Once upon a time there lived a lazy man, so lazy that he even became covered in mold. He waited for the cherries to fall into his mouth on their own, and then for someone to chew them. And when laziness attacks a person, poverty settles on his neck. When he got to the point, as they say, what did the lazy man think? I’ll go, he decided, to the Good Witch, let her give me another share; I wish I wouldn’t work any more, but there would be only holidays and just one working day, and on that day there would be a wedding.
He took the knapsack on a stick and went to seek his fortune. He walked as long as he walked and, passing through the forest, he met a wolf - thin and bald, worse than ever.
-Where are you going, good man? asks the wolf.
“I’m going to the Good Witch for a share, let her tell me how happy I am to live in the world.”
“Since you are going to the Good Witch, ask her,” the wolf begged, “what should I do, what should I do to make my hair grow, otherwise I haven’t had hair for a long time.”
- Okay, wolf, I'll ask!
The lazy man went further and saw a grape bush with withered yellow leaves.
-Where are you going, good man? - asks the grape bush in a human voice.
- To the Good Witch.
- Why?
- Ask for another share, a happy one, so that I don’t have to work anymore, to live like the boyars live, not worrying about tomorrow.
- Since you are going to the Good Witch, ask her what I should do, what should I do so that new leaves will grow on me.
“I’ll ask why not ask,” said the lazy man and went on. He comes to the river. And then a huge fish with a huge goiter emerges from the water. The fish made a sign to the traveler.
“Come closer, good man.” The lazy man came up.
-Where are you going?
- To the Good Witch.
- For what?
- For my happiness, to find out how to continue to live.
- If you visit the Good Witch, ask what I should do with my goiter, otherwise it is swelling every day.
- Okay, I'll ask.
The lazy man goes further and sees a source in a forest clearing, and at the source a beautiful girl in a white dress, with a wreath of flowers on her head.
- Who are you, good man?
- I am a poor wanderer.
-Where are you going?
- To the Good Witch.
— How long did you walk before you met me?
- For a long time.
- And who did you see on the way?
- I saw a bald wolf, that’s who!
- And what did the wolf do to you?
“When he found out where I was going, he asked me to find out what he should do, what to do to grow his hair.
“Tell him to eat the heart of a slacker and a lazy man, and then his hair will grow back.” And who else did you see?
— The grape forges with withered leaves. He asked me to find out what to do, what to do so that new leaves would grow and so that they would no longer dry out.
- Tell him that a jug was buried at his roots once upon a time, a long time ago.
with gold ones, and if there is someone who digs up and removes the jug from its roots, then new leaves will grow and the bush will be covered with clusters. Who else did you see?
- A large fish with a swollen crop. She asked me to find out what she should do, what to do to get rid of the disease.
“Her goiter is filled with precious stones.” If there is someone who will cut the goiter and take out the stones, it will make her feel better.
- I'll tell her.
- Now go back.
- How is it going back? I came here for happiness.
“Go back along the same path you came in, and your happiness will meet you on the way.” If you have a head on your shoulders, you will live happily, but if you don’t, blame yourself.
The lazy guy went back. He goes on and on and comes to the fish. The fish asks him:
- Well, what did the Sorceress tell you?
“She said that your crop is filled with precious stones and that if there is someone who will cut your crop and pull out these stones, getting rid of trouble.”
The fish began to pray to him:
“Do me a favor, good man, cut my goiter, pull out the precious stones and take them for yourself as a reward.”
“No,” the lazy man replies, “I’ll go, happiness awaits me on the way, and I’ll have plenty of everything without you.”
As it is said: laziness is stronger than poverty.
He went further. He walks and walks, and now the grape bush is waving a branch at him to stop.
- Well, how did you visit the Sorceress, good man?
- I visited!
- And what did she do?
- Here's what. A jar of gold is buried at your roots; it prevents your roots from growing, which is why you wither away.
- If so, be so kind as to dig up a jar of gold and take it all for yourself. And you will do me a favor, and you yourself will not be at a loss.
“No,” the lazy man replies, “why should I dig the ground, get tired, it’s better
I’ll go, happiness awaits me on the way, and I’ll have enough of everything even without you. He went further. And now he meets a wolf again.
- Well, have you seen the Sorceress?
- Saw.
- And what did she say? How can I grow my hair?
“She said that for this you must devour the heart of a slacker and a lazy person.”
- What else did you see and hear? Where have you been?
- I saw a lot. I saw a withered grape bush. A jar of gold is buried at its roots, preventing it from growing. He asked me to dig up the money and take it for myself, but I had no use for it. All the same, happiness awaits me on the way, and there will be
I have plenty of everything.
- And who else did you see?
— I saw a huge fish with a swollen crop full of precious stones. The fish asked me to cut its crop, bend those stones and thereby save it from trouble. But I was in a hurry and moved on.
The wolf thought and thought. Whoever is overwhelmed by laziness, he decided, has little intelligence.
“I don’t know anyone more lazy and stupid than you,” he said. “I didn’t bother to dig up the jug of gold, I didn’t cut the fish’s crop to pull out the jewelry.” But he could live and live with this wealth until his death, without knowing any worries.
The ox rushed at the lazy man and devoured him without a trace.
Since then they say: whoever waits for the cherries to fall into his mouth will never achieve anything good.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru