It was in Isturica. As it happened in the world, a peasant lived here. Lived poorly. He made friends with hunger and cold, but he could not bring wealth into his home.
And then the tax collector comes to him at noon.
“I announce to you,” he says, “that tomorrow I will take all the crops that are left standing in the field.” Yours is only what is at home. What you collect at night is yours.
The peasant became sad. He clasped his head in his hands, he didn’t know what to do. And it’s true: how much does he have to clean in one night?
But this is what the peasant came up with. His grandfather said that if you call the Laminyaks, treat them with bread and cheese, and ask for help, then if they are in a good mood, they will help. And to find out what kind of mood they are in is simple: you need to hide and listen to what kind of song they sing when they go to visit. If they walk and waddle and sing “Chirin-chirin-chirin”, you can ask for anything, but if they mutter “Firgulin-firgulin”, then don’t ask, it won’t do any good anyway.
The peasant collected the last cheese and bread, put everything on the table, and hid himself. He hears: the Laminyaks are coming. “Chirin-chirin” they sing. They sat down, ate bread and cheese and said:
- Well, get out, master, we’ve been seeing you for a long time and we’ve known for a long time what you ask us to do. Let's work a little until the rooster crows.
They went to the field and began to collect the harvest.
A rooster crowed in the morning, and the peasant saw that the attic of his house was full of grain up to the roof.
- Chirin-chirin! - he shouts to the laminya-kam. - Thank you!
A tax collector came to the field and saw that only a strip of wheat had not been harvested, and the attic in the peasant’s house was bursting with grain.
He got angry, shouted, and went home. What could he do? Just say, like the Laminyaki: “Firgulin-firgulin” and leave with nothing. After all, he himself threatened the peasant that he would take away the harvest that would remain standing in the field, yes, apparently, the peasant got the better of him this time!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru