Good, but Bad
A gentleman and a peasant met on the road.- Peasant, where are you from?
- From far away, sir!
- But where exactly?
- From the city of Rostov, and from the estate of Count Tolstoy.
- Is the city big?
- I haven’t measured it.
- Is it strong?
- I haven’t wrestled with it.
- What are the prices like there?
- Rye and oats by the sack, tobacco by the horn, gingerbread by the shop, and rolls by the sled.
- What did you go for?
- To make an expensive purchase: a measure of peas.
- That’s good!
- Good, but not too good!
- Why not?
- I was riding and spilled them.
- That’s bad!
- Bad, but not too bad!
- Why not?
- I spilled one measure, but scooped up two!
- That’s good!
- Good, but not too good!
- Why not?
- I sowed them, but they grew sparse.
- That’s bad!
- Bad, but not too bad!
- Why not?
- Though sparse, they’re full of pods!
- That’s good!
- Good, but not entirely!
- Why not?
- The priest’s pigs took to trampling the peas and trampled them all.
- That’s bad!
- Bad, but not too bad!
- Why not?
- I killed the priest’s pigs and salted two tubs of pork.
- That’s good!
- Good, but not too good!
- Why not?
- The priest’s dogs took to stealing the pork and stole it all.
- That’s bad!
- Bad, but not too bad!
- Why not?
- I killed those dogs and made a fur coat for my wife.
- That’s good!
- Good, but not too good!
- Why not?
- My wife walked past the priest’s yard; the priest recognized the coat and took it.
- That’s bad!
- Bad, but not too bad!
- Why not?
- I sued the priest, and after much litigation, I lost a gray gelding and a red cow, but my case turned out well in the end.
More fairy tales
- The Rooster and the Hen
- Moroz Ivanovich (Father Frost)
- The Master Blacksmith
- The Crane and the Heron
- The White Duck
