Pekală and the Boyar

Once upon a time, Pakalė was sitting on the edge of a forest, pondering what to do. He glanced at the road and saw a carriage approaching him. Pakalė stood a large log upright, wrapped his arms around it, and held it to keep it from falling. In the carriage rode a nobleman with his wife, and a coachman was driving the horses. The nobleman noticed Pakalė and ordered the coachman to stop.

"Good health to you!" said the nobleman.

"Thank you," replied Pakalė.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, you see, noble sir, I cut down this tree. I'm letting it rest a bit. Once it's rested, I'll carry it home. And where are you headed?"

"I've heard of Pakalė, who can outwit anyone. So I'm traveling to find him, so he can outwit me too."

Pakalė said to the nobleman:

"You don't need to go far. I am that very Pakalė."

"But I can't outwit you right now—I left my cleverness at home. If you want, I can go home, fetch my cleverness, and then outwit you. To make it quicker, lend me your carriage. You can wait here with your wife and the coachman. Just hold this log for me. Make sure to hold it tightly so it doesn't lean to either side. I'll be back in no time."

They stepped out of the carriage. The nobleman wrapped his arms around the log, holding it with all his might, while Pakalė got into the carriage, whipped the horses, and off he went!

Night fell—Pakalė didn't return. The day came and was already nearing sunset. A passerby walked by:

"Good day!"

"Not so good!" replied the nobleman.

"What are you doing there, noble sir?"

The nobleman told the passerby that he was holding the log to keep it upright and prevent it from leaning to either side, waiting for Pakalė to return from the village with his cleverness and outwit him.

"He said he'd be back quickly in my carriage, but he still hasn't returned," the nobleman finished his story.

The passerby then said to the nobleman:

"Wasn't that cleverness enough for you, seeing as you're now without your carriage and horses?"

More fairy tales

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• Alistar Făt-Frumos
• Gevæun the Giant
• The Cook and the Boyar
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