A dear old man was walking along and carrying with him an ingot of gold the size of a horse's head. Where he got it is unknown, where and why he was going is also unknown.
No matter how long or how short the traveler walked, he began to get tired. He sees a horseman coming towards him.
We said hello and started talking. The old man asked:
- Sell me your horse!
“I’m not selling,” answered the rider. - I need it myself.
“I’ll give you a gold bar the size of a horse’s head for it.”
“Okay, so be it,” the rider agreed. The old man gave the gold. He got on his horse and rode off. But the horse turned out to be unbroken, with a temper, and look no further. It was restless for the old man to ride on it.
How long or how short has he been waiting like this, he sees: a man riding a bull is coming towards him.
They dismounted, greeted each other, and exchanged news. The old man says:
“Let’s trade: you take my horse, and I’ll take your bull.”
This exchange seemed strange to the owner of the bull, “Why do you want to change?”
“I’m an old man, and the horse is not yet properly trained, he’s making a fool, it’s difficult for me to control him.”
- Well, let's switch.
They exchanged positions, the old man sat on the bull and rode on.
It was much calmer to ride the bull. But the bull walked so slowly, stepped from one leg to the other so lazily, that after the fast horse it seemed to the old man that he was not moving, but standing still. This way, it’s probably better to walk.
And just like that, the old man thought - he saw a man coming towards him and leading a cow on a rope.
We said hello and talked.
“Let’s exchange the cow for a bull,” the old man suggests.
- Why are you giving such a big strong bull for my little cow?
- He walks very quietly. I’d rather lead the cow myself, milk it and drink the milk.
- Okay, let's switch. Changed.
The old man led the cow, but it turned out to be stubborn, obstinate, going and going and stopping.
How long or short did he pull her by the rope like that, he sees a man coming towards him and leading a young two-year-old heifer. And she seemed so meek and obedient to the old man, he liked her so much that, barely having time to say hello, he immediately suggested:
- Let's exchange the cow for a heifer!
The counter offer seemed surprising. To exchange a cow for a heifer - where has this been seen, where has this been heard?! He asked again with a grin:
- Do you really want to change?
— The cow turned out to be very stubborn.
The second time, the owner of the heifer did not ask again. Changed.
The old man took the young chick he liked so much, but once she started playing and kicking, you couldn’t hold her back. He was even more exhausted with her than with the cow.
He walks and walks and sees: a man is leading a small calf on a leash.
We greeted each other, talked a little, and the old man said:
- Let's change: you take my heifer, and I will take your calf.
- Why do you think that a calf is better than a two-year-old heifer? - asked the owner of the calf.
“Maybe it’s not better, but the chick is very restless, I just can’t cope with her.”
- Well, if so, well, let's exchange. Exchanged. The old man led the calf, but he didn’t take it far: the calf was younger than the heifer, which means he wanted to play, jump, and run with his tail up, no less, and even more, than the heifer. The old man was completely exhausted by the calf, and the white light became unkind.
The old man sees a man coming towards him, and no cattle with him, only an ax on his shoulder: “Thank God, I’ll exchange the calf for an ax and breathe easy.”
The owner of the ax was also quite surprised:
- Why are you giving a calf for an ax?
“Young, stupid, he kicks, I, an old man, don’t have any fun with him.”
- Okay, let's switch.
Changed. The old man put the ax on his shoulder and felt such relief that he himself ran along the road no worse than a young heifer, except that he didn’t buck.
However, the further he walked, the heavier and heavier the ax seemed to him. The old man began to get tired and walked slowly, one foot after another.
He walks like this, walks, and sees a man walking towards him. We said hello and sat down to rest. And the old man sees that the man has a beautiful knife in a sheath on his belt. “Why the hell should I carry this weight,” he thought about his axe, “I’ll exchange it for a knife.”
- Do you want to change your knife to an axe, buddy?
- Let's see what kind of ax it is.
“The ax is worth it, it’s worth both the knife and the sheath.”
- Okay, I’ll give it back with the sheath.
They changed and separated. The old man put the knife and sheath behind the boot of his boots, walked, and after the ax it was easy for him.
However, no matter how long or how short he walked like this, the knife began to rub his leg. The old man pulled out a knife from his boot and took it in his hand. But it was also a burden to the hand.
The old man walks further and sees a woman ahead. I caught up with her, said hello, and talked. Then he shows her the knife:
- I’m selling, won’t you buy?
“What will I buy it for,” the woman answers. - I have nothing except this needle.
The old man rejoiced:
- Very good! There will be something to mend clothes with. He took a needle and thread, stuck it in the lapel of his zipun and walked on, satisfied. It’s hard to find anything lighter than a needle!
He walked and walked and reached the cold regions, where the snow was above his knees. At some point the old man tripped, fell into the snow, and when he stood up and shook himself off, he remembered the needle.
- Wait, wait, I think I stuck it here, where did it go?
I searched and searched, but never found it: it’s not an easy task to find a needle in the snow!
The old man sat down right on the road, sunbathing. I had great wealth - an ingot of gold the size of a horse's head. Yes, they say, if wealth is acquired through dishonest labor, it is of no use anyway. So, for no reason at all, all my wealth left my hands, I even lost my last needle... For a long time, they say, the old man sat on the road and grieved.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru