Once upon a time there lived a brother-in-law and a daughter-in-law. The brother-in-law was lazy, a slacker, and didn’t want to do anything. For whole days he sat by the fireplace, blowing on the ashes and digging in it. For this they called him Zoloduv. “Hey, get up, go to work, bring something into the house, I can’t feed you,” his daughter-in-law scolds him.
No, Zoloduv sits by the fireplace, and there’s no way you can lure him out of the house. Finally, on Easter, our Zoloduv went out to church, and when he returned, his daughter-in-law locked the door and did not let him in. Zoloduv begged from his daughter-in-law a bag of ash, an awl and fresh cheese and set off on the road.
We don’t know whether he walked a lot or a little, but he only got to a large river and saw a huge deva on the other bank. The dev fell down to the water and drinks.
Zoloduv was frightened, but what could he do? He didn't know any other way. If you go back, you will return to your daughter-in-law, but if not, you will end up with the deva for breakfast. I thought and thought and came up with: “Well, I’ll take a walk and raise dust.” He pierced the bag with an awl and began to walk around, shaking the bag. Ash fell and terrible dust rose. The dev was surprised, even frightened and said: “Hey you!” Well, if you can, squeeze the water out of this stone,” and threw the stone to Zoloduv.
And Zoloduv took his fresh cheese out of his pocket and squeezed it, water began to flow in a stream. The dev was surprised, and Zolodov shouted: “Well, come out here, put me on your shoulder and carry me to the other side, I’m afraid to get my feet wet.”
Dev immediately crossed the river, put Zoloduv on his back and said: “Oh, how light you are!” “That’s because I’m holding on to the sky with one hand, and if I let go, you won’t move me.” “Well, let me go,” said Dev.
Zoloduv took out an awl and plunged it deep into the back of the deva’s head. Dev began to shout and ask: “Take hold of the sky again, it’s unbearable!”.. We crossed to the other side. The devs began to invite Zoloduv to visit him. Zoloduv was frightened, but there was nothing to do, so he went.
We came to the dev. Zoloduv really liked the deva's housing. He sees a huge ke-qi leaning against the hearth. The dev went to prepare dinner, and instructed the guest to look after the bread so that it did not burn. Zoloduv saw that the bread was burning on one side, and wanted to turn it. As soon as he touched the ketsi, it overturned, and Zolodov found himself under him. No matter how hard Zolodov tried, he could not get out from under the hot ketsi. All the devas came, saw their guest lying under the ketsi, and were surprised. “Why did you get up there?” - they ask. “My stomach hurts,” says Zoloduv, “I decided to apply hot ketsi, maybe it will help.” But now I’d better take it away,” he ordered.
They pulled him out, barely alive, from under the ketsi. They sat down at the table. They drank all the wine, one of the devs took the ladle and said to the guest: “Be a brother, go and bring some wine, there’s a vat buried in the yard.”
With difficulty, Zoloduv dragged out a huge ladle, went out and disappeared. The devas didn’t wait for the wine, they went out into the yard, they saw Zoloduv holding a spade and digging out the vat. “What are you doing?” “It’s better to take out the whole vat, let’s drink well, otherwise we’ll get tired of carrying it around like that, with a tiny scoop.” The devas thought: “We are nine brothers, we barely buried the empty vat, and he alone wants to dig it up, full of wine, and move it.”
The devas themselves filled the ladle and carried it into the house. Suddenly one of the devas at the table sneezed, and our Goldblower instantly flew up to the ceiling. The devas looked - their guest was clinging to a beam in the ceiling. - Hey, man, why did you climb up there? - How dare you sneeze in front of me? - Zolodov shouts. “I’ll pull out this whip and break off all your sides.” The devas were completely scared: “We, nine brothers, barely dragged this log, and he calls it a whip.” Everyone jumped up in fear and ran away.
And Zoloduv crawled down the beam with difficulty, saw that there was no one left, and became the owner of all the deva’s goods. The elder deva runs through the forest, a fox meets him: “Hey, deva, what’s wrong with you, where are you running?” “Like where?” One person came to us and almost ate everyone! - And the dev told everything about that man. - This is Zoloduv, a pathetic man, who only knows how to dig in the ashes. His daughter-in-law kicked him out of the house. I know them well. Their entire chicken coop was destroyed. Let's go, why did this coward scare you? - No, no, I don't believe you. You'll ruin it!
The fox persuaded the deva for a long time; The deva finally decided, so that the fox would not change, to tie it to himself with a rope. So the deva returned to his house on the rope.
Zoloduv got scared when he saw them, but what could he do? He went out to the threshold and shouted: “Oh, you deceiver, why are you dragging one deva when you owe me twelve!” When Dev heard it, he started running and pulled the rope behind him. And he crippled the whole fox, and barely carried off his legs.
And Zoloduv collected all the deva’s wealth, loaded it onto camels and went to his daughter-in-law.
There I left the pestilence, Here I found a feast. There I spilled the ashes, And here I found flour.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru