Once upon a time there lived an old man and an old woman. They had an only son. One day the old man fell ill, and he felt that he did not have long to live. He called his son to him and said:
- Here's my entire inheritance. Manage to dispose of it. With these words, he gave his son three copper kopecks. The son accepted them and bowed.
The old man died, his son buried him with honor.
One day a young man walked to a neighboring village and fingered his three kopecks in his pocket. “What can I buy with it, how can I manage my father’s inheritance?” - he thought. Suddenly he sees some people dragging a dog on a rope.
-Where are you taking her and why? - asked the young man.
“We are dragging her into the forest to kill her,” they answered. “A dog.” She’s already old, why feed her for nothing?
The young man felt sorry for the dog.
“Don’t kill her, but give her to me.” Here's a penny for it. He took the dog and brought it home. The mother attacked her son:
“Why did you bring the dog, we have nothing to eat ourselves, and you gave a penny for it.”
- Let him live. “It will be of some use to us someday,” he replied.
After some time, the young man went to the village again. He sees a man dragging a cat on a leash. He asked where and why he was dragging her?
“This is a mischievous and insatiable cat,” he answered. “I want to kill her.”
“Don’t kill, but give her to me,” said the young man. “Here’s a penny for her.”
And the young man gave the man his father’s second penny, and in return took a cat. At home, his mother again began to scold him for spending his father’s inheritance in such an unmanageable manner.
“Let him live,” her son answered. “Maybe the cat will be useful to us someday.”
A short time later the young man went to the village again. Suddenly he sees people in the forest beating a snake with sticks,
- Hey, what are you doing?! — the young man exclaimed, “Don’t kill her.” - Here's a penny for it.
And the young man gave his last penny for the snake. When the people left, the snake said to him in a human voice:
- Thank you for saving me. I will not remain in your debt. Come with me.
“Okay, let’s go,” the young man answered and went after the snake.
On the way, the snake said to its savior:
“My sisters will thank you and offer you gifts.” Don't take anything, just ask for a ring.
When they came to the snake's dwelling, the sisters of the rescued snake wanted to rush at the young man.
“Don’t touch him,” said the first snake. “This young man saved my life.” People wanted to kill me, but he protected me.
“If so, then we must thank him,” said the sisters. “Tell me, young man, what you need to live comfortably all your life.”
“If possible, give me your ring,” he asked.
The snake-sisters didn’t like the young man’s request, but there was nothing to do: he had to keep his word. They gave him the magic ring and said this:
- Never give this ring to anyone. If you need anything, you turn the ring and say: “Ring, give it to me and name what you need. In the morning your request will be fulfilled."
That same evening, the young man decided to test the magical power of the ring. He turned the ring and said:
- Ring, let me have a palace.
With this desire he fell asleep, and when he woke up in the morning, he saw that he was in a beautiful palace.
After this, the young man got married and lived happily ever after. He had everything thanks to the magic ring.
One day a young wife asked her husband:
- Give me your ring.
He forgot the warning of the sister snakes and gave the ring to his wife. That same night she asked for a ring to take her to her parents' house on an island in the sea. As she wished, it happened.
In the morning the husband woke up and saw that his wife was gone. He realized what had happened and began to panic: “Now I have neither a ring nor a wife.” The dog and cat learned about his trouble and came to him.
- Don’t worry, we will help your trouble.
They said this and left. They walked and walked, left a long way behind them and came to the sea. The dog put the cat on its back and swam away. So they got out onto the island, approached the house of the runaway wife, the dog stood under the atsvikubar, and the cat sneaked
[Atsvikubar - outer part of the roof, cornice.]
into the house, found the ring, grabbed it and ran out to the dog who was waiting for her. They ran to the sea, where the cat sat on the dog, and it swam home. In the middle of the sea they quarreled. The dog said:
- I'll carry the ring.
“No, I,” answered the cat.
While they were quarreling, the ring gurgled and sank to the bottom: the cat dropped it. They rushed to get him, but where was it - deep. The dog caught some fish and threw it ashore, and a ring fell out of the fish’s mouth; the cat picked him up and ran, and the dog followed her, but didn’t catch up: the cat ran home first and gave the ring to the owner, and then the dog came running, but the cat got all the glory.
The young man and his mother lived well as before, and they had a dog and a cat in great honor and respect, but since then they themselves have not been in harmony: when a dog sees a cat, they chase after it.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru