Three brothers lived in the world, or maybe not. The older ones were simpletons, but the younger ones were savvy. Their father left them a lot of gold and all sorts of goods. Before his death, he ordered his sons to never deal with bald people and not to buy anything from them. They didn’t go to the city and never saw anyone who was bald. But one day they ran out of salt.
The elder brother was going to the city to buy salt. He loaded the donkey with gold - the simpleton doesn’t know how much salt is - and set off.
He met a bald rogue.
- Great!
- Great!
-Where are you going, brother?
- To the city, exchange gold for salt.
- Come change with me, I have as much as you want.
- No, I don’t want to. My father ordered me not to deal with baldheads.
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to,” says the bald man. “I won’t force you!”
The simpleton moved on. And the rogue overtook him along another road and again found himself in front of him. I said hello.
“Where are you going?” he asks the simpleton.
— I’m going to town to get some salt.
- Buy salt from me.
- No, I can’t, my father didn’t order me to buy from the bald people.
“Who will you buy salt from?” the rogue is surprised. “Only bald people live here!”
The simpleton still doesn’t want to buy salt from him.
- Have it your way, if you don’t want it, don’t buy it. Let me tell you a riddle,” says the bald man. “If you guess it, I’ll give you salt and a camel in addition.”
If you don’t guess, you will give me the donkey and the khurjin with gold.
The simpleton agreed.
- I have a guinea fowl. He will go into the forest in the morning, lay an egg, and in the evening, I see, the two of them return, and both - the guinea fowl and the egg - cackle. What would that mean?
The simpleton racked his brains for a long time - he could not guess the riddle. And I was left with nothing. True, the bald man took pity on him and gave him a pound of salt.
The elder brother returned home sad and did not tell his brothers anything.
The middle brother went to the city to buy salt. He loaded the donkey with the gold and set off. On the way he met the same bald rogue.
- Great, brother! Where are you heading?
- To the city, exchange gold for salt.
- Why go to the city, I’ll exchange it for you.
“No,” says the middle brother, “I cannot violate my father’s order.” He did not order to deal with bald men.
- If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. I will not force you!
The rogue left him, ran a short way and again found himself in front of the middle brother. I said hello.
-Where are you going, brother?
- To the city for salt.
- Buy it from me.
“I can’t, my father didn’t tell me to buy from the bald people.”
-Who will you buy it from? There are only bald people living around here.
Still, the simpleton doesn’t want to buy salt from the bald man.
- Have it your way, if you don’t want it, don’t buy it. Let me tell you a riddle,” says the bald man. “If you guess right, I’ll give you salt and a camel in addition.” If you don’t guess, your donkey and khurjin with gold will go to me.
The simpleton agreed. And the bald man asked him the same riddle.
The simpleton did not guess the riddle. I had to give the bald rogue both the donkey and the gold. True, the rogue took pity on him and gave him a pound of salt.
The middle brother returned home and did not tell his brothers anything.
The younger brother was surprised why the elders brought so little salt.
He loaded a donkey with precious stones and went to the city.
On the way, he also met the same bald rogue. I said hello.
-Where are you going?
The younger brother answered him in the same way as the elders. I didn’t want to change with a bald man.
The rogue fell behind him, ran another way and again found himself in front of the traveler. I said hello.
-Where are you going?
- To the city for salt.
- Why do you need to go so far? Let me tell you a riddle. If you guess it, I’ll give you a whole pound of salt and a camel to boot. If you don’t guess, I’ll take your donkey and the khurjin with the stones.
The guy agreed.
- I have a guinea fowl. In the morning he will go into the forest, lay an egg there, and in the evening, I see, the two of them return - the guinea fowl and the egg - and both cackle. What would that mean?
- Look, just like ours! — the savvy one grins. “And our guinea fowl goes into the forest every day and returns with an egg.” And what are they cackling about? Let’s go ask our bees, they guard both your and my guinea fowl in the forest.
The rogue sees that he can’t deceive this traveler, don’t fool his head with tall tales. I had to go home and bring a camel with a bag of salt.
The bald guy gives the guy everything he promised, and he whispers in the camel’s ear:
- As you pass through the swampy place, lie down, don’t get up. And if he forces you to stand up, do not enter the barn, puff up your sides so that you cannot pass through. He will drive you away and you will come running to me.
The younger brother drove the camel and donkey home. They came across a swampy place on the road. The camel lay down in the mud and lies down. The smart guy didn't say anything. He sat down calmly on a fence by the road and lit a pipe.
A traveler walked past.
The younger brother greeted him and said:
- Do me a favor, as you walk through our village, tell my wife these words: “Maybe I’ll be lucky and you’ll give birth to a child. Maybe I'll get lucky and have a son. Maybe I'll be lucky and my son will grow up. And when my son grows up, bring him to me with a cart - my camel got stuck in the mud. I’ll put the camel on the cart and take it home.”
The camel got scared: “I’ll die of hunger until his son comes for me on a cart, or maybe he won’t come at all if he’s not born!” The camel jumped up and walked forward.
The younger brother reached the house and began to drive the camel into the stable. The camel's sides are swollen and it won't fit in.
“Give me an axe, brothers!” the guy shouts. “The camel’s belly is very big, I’ll chop it off a little from the sides.”
The camel sees it - such an owner is not to be trifled with. He exhaled and obediently went to the barn.
Sorrow is there, happiness is here, sweet dreams to you and to us.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru