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The time passed, the Farmer planted his seed. Now the land should be fertilized to get a good harvest from it afterwards. Again, he came to the Merchant.
«Please, neighbor, could you help me to fertilize my field,» he asked. «It’s so difficult to do it alone, and you just lay behind your fence doing nothing.»
«Don’t be stupid,» the Merchant snapped back. «I work just as hard. I protect my field from birds and wild animals. Can’t you see I’ve built a fence? Go away and do everything yourself!»
The Farmer went away. He gathered some manure and bird droppings and threw it evenly in the field. It was quite difficult, but he did fertilize the entire field by himself.
The Merchant spied on him from behind his fence and thought: «My fence is too small. The Farmer could easily get over it. I will gather more pricks and burrs in the forest tomorrow and will throw them around my fence. Thus, he will never steal my crops.»
The Merchant went to the forest, gathered big burrs, and laid his fence with the sharpest pricks. The pricks stuck out like true daggers – nobody could approach the fence.
Some more time passed. Now the season of weeding the field away came. The Farmer went to the Merchant’s hut and shouted from outside the fence:
«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.
The Old Garden
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.
The sultan thought and thought, but he could not find a solution. Then he had his wisest and oldest counselor called to him; he addressed him very rarely, in the most important cases. Usually, this wise man spoke less than others, so he was listened to more attentively than others. His wise advice was always on time, like a friend’s helping hand.
The old man came, and the sultan told him about his doubts. The counselor listened to the ruler attentively and said:
«You have a large, withered garden. Divide it into three parts and instruct the fiancés to restore it, so that it would be green and blossoming.»
The sultan was surprised at this advice but took it. He called the fiancés, gave them a hoe and a bucket each. He ordered them each to cultivate a third of the old garden on the outskirts of the palace.
The youths were also astonished at the task. But they all wanted to marry the beautiful young princess. So, they obeyed and set about the sultan’s task from an early morning.
When the princes left, the old wise man came to the ruler again. He sat down on the silky cushions near the bride’s father and looked at him attentively. Then he smiled and advised the sultan to change into plain clothes, so that nobody would recognize him. Then he instructed him to leave the palace, go to the youths and ask them what they were doing.
The sultan dressed as a commoner, and nobody would recognize a great a powerful ruler in this man. He left his chamber on the quiet and headed for the abandoned garden.
First of all, the disguised sultan saw a fiancé from the western kingdom. He was very educated and had good manners, a real scholar. He was standing near a tree thoughtfully and pottering about dismally.
«Who are you, oh wonderful youth? And what are you doing here?» the sultan asked innocently, as if he did not know who he was talking to.
«I am a prince of the neighboring country!» the youth said proudly. «I was taught by the best teachers and tutors of the west. I speak a lot of languages and I have mastered different sciences. My knowledge and good education are known far beyond my kingdom. Here I am obeying the sultan’s will – I am doing silly and useless work. I have to do it because I want to be the one to marry the beautiful princess and get half a kingdom as dowry.»
The youth sighed bitterly, looked around and added:
«What a stupidity! I am trying pointlessly to bring life to these old snags. Otherwise, I could write a good book on philosophy or make a discovery. I would like to surprise the world with new knowledge, but I have to water withered roots and fertilize the soil with dung! As soon as I marry the sultan’s daughter, I will rule this country sensibly. I will develop sciences. Only the most educated people will rule in my kingdom. And I will be known as the cleverest and the most educated monarch in all the nearest lands! Meanwhile, I am stupidly carrying water and loosening the soil. It is offensive and humiliating, but such is the price of the princess’ hand and the throne.»
«You said a lot about your scholarly merits, but not a word about love. Or it’s not important to you?» the bride’s disguised father said.
«My intelligence and education will win the love of any girl. I read hundreds of books about love; I know all secrets of sensuous pleasures for the body. So, I am sure that I will get the princess’ love easily.»
Upon hearing this answer, the sultan went on, thinking on his way: «It’s good to have a clever son-in-law. It would be reasonable to let such an intelligent and educated youth rule the country!»
