One day one of the residents of Tiari needed to go to the mill. He took with him a leather skin containing grain to grind the grain into flour. Arriving at the mill, he said to its owner:
“I want you to grind my grain right now.” I'm in a hurry.
“I have a lot of work,” answered the miller. “Go home today and come back tomorrow.” Then, perhaps, I will sweep away your grain.
“Okay,” answered the Tiarian and went home.
The mill stood at the very bottom of the valley, and the man's house was at the top of the mountain. The mountain was high and steep.
The next day the Tiarian again came to the miller and asked:
- Grind my grain?
“No,” answered the miller.
- Why?
- It's not your turn yet.
- How so? - exclaimed the Tiarian. - My children are hungry. What should I do?
“Go back home and come back tomorrow,” answered the miller.
—Can I go up the mountain and down to the valley every day? – the Tiarian objected. - It's not easy.
- What to do when it doesn’t work out otherwise? - answered the miller.
And the Tiarian, extremely annoyed and embittered, had to return home empty-handed.
The next day he went down into the valley again and asked the miller:
- Well, how? Is the flour ready? Have you ground my grain?
- No.
- Why?
“It’s not your turn yet.”
The man got angry and got into a fight with the miller. Then he took his bag and brought it home.
-Have you ground the grain? - asked the wife.
“No,” he answered.
- Why?
“I got angry with the miller and took my sack.
And, immediately running out of the house, he called all the inhabitants of Tiari.
“Let's build a water mill here on the mountain,” he suggested. – Why do we tire our legs every day, climb into the valley?
- Let's build! - Everyone supported him.
It was decided to build a water mill on the top of the mountain. They hauled stones and prepared all the necessary materials. But at this time one of the smartest people thought of asking a question:
— What are you going to build?
“A water mill,” they answered.
-Where is the water? he asked. – Why do you need a water mill without water?
- Yes, we are ready to swear that you are right, and we miscalculated! - everyone exclaimed.
And they stopped building the mill and went home.
This is the story they tell about the Tiarians.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru