Two rogues, Lare and Jens, wandered along the roads of the island of Bornholm.
They walked and walked and became very hungry, but they didn’t have a single skill in their pocket and their knapsack was empty. They sat down side by side on the side of the road and began to think about how they could get food and money.
And now, listen to what they came up with. They approached a peasant estate. Lare hid in the bushes nearby, and Jens ran into the yard and, well, screamed at the top of his lungs! There was a commotion and people came running.
- What is it, what happened? - they ask Jens.
And he shouts in a voice not his own:
- Good people, have you heard the terrible news? The North Sea is on fire! So it’s blazing with fire!
- What kind of nonsense are you talking about, swindler? - they shouted all around. - Where have you heard that the North Sea - and even caught fire? Apparently you think we are idiots!
They attacked him with their fists and beat him so hard that he barely carried off his legs.
As soon as he disappeared from sight, Lara entered the estate. He greeted the people and sat quietly to the side. People surrounded him and said:
“There was some swindler here just now and apparently wanted to laugh at us.” Look what you thought! The North Sea, they say, is on fire! You’ve been wandering along the roads, have you heard any talk about this?
“What I haven’t heard, I haven’t heard,” Lare answers. “Only on the way here I met a convoy, and the carts were full of fried herring.” So maybe the guy wasn't lying to you.
- Really? - people gasped. - So he was telling the truth! But we beat him in vain! What a shame!
They fed Lars, gave him something to drink, and filled his knapsack to the brim with all sorts of food. And at parting they said:
- If you meet this guy, share with him equally everything we gave you. Yes, tell me, let him not remember the evil for the cuffs.
They told Lars what Jens looked like, and he promised them to do as they asked. And then Lare and Ens met on the road, shared the food, ate to their fill and laughed to their heart's content. They moved on, cheerful and well-fed. Only after a day or two did the rogues’ knapsack become empty, and again their stomachs began to sink. They decided to pull off such a joke in another estate.
“Only now you go forward,” says Jens. - So what happens - am I the only one with the beaters?
Lara groaned and sighed, but where can you go? He had to agree.
Jens hid in the bushes, and Lare ran into the yard and raised a cry throughout the entire estate. People have gathered, and Lara is screaming in a voice that is not her own:
— Good people, have you heard the terrible news? A giant bird flew to the neighboring village. She sat on the bell tower, spread her wings, and she was so big that she blocked out the sun.
“It’s all a lie!” they started making noise all around. - There are no such birds in the world! You've had enough of this nonsense. Get the hell out of here!
People attacked Lars, beat him up and pushed him backwards out of the gate. As soon as he disappeared from sight, Jens entered the estate. He greeted him formally and asked permission to rest from the road. The people rushed to him:
- Have you heard, passer-by, about the giant bird that showed up in the neighboring village! As if she sat on the bell tower, spread her wings and blocked out the sun? Some swindler was here just now and made three boxes. Apparently he wanted to laugh at us. Well, we taught him a lesson! The century will not forget!
“What I haven’t heard, I haven’t heard,” Ens answers. “It was only when I was passing the church in that village that a crowd of people came towards me. And they dragged with chains and ropes an egg the size of a house. So maybe that guy wasn't lying to you.
- So he was telling the truth! But we beat him up and drove him away! Shame and disgrace! Take, good man, our money and food for the road, share with that guy. Tell him not to hold any grudge against us.
Lare and Jens met again on the road, ate and drank in the neighboring village of the giant bird. She sat on the bell tower, spread her wings, and she was so big that she blocked out the sun.
“It’s all a lie!” they began to make noise all around. “There are no such birds in the world!” You've had enough of this nonsense. Get the hell out of here!
People attacked Lars, beat him up and pushed him backwards out of the gate. As soon as he disappeared from sight, Jens entered the estate. He greeted him formally and asked permission to rest from the road. The people rushed to him:
- Have you heard, passer-by, about the giant bird that showed up in the neighboring village! As if she sat on the bell tower, spread her wings and blocked out the sun? Some swindler was here just now and made three boxes. Apparently he wanted to laugh at us. Well, we taught him a lesson! The century will not forget!
“What I haven’t heard, I haven’t heard,” Ens answers. “It was only when I was passing the church in that village that a crowd of people came towards me. And they dragged with chains and ropes an egg the size of a house. So maybe that guy wasn't lying to you.
- So he was telling the truth! But we beat him up and drove him away! Shame and disgrace! Take, good man, our money and food for the road, share with that guy. Tell him not to hold any grudge against us.
Lare and Jens met again on the road, ate, got drunk and continued on their way.
So they wandered from then on around the island of Bornholm. Fools and simpletons were led by the nose, but the smart ones themselves did not let them down. So on some days they were well-fed, on other days they were beaten, and on other days they were both.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru