There lived two brothers - a rich one and a poor one. The New Year has come, the poor man’s bins are empty, he has nothing to feed his children. He had to, willy-nilly, go to his rich brother to ask for help.
“Give me, brother, for the sake of the holiday, some meat on credit,” says the poor brother.
The rich brother said nothing, brought a cow's leg and threw it to the poor man.
He bowed and began to thank. And the rich man got angry, annoyed that he had to give away the meat, and shouted:
- Got it and get out! Take this cow leg to Hiisi himself!
[Khiisi – according to ancient Karelian beliefs – is the mythical owner of the forest, who supposedly could change his appearance, but most often appeared in the form of an ancient old man. Later, Hiisi began to be identified with the devil. ]
The poor brother took the meat, but he thought: “There’s nothing to do, since my brother told me, I’ll have to go to Khiisi. But where can I find it?” He walks along a forest path and hears axes knocking. He came closer - the woodcutters. The poor brother asks them:
- Tell me, woodcutters, do you know the road to Hiisi?
“We know, but we don’t recommend going to him.” Why do you need it?
- Yes, he needs to tear off the cow’s leg. Lumberjacks say:
- Go from woodpile to woodpile - we chopped the wood for Hiisi - and you will reach his hut. Just take a birch log with you. And if you go into the hut, don’t give him your hand, give him a log, otherwise you’ll be left without a hand. And if he offers you a reward, then don’t take anything, ask him only for the hand millstone that he always carries on his back.
The poor man thanked the woodcutters for their good advice and moved on. Finally he came to Hiisi's hut. He comes in and looks - old Hiisi is sitting on the stove, with a millstone behind his back.
The poor brother greeted him, and Hiisi extended his hand to him from the stove:
- Hello, guest!
The poor man handed him a log. Hiisi grabbed the log and squeezed it so hard that water dripped from the log. Poor man says:
“Here I brought you a cow’s leg as a gift.” Get it! Hiisi rejoiced:
“Everyone promises me gifts, but no one brings them.” Unless they send something with the dogs. And the dogs, as is well known, will eat everything on the way. And you brought the gift yourself, and for this I will reward you. What do you want, gold or silver?
“I don’t need either gold or silver,” says the poor brother. - And if you want to reward me, give me this millstone that hangs behind your back.
Hiisi groaned, feeling sorry for the millstone.
“I didn’t want to give it to anyone,” he says, “but since you came to me with a gift, so be it - take it.” Just remember - this millstone is not an easy one: it will grind whatever you order.
The poor man took the millstone and went home. Just in time for the holiday. He went into the hut and said:
- Come on, millstone, give us some treats for the festive table!
And the millstone ground. Loaves of bread and wickets and pies flew out from under the millstones - so much food of all kinds that it did not fit on the table.
The poor man's children ate, became happy, and ran outside. Their rich brother meets them and asks:
- Why are you so well-fed and cheerful? Just recently you didn’t leave the house, you were dying of hunger, but now you’re frolicking like that.
“And my father went to Hiisi and brought him as a gift a millstone that will grind whatever you want.”
The rich brother went to the poor brother and asked if the children told him the truth. The poor man says:
“Remember, you gave me a cow’s leg and told me to go with it to Hiisi?” So I went. And Hiisi gave me this millstone - it will grind whatever you want.
The rich brother was jealous of the poor man's luck and said:
“I gave you the meat, so now you give me the millstone for a little while.”
“Take it,” the poor man answers. - I have plenty of everything now. I don't feel sorry.
The rich brother brought the millstone home and ordered him to grind. I ground millstones and flour, and cereals, and sugar. Soon the rich brother's barns began to burst with all sorts of goods - enough for ten years, no need to sow or plow.
And the poor brother's supplies are running low. He went to his rich brother to get the millstone back. But the rich man does not give:
– What millstone? - he is surprised. “I didn’t take any millstone from you.” I have one myself, why do I need yours? - And he drove the poor man out.
And the next day he went with his workers to the sea to fish. “Let me,” he thinks, “I’ll take the millstone with me, let me grind the salt.” You can salt fish right in the boat, without having to return to shore.”
They fished all day. They caught a fair amount, salted all the fish, dozed off from fatigue: it was already nightfall. And the millstone keeps grinding and grinding salt. A whole mountain of salt has already grown in the middle of the boat, and the millstone is grinding... There is no one to stop it - everyone is sleeping. And so the boat sank.
And the millstone fell to the bottom, and everything continued to grind salt. And to this day it grinds at the bottom of the sea. This is why the water in the sea is salty.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru