How the Wolf Was Taught Wisdom

A man was mowing hay. He got tired and sat down under a bush to rest. He took out his bag and decided to have a snack. Just then, a wolf happened to be nearby. The wolf caught the scent of food and came out of the forest. The wolf saw the mower sitting under the bush, eating. He approached him and asked:

- What are you eating?

- Bread.

- Is it tasty?

- Very.

- Let me try it.

- Sure, here you go.

The mower broke off a piece of bread and gave it to the wolf.

The wolf liked the bread. He said:

- I’ve never eaten such delicious bread, especially with caraway seeds. I’ve traveled all over Belarus, but I’ve never tasted anything like this. It must be something special.

- You guessed it, - said the mower, - this bread is called Minsk bread.

- I wish I could eat Minsk bread every day, - sighed the wolf. - Kind man, tell me where I can get it.

- Alright! - said the mower. - I’ll teach you how to get this bread. And he began to instruct the wolf:

- First, you need to plow the land...

- And then I’ll have bread?

- You’re in such a hurry! - laughed the mower. - Wait a bit! You need to harrow the land...

- And then I can eat bread? - the wolf hurried, wagging his tail.

- Not so fast! You need to sow rye...

- And then I’ll have bread? - the wolf asked again, licking his lips.

- Not yet! Wait for the rye to sprout, survive the winter, turn green in spring, bloom in summer, and the ears to fill out - only then will it ripen...

- Oh, - sighed the wolf, - that’s too long... Will I get to eat as much bread as I want then?

- Far from it! - the man chuckled. - Not yet! When the rye ripens, you need to reap it, bind it into sheaves, and stack the sheaves into piles. The wind will dry them, the sun will warm them... Only then can you take it to the threshing floor...

- And then I can eat?

- Oh, you’re so impatient! You need to thresh the sheaves, pour the grain into sacks, take it to the mill, and grind it...

- And that’s it?

- No, not yet! You need to knead the flour, wait for the dough to rise, shape the loaves, and put them in a hot oven.

- And then I’ll have bread?

- When it’s baked, then you’ll have bread. The wolf thought for a moment. He scratched the back of his neck and said:

- No, this work isn’t for me. Tell me how to get bread the easy way.

- Well, if you don’t want to work hard for bread, eat the easy kind... Go to the meadows. There’s a horse grazing there.

The wolf went to the meadows. He saw the horse, raised the fur on his back, bared his teeth, and said:

- Horse, oh horse! I’m going to eat you!

- Alright, - replied the horse, - eat me. But first, remove the horseshoes from my hind legs, or you’ll break your teeth...

- You’re right, - agreed the wolf.

He bent down to remove the horseshoes, and the horse kicked him in the teeth...

The wolf tumbled over and ran away... He ran to the river. He saw geese grazing on the bank. "Maybe I’ll eat the geese," thought the wolf. He approached the geese and said:

- Geese, oh geese, I’m going to eat you!

- Alright, - the geese cackled, - eat us! But first, do us one favor before we die.

- What is it?

- Sing for us, and we’ll dance.

- That’s it? I can do that! I’m good at singing!.. The wolf sat on a hillock, raised his head, and began to howl. Meanwhile, the geese flew away. The wolf climbed down from the hill, watched the geese fly off, and went back to his den empty-handed. Meanwhile, the mower finished his work and was heading home. As he walked, he suddenly heard the wolf crying nearby and saying to himself:

- Enough! I’ve tried the easy bread... It’s not worth dying for...

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How the Wolf Was Taught Wisdom

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