Once upon a time there lived a grandfather and a woman. They lived very poorly, they had nothing, there was only one bag of rye. So the grandfather once asked the woman:
- Grandma, grandma, what should we do with this rye?
“Go to the mill, grind the rye there to bake bread,” she says.
The grandfather went to the mill, ground the rye and took the flour home.
Out of nowhere, a whirlwind came and dispelled all the grandfather’s torment. Grandfather brought home an empty wallet.
- Grandma, grandma, what are we going to do? The whirlwind dispelled all our torment!..
- And you go, grandfather, to the whirlwind, exact from it! The grandfather went to look for the whirlwind.
He walked and walked, walked for a long time, and came to a dense forest. He looks and there is a hut. The grandfather entered the hut. An old woman is sitting in that hut. She asks:
- Why did you, good man, come here?
- Yes, I’m looking for a vortex.
- Why do you need a whirlwind?
“He dispelled my torment, I want to exact it from him!”
“Well,” says the old woman, “wherever you need, that’s where you came: this is a whirlwind hut, and I’m his own mother!”
She fed the grandfather and told him to wait for the whirlwind. Whether for a long time or soon, a whirlwind arrived. His mother asks:
“Why did you dispel this man’s flour?” Now he has no bread! Whirlwind says:
- Don’t worry, grandfather, I’ll give you a good gift for your torment!
And gives him a tablecloth.
Grandfather asks:
-What kind of tablecloth is this? What do I need it for?
“And this tablecloth is not simple,” says the whirlwind. “How do you say: “Hey, tablecloth, tablecloth, roll out, turn around, give me something to drink and eat, whatever there is in the world!” - she will give you everything.
Grandfather went home with the tablecloth. He walked away a little and thought:
“Let me check if the whirlwind has deceived me.” Yes, and he says:
- Hey, tablecloth, tablecloth, roll out, turn around, give me something to drink and eat, whatever there is in the world!
The tablecloth rolled out, turned around - and various dishes appeared on it, which only exist in the world.
The grandfather marveled, ate, rolled up the tablecloth and went home. And night overtook him on the road. He asked to spend the night in one house. And a rich woman lived in this house. She got rich through deception and cunning. She let the old man in and began asking and prying:
- Where are you coming from, grandfather?
- Yes, I went to the whirlwind to exact flour for it!
- What did the whirlwind give you?
- And he gave me a tablecloth.
- What kind of tablecloth is this?
- Not simple! How do you tell her: “Hey, tablecloth, tablecloth, roll out, turn around, give me something to drink and eat, whatever there is in the world!” - she will give everything.
“Grandfather, put your tablecloth in the entryway: no one will take it from us.”
The old man obeyed and put the tablecloth in the entryway. The hostess talks to him about this and that, and she called her daughter and whispered:
- Take your grandfather’s tablecloth and put ours instead!
The daughter did just that: she put down her tablecloth and hid her grandfather’s.
The next morning the grandfather got up, put the tablecloth in his bosom and went home.
He comes and says:
- Well, old woman, now we’ll be full! Sit down at the table!
They sat down at the table. Grandfather took the tablecloth from his bosom and ordered:
- Tablecloth, tablecloth, roll out, turn around, give me something to drink and eat, whatever there is in the world!
But the tablecloth didn’t move. The woman got angry and drove the grandfather out of the hut.
- Go to the whirlwind again!
The grandfather went again into the dense forest. He walked and walked and found a whirlwind hut. He came in and began to scold:
- You shameless whirlwind! You deceived me! Your tablecloth doesn't give anything!
He brought the whirlwind little ram and said:
- Here's a little lamb for you, grandfather. Whenever you say: “Little ram, little ram, shake yourself up, give me gold and silver,” he will give it.
Grandfather took the lamb and went home.
He walked and walked and went to spend the night in the same hut. The hostess let him in and asked:
-What kind of little sheep do you have?
- And this little ram was given to me by a whirlwind. When I tell him: “Little ram, little ram, shake yourself up, give me gold and silver,” he will give it.
- Well, show me!
- Give me the matting, mistress!
The hostess brought a matting. Grandfather spread out the matting, placed the lamb on it and said:
- Little ram, little ram, shake yourself up, give me some gold and silver!
The little ram shook itself, and gold and silver fell from it.
The owner saw this and replaced the lamb at night.
The next morning the grandfather took the owner's lamb and went home. He comes and says to the old woman:
- Well, old woman, now we will always have money!
Bring me the matting!
The old woman brought it.
Grandfather put the little lamb on the matting and ordered:
- Little ram, little ram, shake yourself up, give us some gold and silver!
And the little lamb stands as it stood.
Grandmother drove grandfather out of the hut:
- Go to the whirlwind, exact from it for our torment!
The grandfather went again to the whirlwind hut. The whirlwind listened to him and gave him a horn:
- Take this horn, grandfather. Now all your goodness will return to you, just say: “There is a lot of everything from the horn!”
Grandfather went home and thought: “Come on, I’ll try this horn!” Yes, and he says:
- There's a lot of horn!
The fellows with clubs jumped out of the horn and started beating the grandfather. Okay, he thought of shouting:
- Everyone back to the horn!
The fellows with the clubs immediately disappeared, and the grandfather went his way.
“Well,” he thinks, “thanks to the whirlwind! He taught me wisdom. I know what to do now!”
He reached the hut where he had previously spent the night, and again asked to stay for the night. The hostess quickly opened the door from the wing, let him in and asked:
- What kind of horn do you have, grandfather?
- This horn gave me a whirlwind. He will give you whatever you want, just say: “There’s a lot of everything from the horn!”
The grandfather said this and left the room, leaving the horn on the table. As soon as he was at the door, the hostess grabbed the horn and said:
- There's a lot of horn!
As soon as she said this, the fellows jumped out of the horn and started beating her with batons. They beat, beat, beat, beat! She screamed at the top of her lungs:
- Grandfather, grandfather! Help!
- Will you give me my tablecloth and lamb?
- I didn’t take them!
- Oh, you didn’t take it? Well, then beat her, well done!
- Oh, grandfather, I’ll give it to you, just save me!
Then the grandfather says:
- Everyone back to the horn!
The fellows with the clubs immediately hid in the horn. The hostess gave grandfather both the tablecloth and the lamb. Grandfather went home.
He came, brought his old woman all the whirlwind gifts, and they began to live and live without need, without grief.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru