The Foolish Old Woman and Her Cunning Son

In a village, there lived an old woman who had two sons. One son had died, while the other lived with his mother and worked as a laborer wherever he could find work.

The old woman was greedy and very foolish. One day, when her son was not at home, a soldier knocked on their door. The old woman opened the door and asked:

- What do you want?

- Let me stay the night, said the soldier. I'm very tired and hungry.

The old woman felt sorry to part with her food and replied:

- I have nothing to give you. I myself live in poverty, and my house is very small—there's no place for you to sleep.

The soldier turned around and was about to leave, but the old woman became curious about where he was coming from and asked him about it. The soldier answered:

- From the other world.

- And did you happen to see, the old woman asked, my little son who died last year?

- Of course I saw him! We're the best of friends! replied the soldier.

- And how is he doing there?

- Oh, it's hard! They assigned him to herd cranes. But the cranes keep running into thorny bushes, and he's torn all his clothes to shreds. So he walks around in rags.

Then the old woman ran into the house, pulled out a piece of expensive warm fabric from her chest, and gave it to the soldier, saying:

- Give this to my son so he can make himself a suit.

- Alright, granny, so be it, said the soldier. He took the fabric and left the village.

In the evening, her son returned, and the old woman told him: A young man came from the other world, and I gave him a piece of expensive fabric for your brother.

The son became angry and said:

- Oh, how foolish you are, mother! I'm leaving your house today. I'll go out into the world, and if I find a woman more foolish than you, I'll come back and take care of you for the rest of your life. But if I don't find anyone more foolish, don't expect me to return!

And he set off on his journey at once. The next day, he arrived in another village and stopped at a wealthy house where a sow with piglets was grazing in the yard. He entered the yard and began bowing to the sow. The mistress of the house saw this and sent a servant to find out why the young man was bowing to the pig. The servant ran out into the yard and asked:

- Hey, fool, my mistress wants to know why you're bowing to the pig.

- Tell your mistress that your pig is my pig's sister, and my pig is getting married. She sent me to invite your pig to her wedding.

The servant returned to the house and relayed his words to the mistress. The mistress burst out laughing:

- Who ever heard of pigs having weddings! What a fool! I'll play a joke on him! Have them harness the cart, dress the pig in my beads, and the piglets in my hats. My pig doesn't walk to weddings! Let all the neighbors have a laugh at this simpleton.

They dressed the pig and the piglets, put them in the cart, harnessed two of the best horses, and led them out of the yard. The young man took the reins, sat in the cart, and drove away.

In the evening, the master of the house returned from hunting. His wife told him the whole story, laughing uncontrollably. The husband said to her:

- Oh, wife, you're much more foolish than that young man! Which way did he go?

And, mounting his horse, the man galloped after the cart.

When the young man saw he was being pursued, he drove the horses and the cart off the road and hid them in the bushes. Then he returned to the road, placed his hat on a tree stump, and sat down beside it. Soon, the rider caught up to him and began asking about the cart.

- Oh, yes, the young man replied, I saw the cart. But it passed by a long time ago—it'll be hard for you to catch up.

- You're younger, catch up to them for me! pleaded the rider. I'll reward you.

- I'd be happy to help, but I can't. I'm guarding my master's falcon.

- Then I'll guard it for you!

- You'll let it escape, and I'll be held responsible.

The owner of the cart then offered the young man a thousand coins as a deposit and two hundred coins if he caught up to the cart. He paid the money upfront and gave him his horse. Then he sat down by the stump to wait. He sat there for a long time until the sun set. When he got up to return home, he lifted the hat to take the falcon—but it was empty. He realized it was the same young man who had tricked his wife out of the cart and had now deceived him as well. He returned to his wife and made peace with her.

Meanwhile, the clever young man went back for the cart and calmly continued on his way to his home village. He brought the sow with piglets, three horses, and the cart into the yard. Entering the house, he tossed a heavy purse of money onto the table and said:

- Well, mother, as promised, I'll take care of you for another hundred years. There are people in the world much more foolish than you!

More fairy tales

• Rezan the Half-Cut
• Why the Elderly Are Honored
• The Old Man, the Old Woman, and the Moon
• The Little Piece of Lime
• Grandfather Petko and Grandmother Pena