An old man lived with an old woman. They had no children. They got bored. One day a husband says to his wife:
- Listen, wife! We have no children, no one to please or amuse us. Well, what can we do for fun?
“Let’s play a game of silence,” the wife suggested.
“Okay,” said the husband.
We agreed: whoever loses will have to kill the calves. The old woman went into the forest to collect brushwood. But the old man stayed at home and sat on the porch.
Two horsemen rode into the yard, but the owner did not move.
- Hello, master! – the riders shouted, but the old man did not respond.
- What's wrong with you, are you deaf or what? - they turned to him. The old man didn't even move.
And this way and that they sought an answer, but the old man was still silent. Then one of the horsemen became angry and hit him with a whip. Another jumped off his horse, took out a knife, cut off one of his mustaches and cut his ear. The old man groaned, but still did not utter a sound. The horsemen spat goodbye and galloped away. The old man, overcoming the pain, cursed to himself.
It got dark. The old woman returned, looked at the old man, involuntarily gasped and, clasping her hands, exclaimed:
-Who mutilated you like that?
- Yeah! You lost, you lost! – the old man shouted joyfully. “Now go and herd the calves, and leave me alone.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru