There lived an old man and an old woman. They lived and grieved, subsisting from bread to kvass. From spring to autumn they lived in trouble: they ate quinoa and berries.
One day the old man got hold of a basket of wheat and said:
“All people sow and plow, we too will sow and we will have our own bread in the fall.”
Sowed. The wheat has grown beautifully. The old man and the old woman are not overjoyed, they walk every day, admiring the wheat: the wheat stands like a wall, the ear of the ear is heavier. The neighbors are jealous:
— Such a harvest has not been seen for centuries!
The time has come to harvest the bread. The old man sharpened his sickles:
- Tomorrow, old woman, let's go reap wheat!
At that time, a strong wind rose, a black cloud flew in and large hail fell on the old man’s plot. That hail knocked out all the wheat, not a single ear of wheat remained.
The old man began to spin, hung his head, and the old woman cursed:
“All my life I’ve been with you, with the talentless one, and I’ve been grieving.” You have no luck in anything. At the end of the century, they got hold of some seeds and grew wheat - and then something bad happened and disaster struck. On some strips the ears were not damaged, but we didn’t have any grain left.
The old man consoles:
“Don’t cry, old woman, don’t grieve; tears and cursing won’t reverse your losses.” The wind drove the cloud, let's look for justice - let the wind compensate for the losses.
The old woman cursed even more:
“He’s completely lost his mind, he’s babbling with his tongue, which is unheard of.” Now look for the wind in the field! And the old man insists:
- I’ll go ask from the wind: the wind is to blame - the wind is also responsible.
He put on his shoes, got dressed, picked up the boot and set off on his way.
He walked long, short, close, far, and reached a high mountain. There is a large hut near the mountain. The hut has four porches: one faces sunrise, another faces midday, the third faces west, and the fourth porch faces midnight.
At that time, buckets rattled, an old woman descended into the water to the river, very old - she could barely stand on her feet. She scooped up some water.
The old man said hello:
- Hello, grandma! Let me help you get some water.
- Hello, good man! Thank you for your kind words. Go to the hut, take a rest from the road, and I can handle the buckets myself: I’m still capable.
They went up to the porch and entered the hut. The old woman set the table, fed the guest, gave him something to drink, laid him on the stove and began to ask:
-Where, good man, are you going, where are you going? Did he come to us of his own free will or was he led by necessity?
- Oh, grandma, you don’t know my trouble. The old woman and I grew wheat, but the wind brought a cloud with hail, and it was all knocked out - there was no grain left. We have nothing to live with, even lie down and die. And so I went around the world to look for government.
- Well, if that’s the case, then the matter can be fixed. I am the mother of all four winds, and my sons did not come out of my will. Apparently, the mischievous Midnighter, my youngest son, offended you; he is good at such things. Wait a little: when your sons return home, I’ll force the culprit to return your losses.
After a short time, a noise was heard from the eastern side, the doors from the eastern porch opened - the East wind flew in. After that, there was a smell of warmth from the midday side - and the gentle Midday Wind flew into the hut from the midday porch. And at that very moment the West Wind appeared from those doors that open into the sunset. Suddenly there was a thunderous noise all around, the hut began to shake - and with laughter and a whistle, the Midnight Wind burst into the hut from the midnight side.
- Oh, and today I gave fear to ships at sea! I've played enough, had fun, and want to eat!
Meanwhile, the old woman set the table, fed and watered her sons and said:
- Well, which of you, sons, recently caused trouble?
She called the old man:
- Go ahead, speak up, don’t be afraid of anything! The old man came down from the stove and told everything how it happened. Midnighter calmed down and lowered his head.
“Apparently, you, Midnighter, are to blame,” said the mother, “and you have to answer.”
“It’s okay, mom,” Midnighter shook his head, “everything will be fine!” And you, dear guest, are brave and assertive - I love that kind of person. If you weren’t afraid to seek justice against me and tell me the whole truth to my face, be my sworn brother and don’t be sad about the loss.
He took out a package from his bosom and gave it to the old man:
- Here's a self-assembled tablecloth - you'll always be full. Just say: “Drink, eat!” - Unfold the tablecloth - and eat and drink whatever your heart desires. Just an agreement: when you go home, don’t go to the inn.
The old man thanked his sworn brother and the mother of the four winds for the kind welcome, for the treat and for the gift, and set off on the way back.
He walked, walked, walked and was so tired, completely exhausted, he thought to himself:
"I'll have to spend the night, I still won't be able to get home today. Why didn't Midnighter tell me to go to the inn? After all, it's not for me to spend the night in the field! You can even have your own bread at the priest's."
And he went into the inn. He sat down at the table, rested, and the owner asked:
- Maybe we should get dinner together? Order!
“I don’t need anything purchased, I have everything of my own.”
With those words, he took out a tablecloth from his bosom, unfolded it and said:
- Drink, eat!
Fathers of the world, where did this come from: various dishes were served, fragrant honey, appetizers, all sorts of snacks - the table is bursting! Drink, eat - measure the soul!
The owner was dumbfounded, looked wide-eyed, and could not utter a word. I have never seen such a diva.
And the old man is happy and happy:
“Now the old woman and I will have something to drink, something to eat, something to treat good people to.” And out of joy he calls the owner:
- Sit down for dinner with me and invite everyone you have - there will be enough treats for everyone.
The owner called his wife and the guys, and they all sat down at the table with the old man. They sit and eat.
Here the owner had a thought:
“I wish I could use this tablecloth!”
After dinner, the old man collapsed on the bench and fell fast asleep. The owner replaced the self-assembled tablecloth with a simple tablecloth exactly the same in appearance.
The next morning the old man woke up before dawn and quickly went home.
The old woman greeted him with abuse:
- Where does the devil take you? At home there is neither a grain of bread nor a log of firewood, but he has little grief!
- Shut up, old woman! Sit down at the table, help yourself to whatever your soul desires, drink, eat to your heart's content! He sat the old woman down at the table and unrolled the tablecloth:
- Drink, eat! What's happened? There's nothing...
The old man shook the tablecloth again, unfolded it, and slammed it with his hand:
- Drink, eat! Nothing again.
The old woman could not stand it, she jumped up and grabbed the frying pan:
- Oh, you idle talker, you decided to joke and mock! - And once, once with a frying pan: - Here, on you, you hateful one!
The old man forcibly escaped from the hut and ran away.
Stopped outside the outskirts:
- There's something wrong here. Apparently, Midnighter deceived me. Well, he attacked the wrong one! Now the road is familiar to me.
And he went to the mother of the four winds.
Whether long or short, long or short, he walked and came to a high mountain, to a large hut with four porches. It was in the evening. It was the brothers-winds from all four sides who were hurrying home. They picked up the guest and carried him to the hut.
The old man greeted the mother of the four winds and the wind brothers and said to Midnight:
“You are not acting like a brother, sworn brother.” Your self-assembled tablecloth only fed me once, gave me something to drink, and that was the end of it. Is it right to mock me like that?
“Wait, wait,” says Midnighter. -Did you go to the inn?
- I came in.
“Well, blame yourself for everything if you didn’t listen to me.” He took out his wallet from his bosom. - Take this wallet and go. You will never need anything. Whatever you need, shake your wallet - and you’ll shake as much money as you need. Look, remember my word: don’t go anywhere on the road.
The guest was fed and watered, and he went home. Soon the fairy tale will tell itself, and what’s more, the old man is in a hurry to get home.
He walked and walked and reached the very inn where he had stayed before.
“I’m completely emaciated, and my legs don’t bend anymore, I still can’t get home today. I’ll come in and spend the night.”
I came in and said hello. The owner of the inn recognized the old man, greeted him affectionately, and greeted him as if he were his own:
- Sit down and relax, good man. If you don’t disdain our treats, order something to drink and eat on the way.
“Let me try what Midnighter gave me!”
He ordered dinner to be served, and he called:
- Sit down, master, and call all your people, and whatever you have in the oven, everything is on the table - swords! I’ll pay for everything, you won’t be left at a loss.
The owner began to fuss, brought out various dishes and all sorts of drinks, called his wife and children, and everyone began to help themselves.
They drink, eat, and the owner can’t wait to find out what kind of wonder the old man has. He demands more and more new dishes, but how will he pay for it?
He endured and endured and said:
“Well, good man, thank you for the treat, it’s time to rest.” Tomorrow is early, tea, go and pay for everything today.
The old man took out a self-shaking wallet from his bosom. He shook it once, twice, and silver and gold fell out. He shook it and poured a full plate of money.
- Take it, master, everything is yours - I have enough of this stuff!
And the prisoner stared at the old man, sat there, silent. Then he grabbed the dish and sorted the money with his hands: the money was correct, the gold and silver were real.
- This is a curiosity!
The guest fell into bed and fell into a deep, sound sleep. He sleeps, does not sense trouble above him, but misfortune is right there.
The owner of the inn found the same wallet and replaced the old people with a self-shaking wallet. The old man jumped up early in the morning and went home.
At home, I just managed to cross the threshold, grabbed my wallet from my bosom, and shows:
“Don’t scold, old woman, this time without deception.” Give me a basket quickly, I’ll shake up some money, and go to the market, buy what you need.
The old woman looked incredulously. She brought a basket and is waiting, what will happen?
The old man shook his wallet once and twice, an old copper button fell out - and there was nothing else. The wallet began to shake again. Shaking and shaking - all to no avail.
Here the old woman let’s treat the old man with what was at hand.
She beats, and she cries and scolds:
- Oh, you windbag, windbag, you ruined me, wretched one! I’ve spent my whole life with you, I haven’t seen a good day, and in my old age I’ve gone completely crazy, becoming stupider day by day.
She beat until the basket crumbled, then she rushed for the poker. And the old man - God forbid his legs - jumped out of the hut and ran until the village was out of sight. He stopped: “Well, where should I go now? The old woman scolds and fights, but after such deceptions I can’t even appear in her eyes. Until I find justice, I won’t return home. Has the owner of the inn replaced my wonders? Or is the wind Midnight mocking? I’ll go to my sworn brother: the owner of the inn, even if he replaced the tablecloth and wallet, still doesn’t confesses."
The old man went to the high mountain for the third time.
Wind Midnight was at home. He came out of the hut and greeted the old man unfriendly:
- I know everything about you. You didn’t listen to me again, now you have yourself to blame! Here's this sum for you and live by your own wits. If need strikes, shake your bag and just say: “Suma, give me some sense!” and you will see what happens. And now goodbye!
Midnighter said nothing more, whistled, whooped, soared into the clouds and flew away to distant lands, to distant seas.
The old man put on his bag and trudged back. He walks and thinks: “It would be nice to eat and drink!” And he took the bag off his shoulders and shouted:
- Suma, give me some sense!
At that same moment, two young men with clubs jumped out of the bag and began to beat and beat the old man. And they beat him until he thought of shouting:
- Two, to the bag! The fellows immediately disappeared.
At first the old man was taken aback, but then he realized why Midnighter had awarded him this wonder...
“Apparently, it was not Midnighter, but the owner of the inn who changed the tablecloth and wallet.” Well, now I know what to do!
He walks along a familiar path, grins: “You will replace him, prisoner, and ask for wisdom for your misfortune!”
He reached the inn, and the owner saw him through the window and jumped out onto the porch:
- Come in, come in, dear guest!
He brought the old man into the upper room and climbed like a vine:
“We’ll hang the caftan here, and put the loaf in this corner.” He moved the bench to the stove: “Sit down, warm yourself, and I’ll order you to get ready for the table, today it’s my turn to treat you.”
He fusses and shouts:
- Wife, wife, what joy we have! Come here!
The hostess ran out and greeted her kindly and affably.
And the owner makes noise and does not stop:
- Get it ready for the table. Serve the best dishes, don’t regret it, give more!
“No other way than getting close to the bag,” the old man chuckles to himself.
The table was set and all sorts of food was provided. The old man was seated in the place of honor:
“Eat, dear guest, and tell me where you’ve been, what you’ve seen.” We are homebodies - we don’t go anywhere, we don’t know anything. What in the world is going on?
The old man treats himself and carries on a conversation, but the owner cannot take his eyes off the bag.
- Try this again, don’t offend me with a refusal. Bow down, wife, treat your dear guest!
But the old man eats and does not refuse.
They feasted and dined, the owner could not resist and asked:
“Tell me, dear little guest, what do you have in this bag—I guess it’s some kind of curiosity again?” The old man answers:
- This is not a simple sum, but a miracle among miracles. Shake her and say: “Suma, give me some sense!” - the sorcerers will immediately jump out and do everything you wish for you. Here it is, what a sum!
The old man’s owner listens, looks at him tenderly, and thinks: “Well, it won’t be me if I don’t take possession of this bag!”
We had dinner, took the guest to a distant room, and laid him down on a soft feather bed:
- Sleep, rest!
But the owner can’t sleep. He got a bag exactly the same in appearance and, as everyone in the house fell asleep, he made his way into the guest chamber, hung his bag on a nail, and took the old man’s to his room.
Woke up my wife:
- Look what I brought. Now all my wishes will come true. First of all, let the sorcerers build us a palace more beautiful than the royal one and give us a large estate, and we will begin to live as boyars in great honor.
And then he couldn’t resist, he shook his bag:
- Suma, give me some sense!
Two young men with clubs jumped out and began to treat the host and hostess, only the clubs whistled. The prisoner and his wife are afraid to shout, but the fellows beat and beat with their bags.
I couldn’t stand it anymore, the owner begged, begged:
- Have mercy, good fellows, have mercy on us! I'll pour in handfuls of money!
And the two from the bag don’t care about it, they thresh the owner and mistress like peas on a threshing floor.
The hostess began to cry loudly. And the owner, unable to bear it, shouted with good obscenities:
- Guard! Stand up!
The old man heard a scream, lies there, chuckles. And the owner screams inconsolably and breaks down:
- Guard! They are killing! Stand up!
The old man hesitated for a moment: “Well, now it’s time to go, otherwise they will beat the thief to death.”
I came, and the owner and his wife were already lying down and groaning. They prayed to the guest:
- Calm down, good man, your brawlers, don’t leave our children orphaned!
“Give me my self-assembled tablecloth and my self-shaking wallet, then I’ll help you out of trouble.”
- What are you, breadwinner, where can I get a self-assembled tablecloth and a self-shaking wallet? I haven’t had such wonders in ages!
- How did you get my bag? Listen, master, if you don’t give up the tablecloth and your wallet, the fellows will beat you to death from the bag. I won't say another word.
At this point the hostess became completely unbearable and burst into tears:
- Come on, hubby, your life is more valuable than a tablecloth and a wallet, let them go to waste!
And the owner cannot bear beatings:
- Quiet the fellows, and I’ll give you back the self-assembled tablecloth and the self-shaking wallet, and I’ll also give you a horse and sleigh to boot, just don’t ruin us!
The old man was just waiting for this. Shouted:
- Two, to the bag!
The fellows with their clubs disappeared, and the owner and his wife lay there and moaned:
- Oh, it’s sickening, they didn’t leave the bone intact, they completely mutilated it! Who will feed and water us? If only you, good man, would take pity on us and give us a self-assembled tablecloth or a self-shaking wallet!
The old man got angry:
— You haven’t been taught enough, apparently! Quickly hand over the tablecloth and wallet, otherwise I’ll call the fellows from the bag, and then blame yourself.
Here the owner did not hesitate, took out a tablecloth and a wallet from the chest:
- Take it, take it, we don’t need yours.
The old man shook the tablecloth, unfolded it and said
- Drink, eat!
At that very moment various dishes appeared, he rolled up the tablecloth and hid it in his bosom:
- Mine!
He shook his wallet once and then again - silver and gold fell out:
- And my wallet!
He hid his wallet and took the bag:
- Harness your horse, master, it’s time for me to go.
The owner ordered the worker to harness the horse and went out into the yard to see the guest off, while he himself kept groaning and groaning. The old man got into the sleigh:
- Well, goodbye, master! Don’t forget the lesson and remember: if you hear that you are coveting someone else’s goods, it will be bad for you.
And he left. He goes and chuckles:
“Now we need to teach the old woman a little, otherwise she’s completely out of her hands, she’ll just eat.”
I drove up to the house:
- Whoops!
The old woman ran out onto the porch, saw the old man, and began to curse:
- All autumn until winter I wandered around in an unknown place. And now he has appeared! Who saved bread for you?
- Wait, old woman, go to the hut. don't freeze! We went into the hut, the old woman did not calm down, she scolded. Here the old man shook his bag and shouted:
- Suma, give the old woman some sense!
The fellows jumped out with batons: who needs to be taught the wisdom?
The old woman got scared:
- Oh, old man, don’t touch me, have pity! I won’t say a word against you!
“Well, it would have been like this a long time ago,” said the old man. And he shouted: “Well done, get to the bag!”
The fellows with their clubs disappeared, and the old man shook himself, unrolled the tablecloth and said:
- Drink, eat!
And where did it come from: various dishes and all sorts of drinks were put on the table.
The old woman looks and doesn’t believe her eyes - she hasn’t seen such a miracle in ages.
And the old man calls:
- Sit down, eat whatever your heart desires! It's all ours now.
He gave the old woman something to drink and feed, then he picked up the self-shaking wallet:
- Look!
He shook his wallet once, twice, and silver and gold, gold and silver fell out.
- And this is all ours.
The old woman was happy. The old man told how he got these curiosities, and how the owner of the inn robbed him twice, and how he forced the thief to give him a self-assembled tablecloth and a self-shaking wallet.
- Well, it’s okay, old man, what happened is gone, let the past grow, but now you and I have enough of everything: we ourselves have something to drink and eat, and enough to feed good people.
From then on, the old man and the old woman began to live happily ever after. And whoever of the neighbors gets into trouble, the old people provide help to everyone. And everyone gives them honor and respect.
At that time, a landowner returned from somewhere across the sea. He heard that the old man and the old woman lived in great prosperity, and ordered to call them to him. An old man came. Barin asks:
“You were, as I remember, the very last poor man, and now you have become a rich owner.” Tell me without concealment, where did it come from?
The old man told him everything frankly, and the master told him:
“I will never believe in these stories until I see your wonders with my own eyes.”
- So what happened! - the old man says. “Perhaps come to me yourself, and I will show you the self-assembled tablecloth and the self-shaking wallet.”
The master ordered three horses to be put into the carriage. He sat down and put the old man and the coachman on the box.
- Let's go! And you, man, show the way. We've arrived. The old man brought the master into the upper room and sat him down in the red corner. The old woman brought a self-assembled tablecloth:
- Look, master!
The old man shook the tablecloth, unfolded it and said:
- Drink, eat!
The table was filled with all sorts of dishes and pickles.
“Taste, sir, our bread and salt, you won’t disdain,” the old man and the old woman serve.
The master tried one and the other - pleasant, tasty, better not to. I got drunk and ate my fill.
- Well, you spoke the truth about the self-assembled tablecloth, now show me the self-assembled wallet!
The old man brought a wallet. He shook it once, twice, and silver and gold, gold and silver fell out. The master's eyes lit up. He looks at the money and can’t get enough of it. Then he says:
— And you’re right about the self-shaking wallet. Now listen to my truth: quickly wrap the self-assembled tablecloth and the self-shaking wallet in a new clean canvas and carry it to the carriage with me.
- Have mercy, sir! - the old man and the old woman ask. “How can this be?” After all, the wind Midnighter gave these wonders to us, not to you. The master stamped his foot:
- Be silent! Otherwise, I’ll order you to take him to the stables, pour in a hundred rods, and you’ll immediately become smarter. Is it your servile business to contradict me? You are both mine, and everything you have is also mine. Got it?
- How can you not understand! - says the old man. - Everything is understood as it is.
- And you understand, so hurry up - I won’t wait!
- Bring my new bag, old woman, don’t you see, the master is in a hurry. Sorry, your honor, we didn't have a new canvas at home.
The old woman brought the bag, and the master hurried:
- Get it to bed quickly!
- Now, now, master!
The old man shook his bag and shouted:
- Suma, give me some sense!
The fellows jumped out with batons.
“Give the master some sense, so that he will remember forever and not set his sights on someone else’s things.”
The fellows began to harass the master with clubs. At first he waved and cursed, then he shouted:
- Hey, coachman, go to the rescue!
The coachman came running. Once or twice he was hit with a baton, and he sideways, sideways - and away from the room.
And the fellows beat the master from the bag, pounding, only the clubs whistle.
“Look, man,” the master shouted, “let me out before they beat me to death!” After all, you will have to be responsible!
“Don’t be sad about me, master,” the old man replies, “everything is the same for me: seven troubles - one answer, and without you at least people will feel better!”
Here the master fell to his knees:
- Let him go alive! I make a vow: I will never covet someone else’s property!
“You are not cut from the right cloth, so as not to covet someone else’s.” If you write to us, all your peasants, that you give up your property and leave here, so be it - I’ll leave you alive, otherwise your only choice is to the churchyard.
And the fellows, you know, beat, pound, and do their job.
The master couldn’t resist shouting:
- Oh, oh, I agree to everything! Give me pen, ink and paper quickly, I’ll write everything as you say, just let me go alive!
The old man brought a pen, ink and paper and told the fellows to wait from the bag. The master wrote a manumission letter to all his peasants and assigned the estate to the peasants. Then the old man shouted:
- Two, to the bag!
The fellows disappeared, and the master forcibly trudged out of the hut and said:
“I’ll leave tomorrow, and you, little man, don’t tell anyone that I was beaten here.”
The next day the master actually left. After all, what is written with a pen cannot be cut down with an axe.
And the men divided the land and began to live and live and praise the old man. And to this day they live, get on well, don’t know any trouble, and year after year they get better and richer, but they only talk about the landowner in fairy tales.
This is where the fairy tale ends, and whoever listened, well done.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru