The Kind Lark

Once upon a time, there lived a poor peasant. He owned only a small strip of land. On this land, he sowed millet. A tree grew on the strip, and a lark had built its nest in that tree. The peasant sowed the millet, and it grew and flourished, blossomed and ripened, until it was full of grain. When the millet was ripe, the lark began to peck at it. The peasant saw this and thought, "I must cut down the tree and drive the lark away, or it will peck all my millet." So the peasant took an axe and approached the tree. He struck the trunk with the axe, and suddenly the lark spoke in a human voice:

"Do not cut down the tree, man, and I will give you whatever you ask."

The peasant was astonished. He looked up and asked:

"What can you give me? You have nothing—only feathers on your body."

"Pick up that stick lying under the tree," said the lark, "and strike the ground three times with it. Then say what you desire."

The peasant picked up the stick, struck the ground three times, and said:

"Stick, give me bread and cheese!"

At that very moment, a warm loaf of wheat bread and fresh cheese wrapped in a white cloth appeared before him. The peasant was amazed. At first, he couldn't believe his eyes, but then he ate his fill and brought bread and cheese to his wife. He told her everything that had happened, but she didn't believe him. So he struck the ground three times with the stick and said:

"Stick, I want to feast like a rich man. Bring me roasted chickens and honeyed drink!"

No sooner had he spoken than a lavish feast appeared in the room. There was everything one could desire: roasted chickens, honeyed drink, and many other delicacies. The peasant and his wife ate their fill and went to bed. The next morning, the wife said to her husband:

"Listen, dear husband, I'm tired of living in this hovel. I want us to have the finest house in the area."

The peasant struck the ground three times with the stick and said:

"Stick, I want to live in a fine house!"

In the blink of an eye, their hovel disappeared, and in its place stood a large house with wide windows. There was no other house like it in the entire region.

The husband and wife lived in the house for a day, then another, and soon the wife said to her husband:

"We have become rich. Now I desire honor. Invite the king to visit us."

The peasant tapped the ground three times with the stick:

"Stick, bring the king to visit me!"

At that very moment, someone knocked at the door. The peasant went out and saw the king himself standing before him.

"I have heard," said the king, "that you are now the wealthiest man in the area. So I have come to see you."

"Welcome, honorable king! Come in, be my guest!"

The king entered the house and marveled at the peasant's fine dwelling. The hostess said:

"Welcome, honorable king! Please, taste our hospitality. Husband, take the stick and ask for the finest dishes that kings eat."

The peasant struck the ground three times with the stick, and immediately a feast fit for a king appeared on the table. The king was astonished, and as they ate and drank, he could think of only one thing: how to steal the stick. He thought and thought but could not come up with a plan. When the king returned home, he ordered his servants to carve a stick exactly like the peasant's. The king struck the ground three times with the stick and said:

"Stick, I want a marble fountain with two spouts. Let milk flow from one and honeyed drink from the other."

But no matter how many times he struck the ground or asked for the marble fountain, nothing happened. The king's stick was ordinary, not magical like the peasant's. The king hid his stick under his clothes and went to visit the peasant again.

The husband and wife welcomed the king warmly, fed him, and then went to sleep. The king, however, had other plans. He took their stick, left his own in its place, and left.

In the morning, the peasant took the stick, struck the ground three times, but nothing happened. He struck it again and again, but it was useless. He realized what had happened and groaned:

"Oh, wife, the king has stolen my stick!"

"It can't be, dear husband! What a fine king we have! We welcomed him, fed him, and he stole our stick. Go to him at once and demand it back."

The peasant went to the king to demand his stick, but the king wouldn't even let him in. He shouted:

"I honored you by visiting your home, and now you call me a thief? Servants! Seize this fool! Give him a hundred lashes on his bare back so he won't dare approach my palace again!"

The king's servants seized the peasant, beat him with rods, and threw him out. The peasant lay in front of the royal palace, groaning and moaning. No one dared to help him—everyone feared the wicked king.

Finally, he got up and somehow dragged himself home. He told his wife everything that had happened, and she said:

"How can we compete with the king? Be thankful you're still alive. Go back to the lark and ask for another stick."

The peasant went to the tree and began to chop it.

"What do you need, good man?" asked the lark.

The peasant told the lark how the king had stolen his stick and how the king's servants had beaten him. He asked the lark for another stick.

"I had only one such stick," said the lark, "so I cannot give you another. But I will give you a donkey. Whenever you slap its back, it will spit out a gold coin."

"Where is this donkey?"

"Over there, under the tree. Take it and go with God."

The peasant looked and saw a gray donkey grazing under the tree. He mounted the donkey and rode straight home. As soon as he entered the gate, he called to his wife:

"Come out, wife, and see what kind of donkey I've brought you!"

The wife came out, saw the donkey, and began to scold:

"I don't need a donkey, I need the stick!"

"Wait, wife, you don't understand. This donkey is not ordinary."

The peasant slapped the donkey's back, and it opened its mouth and spat out several gold coins. Every time he slapped the donkey, it spat out a gold coin.

The peasant and his wife lived in comfort and plenty. But then, unexpectedly, disaster struck. One day, the peasant decided to go to the market. He mounted the donkey and rode into town. As he passed a blacksmith's shop, he thought, "It wouldn't hurt to shoe the donkey." No sooner said than done—the donkey was shod. The peasant slapped the donkey's back, and it spat out a gold coin. The peasant gave the coin to the blacksmith and went to eat. He tied the donkey in the yard and went into the tavern. The blacksmith, however, had other plans. He tied his own donkey in the tavern yard and took the peasant's donkey for himself.

That evening, the peasant returned home, and his wife immediately realized the donkey was not theirs. She scolded her husband:

"What is this, dear husband? Have you been tricked again? Can't you see this donkey isn't ours?"

The peasant didn't believe her. He slapped the donkey's back, but instead of spitting out a coin, the donkey kicked him and nearly knocked out his teeth.

The peasant was heartbroken. He took his axe and went back to the tree. He began to chop it, and the lark said:

"What do you need, good man?"

"I am in great trouble. My donkey has been stolen," replied the peasant, nearly in tears.

"Do not grieve, good man," said the lark. "See that iron hammer hanging on the pear tree? Strike the ground three times with it, and three brave young men will appear before you. They will do whatever you command. When they are done, strike the ground three times again, and they will disappear."

The peasant was overjoyed. He grabbed the hammer and went straight to the king. The king saw him and again ordered his servants to give him a hundred lashes and throw him out of the palace. But the peasant, quick as ever, struck the ground three times with the hammer. Suddenly, three brave young men appeared out of nowhere and began to beat the king and his servants, leaving no spot untouched. The king was terrified and begged for mercy.

"Have mercy, brother," he pleaded. "Command your young men to spare me. I will give you whatever you desire."

The peasant laughed:

"Aha! Now you call me brother! Give me back my stick and get out of my sight before I change my mind!"

The peasant took his stick and retrieved his donkey from the blacksmith. He returned home, happy and content.

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The Kind Lark

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