There lived in a village a clever, resourceful man named Uganda. He was single, not married. And his younger sister Sernyuk managed the house.
Once Uganda needed to buy a horse, but he didn’t have enough money of his own. What to do? He went to the neighboring village and borrowed one hundred rubles from the rich, greedy merchant Selendey.
- In a year you will repay the debt and work for me for three months for free! - said the rich man.
A year has passed, and Uganda has nothing to pay the shopkeeper Selendey with. Selendey himself came to the debtor but didn’t find him at home. A week later I came again - again Uganda was not at home. The ogach got angry and said:
- Tell your brother, Seryuk: if these days you don’t bring money and don’t start working for me, I’ll come and take you away. You will work as a laborer for me until your brother buys you out.
Sernyuk told her brother how the shopkeeper threatened to take her away to work as a laborer, and Uganda in response to her said:
“Go and stay with your aunt until I tell you.”
The girl got ready and went to another volost, where her aunt lived, and Uganda, on the day when the rich man promised to come, in the morning he changed into a woman’s dress, tied an apron, put a cap on his head and sat down at the spinning wheel. Sits, time passes.
[Tukhya - Chuvash women's headdress]
Selendey arrived, saw that the owner of the house was not there, and asked:
-Where is your brother?
- My brother left for the city and, apparently, will not return soon.
“Oh, he has money to go to the city,” the shopkeeper shouted, “but he has neither the money nor the time to pay me off and work off the debt!” I will do as I said. Get ready quickly! You will come to me and start working until your brother buys you out!
“I don’t care where I live,” muttered the spinner. “If you feed me, I’ll live with you.”
So Uganda moved to Selendey, looking like Sernyuk. Lives for a week, friend. He eats for three and shirks work. What will they be forced to do? There is only one answer:
- I can’t! I didn't have to do it for ages!
Selendey cannot do anything with the lazy farmhand either by scolding or beating. “We need to somehow get rid of the parasite, otherwise it will completely ruin me,” he thinks.
I thought and thought and came up with an idea. I went to a neighbor, also a rich man. We talked about this and that, and in the end the cunning shopkeeper said:
- Your boyfriend is getting old. I should have gotten married a long time ago.
“I really should get married, my years are up,” answered the neighbor. - Yes, you know, I won’t hide from you, all the brides in the area know that my guy is a stupid guy. Even though he is meek and hard-working, try to marry him. After all, even the little widow was not flattered by the bride price and did not want to give up her daughter. I’m thinking maybe I’ll go to another county and marry my son there.
“I know, I’ve heard about everything you say,” Selendey began, “that’s why I started talking about it.” I have a bride in mind for your son. If you don’t stand behind the bride price, you don’t skimp, then you can start playing the wedding and feasting. So be it, out of friendship for you, I will persuade my worker Sernyuk, sister Ugandeya, to marry you. She is a good girl, not grumpy, she will be a submissive wife and a kind daughter-in-law.
“If only she wouldn’t refuse, and I won’t stand behind the bride price,” the neighbor rejoiced. - And we need strong hands for suffering!
“You’ll regret hundreds,” said Selendey, “get ready for the wedding!”
The neighbor did not argue. He immediately gave the shopkeeper one and a half hundred rubles, and three days later they began to celebrate the wedding.
As soon as the guests left and the young people remained face to face, the bride said:
- Oh, I can’t help myself! I'll go outside for a minute!
And she left. And after a short time the door opened slightly, and a goat was in the hut. The stupid groom shouted out loud:
- Forget me, forget me! The wife was bewitched and turned into a goat!
And Uganda then fled to his village.
The next day, as if nothing had happened, he came to Seledey in his guise and said:
- I brought you a debt, and you return your sister!
The shopkeeper got scared and began to persuade him:
- Don’t be angry, Uganday, listen to me. Your sister decided to get married and wanted to work as a farm laborer. And yesterday, after the meal, the sorcerers turned Sernyuk into a goat. We ourselves don’t know what to do now.
“I don’t know your witchcraft deeds,” Uganda shouted, “get my debt, and give me my sister!”
- Don't make noise, Uganda! - Selendey and the groom’s father persuade him. “Maybe we’ll find a stronger sorcerer and he’ll be able to break Sernyuk’s spell.” Yelling won't help matters. I won’t collect any debt from you. Beyond that, my matchmaker and I will give you another hundred rubles, and we ourselves will find a good sorcerer, he will turn the goat into a girl again.
Uganda took the money and stole the goat.
How much time has passed, Selendey met Uganda’s sister and asked:
- How did you manage to turn into a human again?
“Oh, don’t tell me,” Sernyuk answered. “My brother traveled around three districts until he found a sorcerer who turned out to be stronger than those who turned me into a goat.” It cost us more than three hundred rubles, and your brother wants to recover this money from you in court.
- Why should we sue? - the greedy shopkeeper began to ask. “I’ll give him this money without trial.”
Illustrations for the fairy tale Uganda and Selendey
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru