Whether it happened or not, there lived one poor man. This poor man went to the fisherman and got a job. He earned several fish per day, brought them home - this is what he and his wife lived on.
One day a fisherman caught a beautiful fish, told the worker to take care of it, and he himself went back into the water. A worker sits on the shore, looks at a beautiful fish and thinks: “Lord God, a fish is also a living being! After all, like us, it has parents and friends, it understands something, it feels both joy and grief...” Before he had time to think this, the fish spoke in a human voice:
- Listen, brother man! I was playing with my friends in the waves of the river, I lost myself in joy and ended up in a fishing net. Now my parents are probably looking for me, crying, and my girlfriends are sad. And I myself, you see, how I’m suffering - I’m suffocating without water. I want to go back to the river, The fish spoke quietly, barely audibly, and with difficulty opened its dry mouth. The worker felt sorry for the fish, he took it and threw it into the river. “Swim, beautiful fish!” Let your parents cry no more. Don't let your girlfriends be sad. Swim, live, rejoice with them!
The fisherman saw this and became very angry with his worker: “What a fool you are!” I get wet in the water, catch fish, and you go into the water! Get out and don’t come into my sight again! You are not my employee! At least die of hunger! He took the bag from the worker and drove him away.
-Where should I go now? What to do? How to live? And, worried, empty-handed, the poor man wandered home. He wanders sadly home, and towards him is a Monster in human form, walking and chasing a beautiful cow. - Good afternoon, brother! Why are you so sad? What are you thinking about? - asks the Beast. The poor man told him about his misfortune: he was left without work, without bread and now does not know what to do with his wife. - Listen, my friend, - says the Beast, - I will give this cow to you for three years. Every day she will give so much milk that you and your wife will be fed up. But as soon as three years have passed, I will come to you this very night and ask questions. Answer, I’ll leave the cow to you, if you don’t know how to answer, I’ll take them both, take them away, and do with you whatever I want. Agree? “We’re going to die of hunger anyway,” the poor man thought, “so I’d better take a cow.” She will feed us for three years, and then God will be merciful - maybe he will send us happiness and answer our questions. - I agree! - he says. He took the cow and took her home.
For three years the cow fed the poor man and his wife to the full, and they did not notice how time passed. But then the agreed upon time came: at night the Monster was supposed to appear to them. At dusk, a husband and wife sit sad at the threshold and think about how to answer the Beast’s questions. And who knows what the Beast will ask them? - This is what it means to contact the Beast! - the husband and wife sigh and repent. But what happened was what happened, there is no other way out. And the terrible night is already approaching.
Suddenly an unfamiliar handsome young man comes up to them and says: “Good evening! I am a wanderer.” Won't you shelter me for the night? - Why not shelter me, brother wanderer! The guest was sent by God. Only on this night it is dangerous to stay with us. We took a cow from the Beast with an agreement to feed on its milk for three years. The monster set a condition: in three years it will appear and ask us questions. We will be able to answer - the cow is ours, no - we ourselves will become his captives. Today the deadline has ended, it will come at night, and we don’t know how we will answer it. Whatever the Beast does to us, it serves us right. But as long as you don’t get hurt! - It doesn’t matter! “What happens to you will happen to me,” the wanderer answers.
The owners agreed with him. The guest remained. At midnight there was a strong knock on the door. “Who’s there?” “Monster!” I have appeared, answer the questions! Where can I answer! From horror, both the wife and the husband lost their tongue. So they both froze in place. “Don’t be afraid, I will answer for you!” - says the young guest and rushes to the door. - I’m here, - the voice of the Beast is heard behind the door. - I’m here too, - the guest answers him. - Where are you from? - From the other side of the sea. - What did you come on? - He saddled a lame mosquito, sat on horseback and came! - So the sea was small? - How small it is! The eagle cannot fly over it. - So the eagle is a chick? - What a chick! The shadow of his wings covers the city! - So the city is very small? - How small it is! The hare can't run across it. - So the hare is tiny? - What a tiny one! From his skin you can cut out a sheepskin coat, a hat and a pair of mittens in addition. - So, a dwarf will wear them? - What a dwarf! Place a rooster on his knee - he won't hear the crow. - So he's deaf? - How deaf! He hears a deer nibbling grass in the mountains.
The Beast was confused: it senses that there, behind the door, there is some wise power - brave and invincible. The Beast doesn’t know what else to say, quietly retreats and disappears into the darkness of the night. The husband and wife got rid of the misfortune, rejoice, rejoice. Soon it was dawn. The young guest begins to say goodbye. “No, no, we won’t let you in!” — the husband and wife blocked his way. - You saved our lives - tell me, how can we thank you? - There’s nothing to thank you for, I have to go. - Well, at least tell me your name. If we fail to thank you, then we will know whom to bless. - Do good and even throw it into the water - it will not be lost. “I am the same talking fish that you spared,” the stranger answered and disappeared. And the husband and wife were left in joyful amazement.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru