Эйваз Махмуд Зейналов – A car-planter (страница 7)

The lion approved the rabbit’s idea. He howled with laughter:

– Remember it, the next time you will ask him another thing.

– What?.. – The rabbit asked.

– Ask him to bring a bowl of water for you… If he brings hot water, you will say that you wanted the cold one. If he brings cold water then you will say you wanted the hot one.

The next time when the lion was apsent the rabbit did the same thing what the lion advised her. She called the wolf and sent him for water in front of the animals.

She drank the water and got angry:

– What is this? I asked you to bring hot water for me.

The wolf was aware of the talk of the lion and the rabbit. That was why he immediately gave the rabbit the hot water bowl which he had hid behind him.

The rabbit did not expect it from the wolf. She became more angry, when she failed:

– Heyy! No! No! Tell me where is your cap? – She again began to kick and beat the wolf.

THE STROKE OF A BLIND MAN

Once a beggar was standing near the bridge. Suddenly someone put paper money (a banknote) into his palm. The beggar’s eyes sparkled as soon as he saw the money. It was for the first time, he got such a big sum of money. He could not stand in his place from happiness. “Probably the man was mistaken. What if he returns and takes back the money?”

He ran down another beggar and hurt his foot when he went to the other side of the bridge.

– Are you blind? Don’t you see me on your way? – The sufferer began to shout. He had been out of luck that day. That was why he was as angry as a dog. On the other hand, he did not like appearance of the newcomer in his area.

The new beggar understood that there was no need to apologize. So, he thought a little bit and answered:

– Oh, yes, you are right, brother. I am blind.

– What? Are you blind? – The sufferer was sorry to be rude with him. But he saw that the beggar did not look like a blind one.

– Yes, I am blind. – The newcomer approved. I am in need of an honest one. – He thought: “One can think of nothing better” and added: – Someone gave me paper money. But I do not know how much it is?

– I am that very honest man and I shall tell you how much it is.

– Who are you?

– I am a beggar as you, but I can see.

– Won’t you deceive me? Won’t you run away?

– No, I will not. Don’t you know that the beggar never gives gift to another one?

– If so, then swear on your honor.

– Let me be a blind as you, if I deceive you.

The eyes of the sufferer sparkled as soon as he saw the money. He had never had such a big sum since he began to solicit alms.

The owner of the money saw that the sufferer was examining the money attentively. That was why he asked:

– What is the matter, brother? Why don’t you say any word?

The sufferer made a step back instead of answer and ran away.

– Heyy, stop, where do you take my money? – The first beggar shouted as soon as he understood his aim.

But the sufferer did not stop. He started running He thought that the owner of the money was blind and he was unable to reach him. So, he will be calmed very soon.

But the owner of the money did not keep up with him. He started to follow him shouting:

– Stop immediately. If you do not stop, I will throw a stone and hurt your right leg. Then you will cry and I will take my money back.

But the second beggar did not pay attention to him.

The owner of the money picked up the stone and threw it to him. The stone hurt the right leg of the beggar. But the beggar neither shouted nor cried. He continued running with a pain in his leg.

The owner of the money again warned him:

– Stop! If you do not stop, I will throw a stone and hurt your left leg. Then you will cry and I will take my money back.

The beggar again did not listen to him. The owner of the money picked up the stone and threw it to him. The stone hurt the left leg of the beggar. But the beggar neither shouted nor cried. He continued running with a pain in his leg.

The owner of the money warned him again:

– I will hurt your head with the stone if you do not stop immediately.

The beggar who tried to steal his money understood that he had to accept a situation. He found himself in a no-win situation. That was why he stopped and gave the money to its owner and said:

– For God’s sake, take your money and do not hurt me. Your strike is unlike to the bland man’s strike.

WOODCUTTER

The woodcutter prepared his ax and pick. He took his donkey and went to the forest.

He gathered a lot of brushwood till the afternoon. Suddenly he heard a strange rustle among trees. When he stood up, he saw a big brown bear coming nearer to him, shaking with head. He took his pick and climbed up the tree.

It was deliberately or willfully the bear came and sat under the same tree.

The woodcutter was horror-stricken and filled with deadly fear. He looked at the sky and begged God for help:

– O great Creator! Don’t let the bear touch me. I will cut my cock as a sacrifice. I will cut it as soon as I reach home.

The bear turned around the tree as if it felt some smell in the air with its big nose.

There were still some lingering doubts in woodcutter’s mind. That was why he climbed up the higher branch. His throat was dry:

– It is clear to me – I am not so naive, as you think. The cock is very little in this case. I will cut my kid as a sacrifice and dispense charity to the needy. The poor will be happy.

He saw that the bear did not move from that place. Then it began to walk around the tree. The woodcutter again climbed up higher.

– Well, I understood. I have mistaken. The kid is smaller in this case. I will correct my mistake. My Lord, I will sacrifice my buck. I say a buck. It is a big and fat ram.

The bear touched the tree with its paw. Then it held up its head and roared. The roar shook the forest. There was a terrible murmur of the forest.

The poor woodcutter would certainly had died of terror in another moment. He hardly fell down from the tree. He threw his pick and put his arms round the tree. He was out of breath. Then he begged the God:

– O great Creator! Don’t be angry. I will cut my cow as a sacrifice though my children will remain without milk and yoghurt. Just let this bear get away. It will be better for the children to be without milk than to live without father.

The bear began to rub with its neck against the tree and roared loudly. The shivering woodcutter climbed up the highest branch of the tree.

– I understood, my Lord. You know that I have an ox. Damn to this bear! I have forgotten not only my ox, even my name.

The bear was still under the tree.

– O, my Lord! I do not have anything beside the ox. If you mean my donkey, I will sacrifice it also. But sacrifice of donkeys is impossible. If you‘d like, the poor thing is walking under the tree. You can take it… Use your own judgement!

At that moment, the bear turned back and went away, shaking its head.

The woodcutter waited for a long time. When the bear disappeared, he carefully climbed down. Then he took the bundle of brushwood and went out of the forest.

Sometimes he looked back in fear. As the danger was past, he was pleased. It seemed that he was not the same man. He struck the donkey with a whip and said smiling:

– Be quick, God damn you! You are in respect in the top circles. As soon as I told about you, everything came right in the end. I was so foolish talking nonsense to God. What could I do? I was in dangerous situation. I had never thought that the life is so sweet! I would remain empty-handed because of a worthless bear. Thanks to God, that I do not have camel or elephant. Otherwise, I would sacrifice them, too. Now, I know how it is difficult for the rich in their hour of need and painful situations. Alas! I was not afraid for myself. The world will not become empty if an ordinary woodcutter dies. I was afraid for my family. Possibly the bear did not come to that tree because of me. It was just walking there. What if the bear’s nose was itching?

The donkey opened its mouth widely and brayed. The woodcutter was surprised: