Once upon a time there lived three judges, whom God marked with wisdom; They lived together and made peace between people when they quarreled. Two of these graybeards treated the third with special respect, since he was the wisest of them. When they couldn't make a decision, they used to go to him for advice. But he gave advice not only to them; There were few people who would not turn to him for help. His fame spread throughout the country. He had one daughter, and his friends each had a son. The children grew up together and loved each other very much. They lived like this until the time came for the young men to get married. The fathers of the young men began to think, but in this matter they did not consult each other. The father of one young man sent a servant to tell the girl’s father:
- Give your daughter to my son.
The girl’s father listened to these words, ordered the servant to be fed, but did not give an answer. While this servant was eating, a messenger from another judge appeared with a similar errand. The girl's father ordered:
“Feed this servant too, don’t tell him anything; let him meet the first messenger.
When the second messenger began to eat, the first one was already full and went out to say goodbye to the owner. He said:
- Very good... Why not? I set a period of three months. Tell your master to get ready during this time.
The first messenger left. The second one followed him, receiving exactly the same answer. And the fathers of the boys hid their plans from each other, and each hoped that the girl would be given away for his son.
The messengers returned home and conveyed to the owners the answer of the venerable judge, the girl’s father.
“Did the venerable judge say so that I cannot recognize his cunning?!” - exclaimed the father of one young man and ordered his son:
“My boy, three months is not a long time; buy land and build more spacious houses on them, so that you and your wife can live comfortably and can also receive guests well.
And the father of another young man said this:
“There is no limit to the cunning of a clever person, but it has never happened that I did not understand such matters.” My son, take the money and hit the road immediately. Expand your circle of friends; the ones you have so far are not enough. This is the secret meaning of the words: “to prepare.”
The long-awaited day has finally arrived. One of the judges sent a servant to tell the girl’s father:
- The appointed day has arrived. I'm ready.
The other judge did the same.
The girl’s father called the old people to visit him and arranged a feast, and then said:
- Call two of my friends.
The fathers of the young men came. Then the venerable judge asked the elders for advice:
— I have one and only daughter. My friends asked me separately about the same thing: “Give your daughter for my son.” I can't split the girl into two parts. Please advise which young man to give it to.
The elders answered like this:
- This is not a simple matter. When we are in any difficulty, we come to you for advice. What kind of advice are you expecting from us?!
He saw that nothing could be achieved from them, and continued:
- Then listen again. I appointed a day for them, and now they both came. One of them bought land and built spacious houses on it for himself and for guests. Another expanded his son's circle of acquaintances. Here's how it goes. What will be your decision?
The elders answered him again:
“We have already said once that we cannot resolve this issue.
Then the girl’s father said this:
- What is the use of the abundance of land? You only have to make one mistake and everything will be lost; a storm can destroy all the houses, a fire or flood can consume them. Everything is a matter of chance. But if you have many friends, then at least one will be able to help you in difficult times. I give my only daughter to this man’s son. Whether you like it or not, that's what I decided.
And the elders again admitted that he was right and said:
“After all, we told you right away that we couldn’t figure out this matter.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru