Once upon a time there lived two neighbors. They agreed to go hunting together and set traps. No sooner said than done. We went hunting in the evening. We reached the forest. Soon one of them took a fancy to a spreading tree and said:
“Let me set my trap under this tree.” There are a lot of fruits on it. Apparently, animals feast here every night.
The neighbor answers him:
- The place really is somewhere. But since you have occupied it, then only the top of this tree remains for me. Let's see who's luckier.
Agreed. One set a trap under a tree. The other deftly climbed to the very top and there alerted his trap. After this, the neighbors returned to the village, said goodbye and went home.
The one who alerted the trap among the branches could not sleep all night, tossed and turned from side to side and finally woke up his wife:
- Listen, wife! I've never heard of anyone setting traps in trees. And I installed it today. It’s unlikely that anything will come across... Perhaps I’ll get up with the roosters, run into the forest and see how things are there. If my neighbor comes across prey, I will pull it out and stuff it into my trap. And in the morning, as if nothing had happened, I’ll go into the forest again with my neighbor. We will give part of the spoils to the parrot, he is our judge now. The neighbor will get angry and complain. But the parrot doesn’t take bribes in vain; the matter will be decided in our favor.
The husband and wife agreed on everything and fell asleep peacefully. With the first roosters they got up, ate and secretly went into the forest, to a spreading tree. Lo and behold, there is a magnificent deer trapped on the ground. The peasant took possession of someone else's prey, somehow dragged the deer to the top of a tree and stuck it in his trap. Then he again alerted the neighbor to his trap, and then he and his wife quickly ran home to the village.
A hunter came in the morning, set a trap on the ground, and began loudly calling for his neighbor. He lazily responded:
- What's the hurry? Hardly anything fell into my trap. You're probably with some loot. It wouldn't be a bad idea to split it in half.
The deceiver mocked his comrade and lost all shame.
Both hunters left the house and went into the forest. They approached the tree and saw that there was an empty trap on the ground, and on the top of the tree there was a caught deer. The owner of the trap placed on the top shouted:
- Look, look! Well, you screwed up! I told you, don’t put it at the bottom, put it at the top.
And he climbed the tree for prey.
The neighbor left without saying goodbye. And the deceiver ran headlong to the parrot and brought him a large piece of deer meat with these words:
- Mister Judge! Please accept this modest gift and listen to me. My neighbor and I went to set traps together. I put it on a tree, and he stood under the tree. A deer fell into my trap. For some reason my neighbor got angry and is starting a case against me. Be so kind and lenient, don’t let your neighbor win an unfair lawsuit, and I won’t forget your kindness!
The parrot accepted the meat and answered importantly:
“You can go home safely now.” Tomorrow morning you will bring me betel. If your neighbor decides to complain, I will order him to do the same. Get ahead of him and your case is won.
A hunter came home who had set a trap under a tree and couldn’t calm down. He understood that his neighbor had tricked him around his finger. He sighed and groaned for a long time, wondering this way and that. Finally I couldn’t stand it anymore and went to the parrot. The parrot ordered him to bring betel the next day. And the hunter was very poor. He didn't have betel. He ran around the village all morning, but the neighbors remained deaf to his requests. The hunter is exhausted, and lo and behold, the judge hare is coming towards him.
“Wait a minute,” shouted the judge hare, “where are you running like mad?”
“Oh, Mr. Judge Hare,” the hunter answers, “I went with my neighbor to set traps.” I put it under a tree, and he stood on a tree. In the morning we went there and saw: there was nothing in the trap on the ground, and there was a deer in the tree. How did the deer get there? I thought that my neighbor had deceived me. I went to complain to the parrot. The parrot told me that whoever brings him the betel nut first plays the game. I ran all morning, but I still couldn’t get betel. Now the day is coming, and my case, apparently, is lost. The neighbor, of course, visited our judge a long time ago.
“Don’t be afraid,” answered the judge hare. “Towards the evening we will go to the parrot together.” In the meantime, go home and rest.
The poor hunter was very happy.
The sun began to set to the west, and the judge hare and the hunter went to the parrot. The parrot saw the hunter and shouted:
“Couldn’t you have come even later?” Get out! Your cause is lost!
Here the hare-judge intervened:
- Honored brother! We hesitated because we watched the fish fluttering between the branches of the tree and pecking at the leaves.
The parrot was indignant:
“Neither our grandfathers nor our great-grandfathers saw fish fluttering between the branches of a tree and pecking at the leaves.”
“Has anyone ever seen,” objected the judge hare, “deer falling into a trap on the top of a tall tree?” What do you say, good people? - he addressed the assembled peasants.
The parrot fell silent here, he couldn’t say anything. The hare-judge immediately announced that the hunter who set the trap on the ground won the case. And the parrot judge felt ashamed in front of people. He hid quietly in a corner and didn't say a word.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru