Two Old Soldiers

Once upon a time, there were two soldiers, both of whom were over sixty years old. After retiring, they decided to return to their homeland. Along the way, they began to discuss their situation:

"How are we going to earn our living now? It's too late for us to learn a trade, and if we beg for alms, people will say we're still capable of working and won't give us anything." Then one of them said:

— Let's cast lots to decide who among us is destined to have their eyes gouged out, and we'll beg together.

The second soldier agreed that this was a clever idea.

The lot fell to the one who had come up with the idea. His companion gouged out his eyes and became his guide. They went from house to house, begging for alms. People gave generously, but the blind man benefited little from it: the guide kept all the tasty morsels for himself, leaving the blind man with nothing but bones and stale crusts.

— Alas, — lamented the unfortunate man, — is it not enough that I am blind? Why must you also wrong me?

— If you keep complaining, — replied the second soldier, — I'll abandon you.

But the poor blind man couldn't help but complain. In the end, the guide left him in the forest.

The blind man wandered through the forest for a long time, then stopped near a tree.

"What will become of me? — he thought. — Soon it will be night, and wild beasts will tear me apart." To protect himself, he climbed up the tree.

Around eleven o'clock, or perhaps at midnight, four animals arrived: a fox, a boar, a wolf, and a roe deer.

— I know something, — declared the fox, — but I won't tell anyone.

— I also know something, — said the wolf.

— Me too, — said the roe deer.

— Oh, come on, — retorted the boar, — what could you possibly know with those tiny antlers?

— Ha, — replied the roe deer, — my small head and tiny antlers hold plenty of wisdom.

— Well then, — said the boar, — let each of us say what we know.

The fox began:

— Not far from here flows a river whose water can restore sight to the blind. In my lifetime, I've gone blind in one eye several times—each time, washing with that water healed me.

— I know that river, — said the wolf, — and I know even more about it than you do. The king's daughter is very ill; she has been promised in marriage to whoever can cure her. All one needs to do is give her a drink of water from that river, and she will recover.

The roe deer, in turn, said:

— The city of Lyon is suffering from a water shortage; fifteen thousand francs have been promised to whoever can solve this problem. If you dig near the Tree of Liberty, a spring will gush forth, and there will be plenty of water.

— As for me, — said the boar, — I know nothing.

With that, the animals went their separate ways.

— Ah, — thought the blind man, — if only I could find that river!

He climbed down from the tree and stumbled along. Finally, he reached the river, washed his eyes with the water, and began to see a little. He washed them again and regained his full sight.

The soldier hurried to the mayor of Lyon and told him that if he wanted an abundance of water, he only needed to order the ground near the Tree of Liberty to be dug up. And indeed, as soon as they dug, a spring appeared, and the city had all the water it needed. The soldier was given the promised fifteen thousand francs. He then went to the king and said:

— Your Majesty, I have learned that your daughter is very ill, but I know a remedy that will heal her. — And the soldier told him about the water.

The king immediately sent his servants to the river. They began giving the princess the water to drink and bathing her in it, and she was cured.

The king said to the soldier:

— Though you are perhaps advanced in years, I will give my daughter to you in marriage, or if you prefer, I will give you money.

The soldier chose to marry the princess, knowing that the king would provide a dowry. The wedding was held at once.

One day, while the soldier was walking in his garden, he saw a man in rags begging for alms. The soldier immediately recognized his former companion. He approached the beggar and asked:

— Have you ever begged alongside someone? Where is your companion?

— He died, — replied the beggar.

— Tell me the truth—you won't regret it. What happened to him?

— I abandoned him.

— Why?

— He always complained, yet he got all the best morsels. When we were given bread, I let him have the soft part because he had no teeth left, while I gnawed on the crusts. I gave him the meat, while I chewed on the bones.

— That's a lie: you did the exact opposite. Would you recognize your companion?

— I don't know.

— Well, that companion is me.

— Are you not the king?

— Indeed, but I am also your former companion. Come inside, and I'll tell you everything.

When the beggar learned what had happened to the blind man, he said:

— I'd like to try my luck too! Take me to that tree—perhaps the animals will return.

— Gladly, — replied his former companion. — I'll repay your evil with kindness.

He led the beggar to the tree, and the beggar climbed up.

Around eleven o'clock, or perhaps at midnight, the four animals gathered again at the tree. The fox said:

— What we discussed that night has become known: the king's daughter has been healed, and Lyon now has plenty of water. Who revealed our secret?

— It wasn't me, — said the wolf.

— Not me, — declared the roe deer.

— I'm sure it was the boar, — continued the fox. — He had nothing to say, so he blabbed what we discussed.

— That's not true, — replied the boar.

— Watch out, — said the fox, — we'll settle this with you.

— I'm not afraid of you, — said the boar, baring his tusks. — Just try to touch me!

Suddenly, looking up, they saw the beggar in the tree.

— Aha, — they exclaimed together. — There's someone up there eavesdropping on us!

They began to dig around the tree, toppled it, and tore the beggar to pieces.

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Two Old Soldiers

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