Folk-lore and Legends: Russian and Polish 15

Folk-lore and Legends: Russian and Polish 15

One day when the two brothers returned from the fields, finding the

simpleton on the top of the stove, they made him dress and put on his

hat, and having dragged him into the yard, they gave him a good beating,

and turning him out, said to him—

 

“Go, simpleton, and lose no time, for you shall have neither lodging nor

supper until you have gone to the wood and brought us a basket of

mushrooms.”

 

The poor fellow, full of astonishment, did not even understand what his

brothers wished of him. After having stood for a time scratching his

head, he set off to a little forest of oak-trees which was near at hand.

All seemed wonderful and strange to him. Right in his way he came across

the dry trunk of a tree. He went up to it, took off his hat, and said—

 

“I see that other trees in the forest stand up and wear hats of green

leaves, but you alone, my poor friend, are bare. The cold will kill you.

You are amongst just such brothers as I have. No doubt you are a fool

like myself. Will you have my hat, then?”

 

Folding his arms, he wept tenderly. All of a sudden one of the trees

which grew near moved as if it were alive. The idiot was alarmed, and

was about to fly, when the tree, addressing him in a man’s voice, said—

 

“Do not fly, but stop and listen. That tree, which was cut down so

prematurely, was my son. No one besides myself has until now wept over

his so early blighted life. You alone have watered him with your tears.

As a reward for it, you shall henceforth obtain whatever you ask of me,

saying the following words:—

 

“Oak with the golden acorns, I beseech you give me what I want!”

 

At the moment that the oak ceased, a shower of golden acorns fell upon

the idiot, who filled his pockets with them, saluted the oak, thanked

it, and returned home.

 

“Ah, you simpleton!” cried his brothers, “where are the mushrooms?”

 

“I have in my pocket some oak mushrooms,” said the idiot.

 

“Eat them yourself, then, for your supper,” said they, “for you will

have nothing else, you sluggard. Where is your hat?”

 

“I covered a poor tree I came across on the road with it; it had nothing

on it, and I was afraid it would be frozen,” answered he.

 

The idiot climbed upon the stove as he said this, and lay down. All of a

sudden the golden acorns fell out of his pocket. The brothers rushed

forward, and paying no heed to the lad’s remonstrances, gathered up the

acorns and took them to their father. He told them to carry them to the

king, and tell him that one of his sons, an idiot, had found them in the

wood. When the king saw them, he at once sent some soldiers to look

through the wood for golden acorns, but all their search was fruitless.

They came back and told him that there was not a single golden acorn to

be found in the forest. The king fell in a great rage when he heard

that. When he was calm again, he ordered the shepherd to come to him,

and said—

 

“Tell your son, the idiot, that he must bring to the court this evening

a cask full to the brim of gold acorns. If he does so he shall receive

my royal favour, and you may be assured that you shall not be

forgotten.”

 

The shepherd went off to his son, and told him what the king had said.

 

“The king,” said the idiot, “I see, likes good things. He does not ask,

but commands me to do what he wishes, and makes mere promises, and for

them he wants a fool to bring him golden acorns. I shall not do it.”

 

Neither the prayers nor the threats of his father could make him change

his mind. At last his brothers pulled him off the stove, made him dress

and put on a hat, took him into the yard and beat him, and then put him

out, saying—

 

“Lose no time, you simpleton, but be off, for you shall have neither

lodging nor supper till you return from the wood with the golden

acorns.”

 

The fool did not know what to do, so he set off again to the forest. In

a short time he came to the stump on which was his hat, just by the old

oak. He raised his cap, bowed, and said—

 

“Oak with the golden acorns, help me in my distress, I beseech you. Give

me what I want.”

 

The oak shook itself, rattled its branches, and instead of golden acorns

a cloth fell into the lad’s hands.

 

“Take care of the cloth,” said the oak, “and keep it. In case of need,

say to it—

 

“‘Wonderful cloth, let one who is hungry and thirsty find here

everything he wants.’”

 

The oak ceased, and the lad, saluting and thanking it, commenced to go

home. As he went he wondered what his brothers would say to him, and he

thought how pleased his mother would be when he told her that he had got

the wonderful cloth. When he was half-way home he met a beggar, who said

to him—

 

“See, I am old, ill, and ragged, for the love of God give me something,

either money or a piece of bread.”

 

The idiot laid his cloth on the grass, and said—

 

“Wonderful cloth, let those who are hungry and thirsty find here all

they want.”

 

Immediately there was a whistling in the air; something shone over them,

and they found before them a table set as if for a king’s feast. There

were numberless dishes, goblets full of hydromel, and glasses full of

the best wines. The things on the table were all of gold or of silver.

 

The idiot and his guest admired the table and commenced to eat and

drink. When they had finished eating and drinking the table vanished,

and the idiot wrapped up his cloth and began to go homewards, when the

old man said to him—

 

“Give me your cloth, and take this stick in its stead. When you speak to

it such-and-such words it belabours people so that they will give all

the world to escape from it.”

 

The idiot, thinking of his brothers, took the cudgel and gave the man

the cloth. So they parted.

 

Now afterwards he considered that the oak had told him to keep the cloth

himself, and that, having given it away, he would not be able to

surprise his mother as he had intended. So he said to the stick—

 

“Stick which beats by itself, go quickly and look for my cloth. Go, I

want it back.”

 

The stick went off at once in pursuit of the man and soon overtook him.

It set upon him, and commenced to beat him, crying—

 

“So you seek the wealth of others, do you? Take that, you knave, and

that.”

 

The man tried to escape, but it was no use, for the stick followed him,

thrashing on, and repeating the same words. However much he would have

liked to keep the cloth, he was obliged to throw it aside to save

himself. The stick brought the cloth to its master, and the idiot

continued his journey, thinking how he would surprise his mother and

brothers. A little further on he met a man who carried in his hand an

empty bag.

 

“Stop,” cried the man. “For the love of Heaven give me some pence or a

piece of bread! My bag is empty, and I am hungry and have a long way to

go.”

 

The fool spread his cloth once more, and said—

 

“Wonderful cloth, let him who is hungry and thirsty find here everything

he wants.”

 

They heard a whistling noise, saw something shine in the air above them,

and, immediately, in front of them, was a table set as if for a royal

banquet. There were numberless dishes, and hydromel and wine in plenty.

The idiot and his guest sat down, and when they had finished eating and

drinking the table disappeared. The fool wrapped up his cloth, and was

commencing his journey, when the man said to him—

 

“Will you give me your cloth for my girdle? When you say, ‘Girdle, which

swims so wonderfully, for my safety and not for my pleasure, let me find

myself in a boat on the water,’ the girdle will change itself into a

deep lake, upon which you can sail at your will.”

 

The simpleton thought how much his father would like to always have

water for his flocks. So he gave the man the cloth for the girdle, which

he tied around him. Then he took his stick in his hand, and the two

parted. In a short time, when the beggar was afar off, the fool began

again to remember how the oak had told him to keep the cloth for

himself, and he saw that unless he had it he would not be able to give

his mother the pleasant surprise he had intended. So he said to his

stick—

 

“Stick, which beats of itself, go quickly and look for my cloth. Go, I

want it back.”

 

The stick set off again, and coming up to the beggar commenced to beat

him, saying—

 

“So you seek the wealth of others, do you? Take that, knave, and that.”

 

The beggar tried to fly, but the stick pursued him, and however much he

would have liked to keep the cloth, he preferred rather to save himself

from the stick. The cudgel brought the cloth to its master, and he,

having hidden it under his coat, put on the girdle and, with the stick

in his hand, again went on his way. As he walked he thought with

pleasure of how he would be able to exercise the stick on his brothers,

and how pleased his father would be to always have water for the king’s

flocks, even though he should be in the midst of dry fields and woods.

Then he thought of his mother’s surprise at finding he had got the

wonderful cloth. All of a sudden he met a soldier clothed in rags, lame,

and covered with scars. He had once been a fine warrior, and, addressing

the young man, he said—

 

“Evil luck follows me, a man who has been a good soldier, and who has

fought well in his youth. What has been the good of it all? I am lamed

for life, and upon this lonely road I cannot even get anything to eat.

Take pity on me, and give me at least a piece of bread.”