Viktor Gitin - River of fairy tales. Unprofessional translation from Russian

«Maybe you could help me to weed away my field? I’ve got too much of them!»

«No way!» the Merchant got really mad behind his thorny fence. «My gold fears no weeds. And you have to deal with yours yourself.»

Again, the Farmer turned around and went away. The Merchant was nervous when watching him go. «I think I have to dig a ditch around my fence, or the farmer would really come and steal my gold.»

Thus, he went on digging a ditch around his hut and the field in the night. The ditch was so deep the one falling into it would definitely break his neck and never get out alive.

Meanwhile the Farmer’s wheat came into head. It required to be watered now, and there were no rains on the island. The Farmer had to bring water in buckets from the nearby spring. But it was so difficult to do just by himself. Again, he came to the Merchant and started asking him for help.

«Dear neighbor, please, come to me, help me to water the field. I will share my crops with you afterwards.»

The Merchant got very scared. «The Farmer wants to share his crops! It means he wants some part of my gold harvest, too! Who would share just like that? I would never do such a stupid thing!» The Merchant was so greedy he didn’t want to part even with the things he didn’t need anymore. As for sharing, the Merchant considered it a true crime against himself.

So, he stood behind his thorny fence and deep ditch and shouted to the Farmer:

«It was a nice idea with the water, thank you! I have a lot of things to do, too. I have no time to help you. Go away!»

The Farmer returned to his field to work further. And the Merchant decided to fill in his ditch with water – so that the Farmer would never be able to swim it across. Even if he tried, he would definitely suffocate and drown.

But finally, the harvest time came. For the last time the Farmer decided to ask for help from the Merchant. He came to the ditch and shouted:

«I have a heavy crop! I don’t need as much. I’m afraid my wheat will get rotten as I can’t reap it all myself. Please, come to me, come to my field to reap and thresh my wheat! All you will reap will be yours!»

«Never ever!» The Merchant was angry and didn’t believe the Farmer. «I need to reap my own crop. And you want me to help you. Go away, you stupid beggar!»

The farmer was very surprised at such reply and went away.

The Merchant’s field did bring him the gold wheat. The stems were covered with golden powder and the heads were all full of gold seeds. He rushed to reap his precious harvest, quickly, quickly, so that the Farmer doesn’t see. He reaped a whole sac of gold seeds. The Merchant sat on the sack and smiled happily. How rich he is now! How happy! He caressed the sac with a palm, fingered the seeds and grinned.

Meanwhile the Farmer reaped all his harvest by himself, threshed it and put in the sacs. He had to work night and day. Tired and exhausted as he was, the farmer felt happy – not a single seed was lost.

The fall came. The weather turned to cold, winds and nasty rains. There were no mushrooms and berries in the forest anymore. The winter came and each one had whatever he managed to stock during the summer.

The Farmer had a full house of fine, selected wheat. He just grinds the flour and makes pancakes. Enjoys them with tea and jam and rejoices.

And the Merchant sits on his sac of gold, hungry and mad. Finally, he started to shout to the farmer, to call him to his hut. The Farmer came to the ditch filled up with water and asked:

«Now, why have you called me, my good neighbor?»

«Do you remember you offered me your wheat? I thought it over and decided to help you a bit! I agree to take your harvest,» the Merchant said discontentedly.

«Yes, I did,» the Farmer agreed. «But I asked you to help me! You refused to plow and drag; you didn’t have time to fertilize and weed the field away. I had to water my field all alone. And when I asked you to come and reap the harvest, and to thresh it, you even chased me away!»

«All right!» the Merchant was very displeased. «If you don’t want to give your wheat to me, I can buy it! I’m a rich man, and I will give you five gold seeds for five sacks of your wheat!»

The Merchant ached for his gold. He didn’t want to lose even a few seeds. But he was hungry, and his stomach was growling.

«I don’t need your five seeds,» the Farmer laughed.

«What?! Will you ask ten gold seeds from me?» The Merchant couldn’t find his place, so very indignant he was. «Ten gold seeds for some ordinary wheat?»

«I don’t need your ten seeds either!» the Farmer laughed his heart out.

«What do you want then? Would you snatch all my gold from me?» The Merchant was so scared, he started to scold the Farmer again. «You, outlaw! You wicked lazy bones! I will never ever allow it!»

«But if you have nothing to eat, you will die of hunger,» the Farmer explained.

«Then will you need all your gold seeds at all? You will never take them in the grave with you.»

The Merchant burst into tears. He understood finally how right the Farmer was. His sack of gold costs nothing when he has no food for winter. One cannot bake pancakes of gold, or crumpets of gold.

«Please don’t leave me here to die,» the Merchant begged. «Help!»

The Farmer was kind-hearted and never remembered any evil. He held no grudge against the Merchant. That’s why he only smiled and said:

«I will share my wheat with you, but you have to go and take it. I can’t drag the sacks through your ditch and thorny fence!»

He turned away and went home – to drink tea with crumpets.

The Merchant was glad the Farmer offered him food for free. He went on getting over his own fence he had built to protect himself from the Farmer. He was so afraid to leave his gold unattended he took the sack and threw it on his back. But he was so hungry and greedy and, thus, in so much of a hurry, he hit his own thorns, fell down in the ditch and suffocated. He was too good in hiding from his neighbor. Instead of helping him in his work, the stupid Merchant was digging the ditch and putting the traps and the thorns. The sack of gold was too heavy, but the Merchant was so greedy he couldn’t just drop it in the water.

As for the Farmer, he made it fine through the winter. And in spring he spotted a ship. The ship took the Farmer and brought him home.

This strange and weird story happened in ancient times somewhere in the East. In one country there lived a sultan, and he had a charming daughter. She was famous for her intelligence and perfect manners. When time came for her to marry, three noble princes arrived at the sultan’s palace to ask for the young beauty’s hand. They were all young, attractive, and deserved to become the princess’ husband.

The sultan started to think of how to choose the best fiancé for his beloved daughter, for she was his only child. What is more, he gave half of his kingdom as dowry. And after the sultan’s death, the prince would rule the whole country on his own. So, the father had to decide not only his daughter’s fate, but also the destiny of his kingdom. And he did not want to make a mistake and give it all into unreliable hands.