About Two Lucky Pennies

Once upon a time, there lived a poor man. He was so poor that his wife and children could only dream of a piece of bread. One day, this poor man got up, said goodbye to his family, and went to look for work. He wandered for a long time, searching for a job, and finally hired himself out to a merchant as a laborer for twenty rubles a year.

The merchant grew very fond of his laborer because of his diligence and honesty. The poor man worked for a year and then said:
— Pay me, master. I’ve worked for you for a year now, and I must think of my family. I left them in great need.
The merchant was reluctant to part with twenty rubles, so he said:
— What should I give you? Should I give you the twenty rubles as agreed, or two lucky coins? The laborer thought and said:
— Better give me the two lucky coins. The merchant replied:
— I’m about to leave for trade, and I’ll be in your area. I’ll deliver these two coins to your family.

The laborer agreed and sent the two coins with the merchant, while he stayed to work for another year. The merchant set off. In one town, he saw a cat being sold.
— A cat for two coins! — they shouted, — A cat for two coins!

The merchant decided to buy the cat for those two coins. He bought it and continued on his way. In another town, he saw that as soon as people set a rich table, laden with expensive dishes, huge rats would rush out, attack the table, and destroy all the food. The people chased them, beat them with sticks and clubs, but nothing worked—they couldn’t get rid of the rats.

The merchant released his cat, and it pounced, killing all the rats. The king of that town was amazed. He had never seen a cat before and began to beg the merchant to sell it to him.

The merchant resisted:
— I can’t—it’s not my cat! But the king wouldn’t take no for an answer:
— Take whatever you want, buy another cat for its owner, but leave this one with me. They finally persuaded the merchant, giving him a vast amount of pearls and precious stones in exchange for the cat. They loaded all this wealth onto donkeys and camels and sent it off.

The merchant delivered all this wealth to the laborer’s wife and said:
— Your husband sent this to you. The laborer’s wife and children couldn’t believe it—was this a dream?

The merchant returned home and told the laborer:
— I saw your family; they’re all well. But he didn’t mention the wealth he had brought them. The second year ended, and the laborer again asked to be paid, but the merchant didn’t want to let go of such an honest and good worker. So he said:
— What should I give you—twenty rubles as agreed, or two lucky coins? The laborer thought and said:
— Give me the two lucky coins.

The merchant set off to trade again, taking the two coins to deliver to the laborer’s family, wrapping them separately in paper.

As he traveled, he saw a mirror being sold in one town, with people shouting:
— A mirror for two coins! A mirror for two coins!
The merchant bought the mirror for the two coins and continued on his way. In another town, there lived a king.

The king was having a wedding. The merchant, being a wealthy and notable man, was invited. When the merchant arrived, he saw the king dressed in fine clothes, looking into a basin of water as if it were a mirror.
The merchant brought the mirror to the king and handed it to him.

The king was amazed:
— What is this?
He had never seen a mirror before. He began to beg the merchant to sell it to him, offering anything in return.

The merchant agreed. The king gave him an enormous amount of goods and livestock in exchange for the mirror.
The merchant delivered all this wealth to the laborer’s wife, finished his business, and returned home. He told his laborer:
— I saw your family; they’re all well. I delivered what you asked. But again, he didn’t mention the wealth he had brought them.

The third year passed. The laborer decided to return home to his family and asked to be paid. The merchant said:
— What should I give you—twenty rubles as agreed, or two lucky coins? — Two lucky coins, — said the laborer.

The merchant was pleased and said:
— Go, and I’ll teach you three things that will be useful in life. You’ll remember me kindly: first, whatever you find on the road, pick it up, bring it home, and bury it by the doorstep; second, if anyone asks, don’t tell them where you got it; and third, never open your heart to anyone.
The merchant let his laborer go, gave him many gifts, and said farewell:
— If things get hard, let me know, and I’ll help.
The poor man was sad to leave his master, but he longed to see his family. He said goodbye and set off.

As he walked, he saw something colorful lying on the road. At first, he didn’t pick it up, forgetting what his kind master had told him. But after he passed it, he remembered, went back, and picked it up. It was a snake’s tail. He took it, put it in his pocket, brought it home, and buried it by the doorstep. But he didn’t recognize his own house: a grand mansion now stood in his yard. He went in and asked:
— What is this? Where did it come from?
They told him that the merchant had brought them so much wealth.
The farmhand realized then that the merchant had been testing him when he asked how much he wanted for his labor, that he hadn’t just sent two nickels to his family; he understood—but he didn’t say a word to his own people.

Everyone rejoiced at his return, surrounded him, showered him with affection, and asked how he had spent those three years in a foreign land.
The next morning, as they rose, they saw that a tall poplar tree had grown overnight right at their doorstep, adorned with pearls and precious stones.
His wife asked her husband:
“What is this? Where did it come from?”
The husband didn’t answer, keeping secret how and why the poplar had grown at their doorstep.

In that town lived a prince. He was envious that this poor man, a former farmhand, had become so wealthy, dressed better than anyone in town, wore a silver belt like no one else, and everyone only looked at him and talked about him. The prince decided to spite this honest and kind man by any means. He organized a grand feast, invited guests, and ordered his servants:
“Don’t bring a single knife to the table!”
Everyone sat down, and all kinds of food were brought out—boiled and roasted. The guests looked around—not a single knife on the table! Shouts arose from all sides:
“A knife, bring us a knife!”
But no one brought a knife.

Then the former farmhand stood up, drew his dagger, and handed it to the host. The prince took the dagger, looked at it, and said:
“What is this? Who gave you this dagger? This is my father’s dagger—when did you steal it?”
Thus, the prince shamed the former farmhand in front of all the guests. But the poor man didn’t forgive the prince for the insult. They argued and decided to settle the dispute: if the prince learned how and why the precious poplar had grown, the dagger and everything he touched three times would be his; if not, the dagger and all the property would remain with the poor man.

They agreed, set a date and time, and arranged everything. The prince bribed an old witch and sent her to the wife of the honest man to find out how and why the poplar had grown. He instructed her on what to say and promised her many gifts.

The witch visited the happy family, greeted the mistress with sweet words, flattered her, and began to pry—how and why the poplar had appeared.

The mistress’s head spun from the witch’s sweet words, and she promised to find out everything from her husband.
That night, when everyone was asleep, the wife began asking her husband:
“Tell me, if you love me, how did this poplar grow?”
“Leave me alone, wife, I’m not in the mood, and why do you need to know? It’s none of your business,” said the husband.
“None of my business? Maybe I’m not even your wife if you won’t talk to me? Or am I your enemy that you don’t trust me even this much?”
The wife sulked, argued with him, and finally forced him to tell her everything.

The wife was delighted and caressed her husband:
“You’re so kind and good, this is the kind of husband I love.”
The old witch returned and, with the same sweet words, began questioning the mistress about the poplar.

The wife told her everything she had learned from her husband. The old woman was overjoyed, ran to the prince to report her success and claim her promised reward.

The prince learned everything and rejoiced, waiting to seize all the wealth of the former farmhand, even promising the clever old woman a share of the precious stones from the poplar.

Meanwhile, the poor man sent word to the merchant about his trouble. The merchant immediately set out to help his former farmhand.

The prince learned that the merchant had arrived and housed him separately to prevent him from aiding his former servant. But the merchant outwitted the prince to protect the man who had worked honestly for him for three years. The merchant took a cat, petted it, and said loudly enough for his former farmhand to hear from the next room:
“Kitty, didn’t I tell you never to reveal your heart to anyone? Listen, kitty, and remember: tomorrow, when the prince comes and asks where you got this dagger, tell him—my father was killed by robbers in the forest, and they left this dagger in his heart. If this dagger is yours, then you must be my father’s murderer. Kitty, as soon as the prince climbs the stairs and touches the railing three times, push him, saw off those three steps with the railing, throw them at him, and shout: ‘Here’s what you touched three times—you deserve nothing more!’ Do you hear, kitty? Do you understand?”
The former farmhand listened to the merchant and memorized everything.

Morning came. The prince arrived at the appointed time, accompanied by a crowd—he had already boasted to everyone that he would force the farmhand to surrender all his ill-gotten wealth. The prince took the expensive dagger in his hands and began:
“Listen, everyone, let him explain—where did he get this dagger of my father’s, if he didn’t steal it?”
But the farmhand didn’t let him finish!
“My father was killed by robbers, and they left this dagger in his heart. If this is your dagger, then you must be my father’s murderer!”

The crowd erupted in noise, remembering that the poor man’s father had indeed been killed by robbers. The prince realized his case was weak and was losing. He rushed to the house, ran up the stairs, and shouted:
“This house is mine by agreement—no one will take it from me!”
The farmhand pushed the prince aside, sawed off three steps in an instant, threw them at him, and said:
“Here are your three steps—that’s all you deserve!”

The prince fell, looking at the three steps he had received. The crowd surrounded him, cursing and condemning him for accusing an honest man of theft, trying to shame him in front of everyone, and plotting to seize his wealth. The prince, terrified and speechless with shame and fear, forgot about the poplar and all the wealth, not knowing how to escape. They took the dagger from the prince and returned it to its owner.
And the prince, barely alive with shame, ran home. He didn’t look back as he fled.

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About Two Lucky Pennies

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