The sultan imagined that sciences and education were prospering in his country. He imagined people discussing different problems, having endless arguments on the porches of their houses. Everybody, young and old, know the position of stars in the sky and basics of geometry. They draw circles and squares on the ground. They prove each other the reason for thunder and lightning. But one thought preyed upon the ruler’s mind: who will grow wheat and graze sheep in this wonderful world of scholars and philosophers? Who will forge metal and mould plates out of clay? The ruler had no answer to these questions, and it puzzled him very much. Moreover, a really wise man is not the one who knows more than others, but the one who does not boast about his knowledge everywhere.
Thinking about it, the sultan came to the second fiancé. It was a prince from southern lands. He was swarthy, strong, and hot, like all natives of those countries. The disguised ruler bowed to him politely and asked the same question as to the first fiancé:
«Who are you, oh manly fellow? And what are you doing in these hours of heat?»
The prince waved his hoe harshly, like a sword, and replied discontentedly:
«I am your princess’ fiancé, a prince of the southern land! I studied martial arts with the best teachers. I know how to use the bow perfectly and I can hit a grain of barley from one hundred steps. I have mastered sword fighting perfectly. There is no one in the world who can throw a javelin as well as I do! I am a real warrior, and I was made to potter about the garden and dig the dung! What a disgrace! I have to spend my time and efforts pointlessly to get the princess and half a kingdom as dowry!»
The youth was very disappointed and got too excited. He kicked the bole of the withered apple tree and continued:
«It would have been better if the ruler ordered me to perform some great exploit or beat a monster. But he told me to mess around with trees. When I marry the princess and become a sultan myself, I will surely gather the most powerful army and expand the country’s borders to reach the sea. I will be famous for my warrior’s strength and victories over weaker countries. And now I have to fight against old snags and stumps. It is offensive and humiliating!»
«Oh, noble knight, I would like to ask you one more thing. If you marry the sultan’s daughter, will you have time for love and family besides victories in battles?» the bride’s father wondered carefully.
«Sure! The princess must give birth to sons, and I will bring them up to be just as manly warriors as me. And I don’t worry at all about feelings and love. The girls love strong and brave ones. I will surely win the love of the sultan’s daughter for my bravery and heroism. There is no other way!»
Having heard this fiancé’s answer, the sultan turned and went on. He liked this prince’s bravery and decisiveness. The monarch imagined what would happen to the country if he let this fiancé rule. The prince will make all the men in the kingdom put on battle armor. He will teach them to be soldiers and immediately start war with the neighboring countries. He is a strong and able knight, so he will surely win many battles. He will conquer new lands and new kingdoms. He may create a new empire and become an emperor. But there are so many of those whose great strength is of little use! The sultan was in big doubts. «Many people will be killed in these battles,» the monarch thought. «He will have to take all men to war. Children will be left without fathers; women will be left without husbands. Who will be a father to their new children? Who will work on the fields and in workshops if best craftsmen and grain farmers go to war? And how much sorrow will be brought to the houses of country dwellers when many of those who went to war perish or become crippled? It is easy to start a war, but it is difficult to finish it. Moreover, war is an expensive thing that only wealthy countries may afford.» The absence of answer to new questions confused the sultan again.
At this moment he came up to the third fiancé, the prince of eastern lands. He was ecstatically digging the soil around withered trees. It seemed that hard work gave him real pleasure and joy.
«Who are you? And what are you doing with this land?» the disguised ruler asked.
«I am the youth who wants to marry the most beautiful and wonderful girl of your country – the young princess!» the young man answered with a kind and modest smile. «I am trying to restore this wonderful garden. I am very lucky, because I am making new life, creating, and reproducing it. I am not very good at sciences, and I am bad at weapons. But I am good at writing songs and poems. It’s probably for this reason that I like to create. There is nothing better in the world than to work on restoring something destroyed or create something new. The sultan will hardly choose me as a fiancé for his daughter. I have no education or military valor, like the other princes have. They are stronger and more intelligent than me. But even if I fail to get the princess’ hand, I will be glad to accomplish this task anyway. For I will be able to leave a memory about myself. When I restore this garden, it will be my gift for her. Later, when she comes here, the rustling leaves will remind her about me and my feelings. When she gives birth to children, they will also run here, play, and have fun in this garden. They will hide in the shade of branches from sun or rain. And the fruit that will ripen here every year will bring joy to everybody with their taste and aroma. The sultan gave me a wonderful task, and I am very glad and thankful to him.»
«Does it mean that you don’t think you will be able to get princess’ love before you even try to do it?» the disguised bride’s father asked in surprise.
«I think that you cannot get true love, you can only give it to another one. I can give my love to the charming princess and have no right to demand and expect something back. I don’t know who she will give her love to. My love for the princess is my gift to her, not a deal or an exchange. True feeling is always disinterested…»
The youth caressed the withered boles of trees gently and diligently continued digging the soil, carrying water, and fertilizing the soil.
«That’s a worthless fiancé!» the sultan thought sadly. «He has no education, like the first one. No strength, like the second one. What is the point in such a useless husband? If I leave the country to him, he will turn it into gardens and parterres. Can it be right?!»
The monarch turned around and staggered to the palace thoughtfully. Then he called the old wise man again. The sultan complained the counselor that he had met the princes and talked to them, but he could not decide who was the worthiest husband of them. Whom should he choose as a husband for his beloved daughter, so that she would be happy all her life and so that the country would get a reliable ruler? In the end of the story, he exclaimed helplessly:
«Why is it that the good is always doubtful and relative, while the evil is apparent and definite?»
The old man sneered. He knew quite enough to learn to doubt his infallibility, so he said evasively:
«Try to ask the bride’s opinion. Tell her everything you heard from the three fiancés when you talked in the garden. But don’t call their names. And let her appreciate their answers.»
The sultan called the daughter and told her about his conversations with fiancés in the garden. The princess thought just a little bit; she looked into her father’s eyes honestly and confessed:
«If the decision depended on me, I would choose the third one. The most worthless one, in your opinion. The one who does not believe that I will be his wife but continues to work and restore the garden. Because he did not seek joy in sciences or war, but in creation. Because he did not feel happy with discoveries and winning battles, but with his ability to give his work and love to other people. Because when he is working, he is not thinking about himself or his glory, but about his love, his bride, her future, and the future of her children! You can rely on such a person in family life. And it means that you can also rely on him in ruling the country.»
The wise man smiled and said to the sultan:
«I think you don’t need my advice anymore. I could not have said better.»
GreediBerry
Once there lived a man in a village. His name was Frol. Everything was fine with him: he had a nice house, a milk-cow, laying hens, a fertile field. But once he decided to go to the forest and pick sweet berries. He was about to leave when his neighbor, an old woman, told him:
«Frolushka, pick some berries in the forest and bring a handful to me. I am too old to go to the forest alone.»
«All right,» the kind Frol agreed. «Don’t worry, I’ll bring a whole basket of berries for you, so that you could eat as much as you like.»
«Thank you, dear! But I’ll give you one important piece of advice. Don’t go to the huge cliff above the river,» the old woman warned.
«Why not?» the curious man asked.
«There is a bad berry there. GreediBerry! If you eat it, you will become greedy. And great trouble may happen to you then.»
Frol laughed at the old woman’s words and went to the forest. He was walking along the road and thinking: «That’s stupid. There is no GreediBerry. And even if it existed, what is the trouble with greediness? Nobody has ever died of it. Greedy people just become richer than others.» thought Frol and headed for the huge cliff.
Near the edge of the cliff there was a wonderful meadow. He saw a marvelous bush there with unusual red berries that grew in clusters. Frol could not help picking one berry and trying it. He liked it very much! The berry tasted so delicious that the man threw at it and ate almost everything at once.
He was picking it and putting handfuls into his mouth so violently that he was covered in berries all over. He ate his full of juicy berries, felt heavy and flopped to the ground. He sat down and felt that he was too weak to go home.
Frol had a little rest and thought: «The nasty old woman! She knew that the berry here was very tasty. That’s why she forbade going here. It’s good that I disobeyed. I have never tried such juicy berries in my life! And I won’t bring this disgusting old woman anything, I won’t appease her. I will keep for myself everything I will pick in the forest. I don’t have enough for myself!»
The man picked the rest of berries from this wonderful bush and went home. But he did not notice and did not understand that he had become greedy. And now he was not his own master but gain and greediness were his masters.
The man came to the village, and the neighbor was waiting for him:
