Once upon a time there lived a peasant in a village on a plain at the foot of a mountain. His wife died and he raised his son alone. When the peasant went to the field, he took his son with him - he was afraid to leave him alone at home.
While his father worked, the boy fished or caught crabs in the stream.
One day the boy was playing, as usual, by the stream. Lo and behold, there’s a golden crab nearby. He felt sorry for cooking such a beautiful crab, he put it in his pocket and took it home. The next morning the boy went to the field with his father again and took the crab with him. This went on day after day. The boy became very attached to his new friend, and the crab fell in love with him.
One day a boy and a crab went out for a walk. On the way they met a poisonous snake and bit the boy in the leg. The boy fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
-What happened to my little friend? Why did he fall? - the crab was thinking meanwhile. - After all, he fell when the snake crawled up!
And the quick-witted crab grabbed the snake by the throat with its claws.
- Why did you sting my friend? After all, he didn’t do anything bad to you? Now your end will come!
The crab squeezed the snake's neck as hard as it could. The snake got scared and prayed:
- Spare me, crab! The poison has not yet had time to harm your friend. I'll save him!
- Well, move faster! Otherwise I'll bite your neck!
- Let me go. You grabbed my neck with your claws so much that I can’t even move!
- I won’t let you go for anything! I know how cunning and insidious you are!
“But there are no healing herbs here that can save your friend.” They grow far from here. The sooner you let me go, the sooner I will bring them.
- Well, no, it won’t work that way. Let's crawl together - then I'll be firmly convinced that you won't run away!
There is nothing to do. The snake had to crawl with a crab on its neck.
They picked medicinal herbs and returned to where the boy lay. The snake chewed the grass and put it in the boy’s mouth. The boy immediately opened his eyes and quickly jumped to his feet.
“You’re very angry,” said the crab to the snake. – You strive to kill those who do not cause you the slightest harm. There is no need for you to live outside of this world!
And he bit her neck.
The crab told the boy everything that had happened to him, and the friends went to a familiar stream to rejoice. The crab pointed the boy to a large stone and ordered him to properly clear the ground underneath it. The boy cleared the ground and saw a hole filled with gold.
- My dear friend! – the crab turned to the boy. “I want you to be happy and never want for anything.” When you need money, come and take it from this hole. I feel very good with you, but I can only live in water. Don't forget me. When you come to the stream, click, I will immediately appear, and we will play with you as before.
With these words, the crab ducked under a stone and disappeared from sight. And the boy filled his pockets full of gold, covered the hole with earth and went home.
The father sold some of the gold, bought a new house, and they lived richly and happily. And when the boy was overcome by longing for his friend, he went to the stream and played with it.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru