The Sun and the Rain

A poor man had two daughters. He married one off to a plowman and the other to a potter. Time passed. One day, the poor man's wife said to him:

"Go visit our daughters. Find out what they need and what brings them joy."

The poor man listened to his wife. He set off to visit his eldest daughter, whose husband was a plowman. The old man asked how they were doing and what kind of harvest they expected.

"What can I say? You see how hot it is," replied the son-in-law, the plowman. "If it doesn't rain this week, we're done for—the crops in the field will burn up!"

Then the poor man went to visit his younger daughter. He asked his son-in-law, the potter, about his work and praised him for his diligence:

"You've made a lot of pottery. When you sell it at the market, you'll have enough to live on through the winter."

"How can I put it?" said the son-in-law. "If the heat lasts another week, my bowls and jugs will dry out. Then no winter will be a problem. But if it rains, we're completely ruined!"

The poor man returned home.

"So, how are our daughters doing?" asked his wife.

"This week, either our eldest daughter will be begging for alms, or our youngest will," replied her husband.

More fairy tales

• The Tsar and the Peasant's Daughter
• How the Wolf Saved His Soul
• The Beardless Deacon — The Deceiver
• How the Servant Comforted the Master
• Yes, No, Never