Once upon a time there lived an old man, Möge-Saryg. He had neither children nor livestock. I walked around the aals, ate whatever they gave me.
One day, at the junction of two roads, he saw a large leather bag. “Oh, this is my road haul-luck! “- he thought joyfully and quickly untied the bag.
A hungry gray wolf with bared teeth jumped out from there. And growls:
- Now I’ll tear you apart! I’ll swallow everything, won’t leave a drop, I’ll eat and lick it all! Finally my happy day has come!
The old man was so frightened that he could not answer the wolf, but only muttered:
- Wait... take your time... eat me in the evening.
The wolf thought: “It’s possible in the evening. My prey will not go anywhere." And looked at the sun. The old man says:
- I saved you, and you want to eat me. This is wrong. Let us be judged.
The two of them walked along the road. Soon they met a huge ox. The old man tells him:
— This wolf was sitting in a bag. I saved him. So tell me, dear ox, should he eat me?
The ox thought for a long time, and then said:
- I cannot resolve your dispute. I cannot understand how the man saved the wolf. But a white hare lives in this forest. He will judge you. Go to him.
The old man and the wolf entered the forest. But the hare is not visible there. The wolf is already so hungry that he is about to swallow the old man. And suddenly a hare flashed in the distance.
- Hey, hare! Wait! Don't run away! Resolve our dispute!” the old man shouted.
The hare approached them and asked:
- What is your argument?
- Here's what. I was walking along the road and saw a bag. I untied the bag, and from there came a wolf! “You see, I saved him, but now he wants to eat me,” said the old man.
“Yes, I want to!” confirmed the wolf. The hare said:
- I am a real judge. I must come to the place where all this happened and see how you saved the wolf.
The three of them came to a fork in the road.
“Show me, old man, where the bag was,” the hare asked.
“The bag was lying right here,” the old man showed.
“Put it in this place,” said the hare. The old man put it down.
“And you, wolf, show me how you lay in the sack,” said the hare.
The wolf climbed into the bag.
“Was the bag tied?” asked the hare.
“Yes, it’s tied,” answered the old man.
- How was it tied? Show me!” the hare demanded.
The old man tied the bag.
“Well, that’s all,” said the hare, “I have resolved your dispute.” You, old man, go your way, and let the wolf lie in the bag. Farewell!
And the hare, twisting and confusing its tracks, ran into the forest. And the old man went his way.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru