- I didn’t see it, we’re going to be best friends! - answered the soldier.
- How does he live there?
- Oh, it’s hard! They assigned him to the job of herding cranes. And they constantly climb into the thorn bushes; he has already torn all his clothes. So he walks around in rags.
Then the old woman ran into the house, pulled out a piece of expensive warm fabric from the chest and gave it to the soldier with the words:
- Tell my son to sew a suit for himself.
“Okay, grandma, so be it,” said the soldier, took the cloth and left the village.
In the evening, the son returned, and the old woman told him - well, a good fellow came from the other world, I gave him a piece of expensive fabric for your brother.
The son got angry and said:
- Well, you are stupid, mother! Today I’m leaving your house, I’ll go around the world, if I find somewhere a woman more stupid than you, then I’ll come back and feed and water you until the end of your days. And if you can’t find anyone more stupid, then don’t wait for me!
And he immediately set off on his way. The next day he came to another village and stopped at a rich house, where a pig and piglets were grazing in the yard. He entered the yard and began to bow to the pig. The mistress of the house saw this and sent a maid to find out why the guy was bowing to the pig. The maid ran out into the yard and asked:
- Hey, fool, my mistress wants to know why you bow to the pig?
“Tell your mistress that your pig is my pig’s sister, and my pig is getting married and sent me to invite your pig to her wedding.”
The maid returned home and conveyed his words to the mistress. She burst out laughing:
- Where has it been seen that pigs can have weddings? What fools! I'll play a joke on him! Let them harness the cart, and dress the pig in my beads, and the piglets in my hats. My pig doesn't walk to a wedding! Let all the neighbors have fun with the idiot.
They dressed up the pig and piglets, put them in a cart, harnessed the two best horses to the cart, and led them out of the yard. The guy took the reins, sat on the cart, and drove away.
In the evening the owner returned, who had been hunting all day. His wife told him the whole story, bursting into laughter. The husband told her:
- Oh, wife, you are many times stupider than that guy! Which way did he go?
And, mounting his horse, the man galloped after the cart.
When the guy saw himself being chased, he drove the horses and cart away from the road and hid it in the bushes. And he returned to the road, put his hat on a stump and sat down next to him. Soon the rider reached him and began asking about the cart.
“Of course,” the guy answered, “I saw the cart.” But she has already passed by for a long time, it will be difficult for you to catch up with her.
“You’re younger, catch up with them instead of me!” - the rider begged, - And I’ll reward you.
“I would be glad to help you, but I can’t, I’m guarding the master’s falcon.”
- So let me take care of it for you!
“You’ll miss it, and then demand will replace me.”
Then the owner of the cart offered the guy a thousand coins as a deposit, two hundred coins for catching up with the cart. He paid the money in advance and gave away his horse. And he sat down next to the tree stump to wait. He sat like that for a long time until the sun set. I got ready to return home, raised my hat to pick up the falcon - and it was empty. He guessed that this was the same guy who had lured the cart away from his wife and had deceived him too. He then returned to his wife and made peace with her.
And the cunning guy returned for the cart and calmly went on his way to his native village. He drove a pig with piglets, three horses, and a cart into the yard. Entering the house, he threw a heavy wallet with money on the table and said:
“Well, mother, as I promised, I will feed you for another hundred years.” There are people in the world much stupider than you!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru