In a certain kingdom, in a certain state, there lived an old man, he had three sons: two smart, the third a fool. The old man died. The sons divided the estate by lot. The smart ones get a lot of good things, but the fool gets only one bull - and that’s a bad one! The fair has arrived. Smart brothers are going to go to bargaining.
The fool saw it and said:
“And I, brothers, will take my bull to sell.”
He hooked the bull by the horns with a rope and led him to the city. It happened that he was walking through the forest, and in the forest stood an old, dry birch tree; the wind will blow and the birch tree will creak.
“Why does the birch tree creak? - the fool thinks. - Isn’t he selling my bull?”
“Well,” he says, “if you want to buy, then buy; I wouldn't mind selling! A bull costs twenty rubles; You can’t take less... Take out the money!
The birch tree doesn’t answer him, it just creaks, and the fool imagines that she’s asking for a loan from the bull.
- If you please, I’ll wait until tomorrow! He tied the bull to a birch tree, said goodbye to it and went home.
So the smart brothers arrived and began to ask:
- Well, you fool, did you sell the bull?
- Sold it.
- How expensive?
- For twenty rubles.
-Where is the money?
— I haven’t received the money yet; They said to come tomorrow.
- Oh, simplicity!
The next day the fool got up in the morning, got dressed and went to the birch tree for money.
He comes to the forest - there is a birch tree, swaying from the wind, but there is no bull: at night the wolves ate him.
- Well, fellow countryman, give me the money, you yourself promised that you would pay today.
The wind blew, the birch tree creaked, and the fool said:
- Look, what an infidel you are! Yesterday you said: “I’ll give it back tomorrow,” and today you promise the same. So be it, I’ll wait one more day, and I won’t do it again - I need the money myself.
Returned home. The brothers pester him again:
- What, did you get the money?
- No, brothers! I had to wait for more money.
- Who did you sell to?
— Dry birch in the forest.
- What a fool!
On the third day the fool took an ax and went into the forest. He comes and demands money. The birch creaks and creaks.
- No, fellow countryman! If you treat everyone to breakfast, you will never get anything back. I don’t like to joke, I’ll deal with you quickly.
As soon as the ax hit her, chips began to fall in all directions.
There was a hollow in that birch tree... and in that hollow the robbers hid a full cauldron of gold. The tree split in two, and the fool saw pure gold; I scooped up the whole floor and dragged it home. He brought it and showed it to his brothers.
- Where did you get so much, fool?
- The countryman gave it for the bull; Yes, it’s not all here yet; tea, and didn’t even bring half of it home. Let's go, brothers, to get the rest.
We went into the forest, took the money and took it home.
The fairy tale is over, but I’m done with it.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru