The Wonderful Wanderer

This happened a very, very long time ago. In a certain village, there lived a rich man. He had plenty of money and all sorts of goods beyond measure. Everything would have been fine if he weren’t the biggest miser the world had ever seen.

One day, on the very eve of the New Year, a gray-haired wanderer knocked on his door.

"Let me in to warm up," he asked. "I’m freezing and hungry. Let me stay the night."

"Stay the night?" the rich man snapped. "It’s not proper for me to let any vagabond into my house, especially on New Year’s Eve. Everyone knows: whoever enters your house first will set the tone for the whole year. The last thing I need is a beggar! Go away, old man!"

The rich man called his servants. They grabbed sticks, beat the wanderer, and then pushed him out the gate.

The old man sighed and wandered on. He saw a house on the edge of the village—a shack of a home. The wanderer knocked:

"Let me in, good people, for the night. Don’t let me freeze." The door was opened by an old man and an old woman, frail and ancient, who had lived for nearly a hundred years.

"Come in, warm yourself," they said. "But don’t be upset—we’re very poor. We have nothing to offer you."

The wanderer entered the house and looked around. "Such poverty," he thought.

The old couple continued:

"Forgive us, it’s so plain and poor here. Maybe you should go to the rich man’s house—they must be preparing a grand New Year’s feast!"

"They treated me to sticks and curses," the wanderer replied. "Let me stay with you. I see you live in harmony."

"That’s true," the old couple smiled. "We may not have money, but we help each other in everything. It’s just a pity we’ve grown so old."

"The New Year is coming soon. Let’s have some tea," the old woman fussed.

She brought boiling water and poured tea for everyone. After drinking, the guest said:

"Now it’s my turn to treat you. Old man, bring some firewood, and you, old woman, fetch a big pot."

The old couple was puzzled: what was the wanderer planning to cook? But they didn’t argue and did as he asked.

The wanderer lit a fire, set the pot on it, and waved his hand over it. Lo and behold—the pot was filled to the brim with rice and red beans!

The old couple jumped up, wide-eyed, unable to speak.

"Sit down, try my treat," the wanderer laughed. "You can stare at me later."

The old couple ate their fill, thanked the guest, and went to bed.

In the morning, they woke up—the wanderer was gone.

"Listen, old woman," the old man said. "That wasn’t an ordinary wanderer. I think it was the God of the New Year himself."

"Just imagine!" the old woman exclaimed. "We ate rice with a deity!"

The old couple marveled and went to their shrine to pray that the New Year would be no worse than the old one. As they approached, the shrine began to glow and shine. There sat yesterday’s guest, smiling warmly.

"Happy New Year," he said. "You didn’t recognize me earlier—but I am the God of the New Year."

"Forgive us for welcoming you in such poverty," the old couple apologized.

"Not poverty, but warmth and kindness," the deity replied. "I liked it here very much. Know that I come to people to punish the wicked and protect the good. I’ve decided to grant you any wish. Tell me, what do you want?"

"Goodness, God of the New Year," the old couple waved their hands. "We don’t need anything!"

"Nothing at all?" the deity was surprised.

"Nothing," the old man and woman nodded. "Everything is fine, except our health is poor—our legs barely work."

"I know how to reward you," said the God of the New Year. "I will restore your youth. Live happily and joyfully."

He called the old woman, placed his hand on her head, and in an instant, the frail old woman turned into a young, beautiful maiden. He called the old man, and there stood a handsome young man with jet-black hair and twinkling eyes. The young man and maiden laughed, looking at each other. Then they turned to the shrine—the old man was gone. He disappeared as if he had never been there.

Word of the miraculous transformation spread throughout the village. The rich man heard and grew furious:

"Fools, couldn’t you tell it wasn’t a beggar but the God of the New Year?" he scolded his servants. "Go wherever you must, but find that old man and bring him here!"

The servants ran through the forests and nearby villages—but they couldn’t find the old man anywhere. Suddenly, they saw him sitting under a large tree, resting.

"Lord God of the New Year, please come visit us," the servants urged. "Our master will be delighted to see you."

"Alright, I’ll visit your master," the deity agreed. "Though my sides still ache from the beating."

As soon as the God of the New Year entered the rich man’s house, the master threw himself at his feet.

"Forgive me," he said. "I didn’t let you stay the night—I didn’t know you were a deity. Now that you’ve come, restore my youth, and my wife’s too."

"Very well," the deity smirked. "Call everyone in the house."

The rich man was overjoyed. He gathered his household, including the servants.

The God of the New Year patted the rich man and his wife on the head, and they began to grow fur until they turned into large monkeys. The monkeys screeched, "Kya, kya, kya!" and ran off into the mountains. The servants were turned into mice and scurried into the corners.

The rich man’s house was left empty. The God of the New Year went to the poor and said:

"That house no longer has owners. Go and live there. I grant you the livestock and fields that once belonged to the rich man. Work diligently and live in harmony."

With that, he disappeared. The poor moved into the rich man’s house. But there was one problem: at night, the monkeys would come down from the mountains, screeching angrily.

The deity grew tired of hearing the rich man and his wife screeching like monkeys. He lit a fire on a gravel path. The monkeys ran up, sat in front of the house, and singed their backsides. Terrified, they screeched and ran away.

The poor began to live peacefully and happily. And ever since then, the monkeys’ backsides have remained red, as if burned.

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The Wonderful Wanderer

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