At the foot of the Saint-Rivolin hill, where trees scatter across the plain, on the very bank where wild bushes bathe their thorny branches in the fast waters of the Blavais River, there lived an old man and an old woman. They lived in a miserable shack nicknamed the “Rat House.”
The old man was fishing, and the old woman was spinning wool and knitting. But luck was not on their side. Either there was no fish to catch, or there was not enough wool. So they often had to go to bed hungry.
One day the old man threw his net into the deepest pool, and - what a miracle! - this time unfavorable fate prepared him a pleasant gift: a big, big fish was caught in the net. Her head reaches one bank, and her tail hits the other bank. Well, how can one pull out such a fish? However, it would be a shame to miss it.
“It’s not every day that I have such luck,” the old man thought. “I won’t let her go back into the river!”
The old man had an old gun, but the bullet had disappeared somewhere. So the old man picked up two strong acorns from the ground and shot at the fish. The fish shook itself so much that the river overflowed its banks; jumped into the air, and then fell back into the water and stopped beating, and her eyes rolled back in her head.
How many years has the old man lived in the world, but he has never seen such a miracle!
He quickly ran home to call the old woman so that she could help him drag the miracle fish to their “Rat House”. The two of them returned to the shore, but the fish had disappeared! It was as if she never existed. And instead of fish, two oak trees rose from the river bottom, powerful, branched, with their crowns reaching into the sky.
- These are miracles! - exclaimed the fisherman. “No other way, magical power intervened here.” Where have you seen such oak trees grow out of the river in an instant, and dead fish swim away to their native element? It seems to me that it’s not for nothing that oak trees have grown here, it’s the lord of the sky who is inviting us to visit him. Why don’t you, wife, really go to him and ask him for this and that, well, at least plenty of bread and sparkling cider? After all, you bow to him every day, and he will respect your request.
- What are you, old man, are you out of your mind? At my age, climbing trees!
But the old man stood his ground: climb and climb, ask for bread and cider as much as you like, he will not refuse.
The old woman had to climb the oak tree, even though she was no longer young. From branch to branch, but the higher, the easier it was to climb. She rose to the very sky, and there in front of the gate an old man stood with the keys and did not let her in any further.
-Where are you going? - asks.
“To your master,” says the old woman. - I have business with him.
- State your case to me, I will tell him.
“Uh, no,” said the old woman, “we say: ask the owner, not the worker.” If I have climbed to such heights, I really want to see the bishop himself.
The gatekeeper was offended and stood in her way. Word for word, and a shameful squabble began between them. One screams, the other doesn’t let up. Fortunately, the master-owner himself heard the noise and came out to them: after all, such a noise-cry in the sky does not happen every day. He recognized the owner of the “RAT HOUSE” AND SAYS:
- Don't be ashamed, old man, talk with my assistant
fight?
And the old woman answers him:
“I came to you, sir, with a great request. My husband and I have become old, we don’t have the strength to work as before, so it’s oh, how difficult it is for us! If only you would give us our daily bread and sweet cider, we would thank you forever.
- Well, your wish will come true! “You will eat and drink your fill,” said the owner of the sky.
To celebrate, the old woman came down from the oak tree as easily as a young woman and quickly ran to the “Rat House”. Yes, I froze on the threshold in amazement! On the table, the ruddy bread is glowing with heat, and golden cider is foaming in large bottles.
From that day on, in the “Rat House” they ate their fill and drank until they were drunk. But, as they say, everything is not enough for a man, so the old man asks his old woman:
- All bread and bread, no need to send us lard or meat and strong wine instead of this apple water! You, old woman, should go to our lord and talk to him, so that he would give us strong wine and various foods. The road to it is already known to you.
What is true is true, the road was known. So the old woman went to the owner of the sky, the ruler of the clear day. Only this time he did not greet her so kindly, but he promised to fulfill her request. And a cheerful life began in the “Rat House”. Only here’s the problem: abundance and idleness are bad advisers in life. The old man's vanity began to eat away at him.
“It’s good,” he says to his wife, “to eat and drink your fill, but
After all, I deserve more. You should go, old woman,
to our lord. So and so, they say, my old man asks you to give up your place for one day. And all I want is that, after my bitter troubles and humiliations, I become for one day the ruler of the world.
That's what the owner of the "Rat House" came up with!
Before the old woman had time to climb the first branch of the oak tree, she heard the bishop’s voice from above:
- Stop, old man! I know why you are coming to me.
Did your old man want to become the ruler of the world? Have it your way, but only with an amendment. You will become rulers, but only of the night. What's true is true, you deserve it!
In surprise, the old woman even opened her mouth and just said: “Wow!”, when she immediately turned into a gray owl.
The old man saw her and also gasped in surprise: “Wow!”
In an instant he turned into an owl. They left their “Rat House” and hid in shame in a hollow oak tree.
Since then, during the day they sit in the hollow, afraid to show themselves. Only at night they fly out and scare everyone - “Wow! Wow! - lords of the night.
Now you know where owls come from.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru