Vaduaye

Once upon a time, there lived a man who had a grain of wheat, and his name was Vaduaie.

He came to an old woman and said, "Hello, auntie."

"Hello, Vaduaie."

"Would you please keep an eye on my grain of wheat?"

"Gladly. Put it over there, and later we'll store it with our grain in the barn."

The next day, Vaduaie came to the house of this kind woman.

"Hello, auntie."

"Hello, Vaduaie."

"Did you take good care of my grain of wheat?"

"Oh, poor Vaduaie! A great misfortune has befallen me: my hen ate your grain for breakfast."

"I'll take you to court, auntie, I'll take you to court!"

"No, no, let's not talk about that. Take the hen instead. You won't be at a loss; she's a good layer."

Vaduaie took the hen from the coop and went to another peasant woman.

"Hello, auntie."

"Hello, Vaduaie."

"Would you look after my hen?"

"Alright, leave the hen with us. I'll put her in the coop and take care of her as if she were my own."

But the cow kicked the hen and killed her. Some time later, the hen's owner appeared.

"Hello, auntie."

"Hello, Vaduaie."

"Did you take good care of my hen?"

"Oh, my poor neighbor! This morning, our cow kicked the hen and killed her."

"I'll take you to court, auntie, I'll take you to court!"

"Leave me alone, Vaduaie, and instead of complaining, take our cow."

He took the good milking cow—white with black spots, with fine, shiny fur—and brought her to another woman's house.

"Hello, auntie."

"Hello, Vaduaie."

"Could you look after my cow?"

"Well, I suppose I can. Tie her up nearby; we'll put her in the stall with our cows."

When evening came, the maid took a stool and a milk pail and went to milk the cows, but Vaduaie's cow wouldn't let her near, kicking and overturning the pail. The maid got angry and threw the stool at the cow so skillfully that she killed her on the spot.

The next day, Vaduaie came.

"Hello, auntie."

"Hello, Vaduaie."

"Did you take good care of my cow?"

"Oh, my poor Vaduaie! Yesterday, our maid tried to milk your cow, but she got so angry that she threw a stool at her and killed her on the spot."

"I'll take you to court, auntie, I'll take you to court!"

"You won't do that, neighbor! You'd better take the maid."

Vaduaie stuffed the girl into a sack and went to another woman; she happened to be the maid's godmother, but Vaduaie didn't know that.

"Hello, auntie."

"Hello, Vaduaie."

"Could I leave my sack with you for a while?"

"Of course, leave it by the door; no one will touch it."

Vaduaie left. After some time, the old woman, thinking her maid was nearby, said:

"Jeannette, would you like a bowl of soup?" The maid didn't hear, but the girl in the sack answered for her:

"I'd gladly have some."

The old woman repeated her question twice, and each time a voice from the sack answered. She looked inside and, seeing her goddaughter, helped her out, then put a large dog in the sack instead.

When Vaduaie returned, he said:

"Hello, auntie."

"Hello, Vaduaie."

"Did you take care of my sack?"

"Yes, here it is, you can take it."

He slung the sack over his shoulder, fully believing the maid was inside. After walking a little, he tugged at the sack and said:

"Jeannette, give me a kiss!"

"Woof! Woof!" barked the dog.

Vaduaie was so frightened that he dropped the sack and ran away as fast as he could.

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Vaduaye

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