Tale 9
LUCKY POOR MAN
Amytime anywhere lived a padishah and a vizier. And once they decided to walk over their kingdom. The disguised like dervishes and went out from palace. The saw a house and light in it. They looked in and saw tandur is kindled and happy children all over it. They knocked at the door. The door opened a poor man:
- Good evening.
- Good evening, dervishes, welcome, sit down, please.
Dervishes were invited inside and entertained with what God sent to the poor man.
- Answer me, please, - asked padishah the poor man, - you are poor man. There are nothing in your house but your food is splendid.
- Dervishe-baba, everyday I go to forest, chop firewood and sell it in the town. I got two coins for this labor and spend them on food.
- In your place I would spend only one coin and another hold for a bad days.
- Dervishe-baba, God is gracious for us and I hope he will be so kind and later.
In the morning padishah returned to the palace and announced edict that nobody can cut firewood in the forest.
In that morning poor man wake up and went to the forest but he was caught by padishah's guard and they explained him that beginning from that day nobody could cut firewood in the wood.
Poor man returned and went to the town for a job. One widow hired him to chop her firewood and paid him four coins.
This evening padishah and vizier visited a poor man again. They heard sounds of laughter and melody of zurna and saw dancing kurds around the fire.
- Welcome dear guests, welcome and sit down.
- How do you do?
- There are bad news and good. Today in the morning I went to the wood to chop firewood but padishah's guard said me that padishah's edict prohibited that. Then I walked around town for a work and one widow asked me to chop her firewood and she gave me four coins at once. I spend everything on food and invited neighbours. Welcome and you.
- In your place I would spend only two coins and another two hold for a bad days.
- Dervishe-baba, God is gracious for us and I hope he will be so kind and later.
Next morning padishah announced next edict there were wrote that nobody could hire other man.
Raised poor man in the morning and went to the town. But nobody want to hire him. He returned home and called his wife:
-Zeynab, go to our neighbour Msto and ask his guard uniform. I'll dress it on myself and walk around the town. May be I'll find some money.
And he dressed himself and went to the town. Suddenly he saw two men who fought together. He separated fought men and threatened them to take the to a judge. They feared and gave him five coins everybody.
Happy poor man returned home, bought a sheep, killed it, roasted it's meat and invited neighbours and relatives.
In the evening padishah and vizier came to the poor man's house but far from the house they have heard the sounds of zurna and dafna. Padishah and vizier were very surprised. They knocked at the door, came in, were sat down and had listened a poor man's story. He said that have raised in the morning and found that nobody wanted to hire him. Then he send his wife to the neighbour Msto to rent his clothes, dressed them walking around the town have seen two fought men. He threatened them to take the to a judge and they feared and gave him five coins everybody.
Next morning padishah returned in his palace, dressed in his golden clothes, took his golden crook in his hand and called poor man to his palace. Then he came in padishah said:
- I have heard you are most courageous man my lands. You have to stay all day long near main gate and save them from enemy and you have not leave that place.
He was given a sable and stand near main gate.
In the evening poor man felt himself very sad. He hadn't money to buy food and his children are hungry. But he had got an idea. He took the sable and sold it for thirty coins. Four coins he brought to carpenter and paid for new sable but made from wood. Last twenty-six he uses to buy much food. He called neighbours and relatives, killed several sheep and called musicians.
That time padishah dressed like dervishe and came to the poor man. He was welcomed home. Poor man told him story about padishah, how he called him gave him a sable and ordered him to save main gate. He told how he sold padishah's sable and got money for the food.
Padishah asked:
- Answer me, what will you do if padishah call you and order to kill somebody.
- I don't know, but I hope I'll have not.
Next morning padishah called poor man and ordered him to kill a criminal.
Poor man felt down the floor and said:
Great padishah! This man is innocent. If he is guilty I'll kill him but if he is innocent let ... let my sable stay wood.
He took out his sable and it is really from wood.
- You are very wise, - said padishah and gave him a good post.