About Truth and Falsehood
Once upon a time, there were two brothers: one was rich, and the other was so poor it’s hard to describe. The poor brother died, leaving behind a son who also lived in poverty. One day, the son asked his uncle:— Uncle, what’s better: to live by truth or by lies?
— Hmm... Where would you even find truth these days? There’s no truth left in the world! Now, it’s all deceit everywhere.
— No, uncle! Truth exists—it’s better to live by truth.
— Let’s go to court.
— Why go to court? Let’s walk along the road and ask the first person we meet. Whatever they say, that’s how it will be. If you’re right, all my livestock will be yours. If I’m right, your livestock will be mine. Let’s ask three times.
— Alright.
And so they set off down the road. They walked and walked until they met a man—perhaps returning from work.
— Hello, good man!
— Hello!
— Tell us, please, what’s better these days: to live by truth or by deceit?
— Hmm... Good people! Where have you found truth nowadays? It doesn’t exist anywhere in the world. It’s better to live by deceit than by truth.
— Well, that’s one point for me! — said the uncle. The nephew grew sad, realizing he might have to give all his livestock to his uncle. They walked on and met a gentleman. The nephew said:
— Let’s ask this gentleman. He’s educated and knows everything—he’ll tell us the truth.
— Alright.
They approached the gentleman and asked:
— Please, sir, tell us: what’s better these days—to live by truth or by deceit?
— Hmm... Good people! Where have you found truth nowadays? It doesn’t exist anywhere in the world; it’s better to live by deceit than by truth.
— That’s two points for me! — the uncle said joyfully.
The nephew grew even sadder. They walked on and met a priest. The nephew said:
— Let’s ask the priest. He’ll tell the truth—he’s a man of God. Whatever he says, that’s how it will be.
— Alright.
They approached the priest and asked:
— Father, please tell us: what’s better these days—to live by truth or by deceit?
— Hmm... Good people! Where have you found truth nowadays? It doesn’t exist in the world anymore; it’s better to live by deceit than by truth.
— That’s three points for me! — the uncle said triumphantly.
The nephew had no choice but to give all his livestock to his rich uncle, leaving himself barefoot, hungry, and destitute. Life became unbearably hard for him. He struggled and struggled until he decided to hang himself. He took a rope and went into the forest. As he looked for a sturdy branch, he thought, “This one’s good—strong enough to hold me.”
He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t notice a wolf approaching. Startled, he climbed the tree, forgetting the rope. As he sat there, three devils appeared, followed by their leader. The leader asked his servants:
— What have you done today?
— Hmm... I’ve done something no one can fix. In a certain village, I ruined a nobleman’s dam so badly that it can never be repaired. The nobleman is beating his people furiously—many will end up with us.
— You did well, but not well enough.
— What do you mean?
— In the middle of the forest ravine, there are three trees. If someone cuts them down and lays them crosswise on the dam, it will be fixed.
— Oh! Who would have known to do that?
— And what have you done? — the leader asked the second devil.
— Hmm... I’ve done something that will bring many people to us. In a certain town, I dried up all the water. Now they have to carry it from thirty or forty miles away. Many will perish!
— You did well, but not well enough.
— What do you mean?
— If someone digs up the raspberry bush growing in the middle of the town, water will flow for the entire town.
— Oh! Who would have known to do that?
— And what have you done? — the leader asked the third devil.
— Hmm... I’ve done something no one can undo. In a certain kingdom, the king’s only daughter is sick. No matter how they treat her, she won’t recover—she’ll be ours.
— You did well, but not well enough.
— What do you mean?
— If someone cuts off a piece of deaf wood and smokes her with it, she’ll recover completely.
— Oh! Who would have known to do that?
The man sitting in the tree heard everything the devils said. After they left, he thought, “Maybe what they said is true. I’ll go to the nobleman and see if I can fix the dam.”
He went to the dam, where the nobleman was beating his workers, trying to get them to repair it. The poor workers were sweating, but nothing helped. The nobleman was furious. The man approached him and said:
— Sir, beating your people won’t help. If you give me something, I’ll fix it.
— I’ll give you a hundred rubles and a pair of horses with a carriage and a coachman.
— Give me six men and three carts.
— Take them.
They went into the forest, cut down the three trees, and laid them crosswise on the dam—and it was fixed. The nobleman gave him a hundred rubles and the horses with the carriage and coachman.
The man thought, “I’ll go to that town with no water—maybe that’s true too. Maybe I can give them water.” He rode to the town and, a few miles away, met an old woman carrying two buckets on a yoke.
— What are you carrying, granny?
— Water, dear.
— Let me have a drink.
— Oh, dear! I’m carrying it from thirty miles away. By the time I get home, half will be spilled. My family is large—we’ll perish without water.
— I’m going to your town. I’ll give everyone water, and you’ll have it forever.
She let him drink, and he hurried to the town. The townspeople, hearing of his promise, came out to meet him with bread, salt, and gifts. When he arrived, he found the raspberry bush in the middle of the town, dug it up—and water flowed throughout the town. The townspeople rewarded him with money and goods, making him richer than his uncle.
Then he thought, “I’ll go to that kingdom where the king’s daughter is sick—maybe I can cure her.” He traveled there and arrived at the king’s palace, where everyone was gloomy and sighing. He asked:
— I’ve heard your king’s daughter is very ill. No matter how they treat her, nothing helps. But I can cure her.
— Oh, man, how could you? Even foreign doctors can’t help her!
— Still, tell the king.
They told the king, who came out and said:
— If you cure her, I’ll reward you so richly that no one in the world will be wealthier than you. I’ll also give you my daughter in marriage.
The man went to see the princess, who was near death. He shaved a piece of deaf wood, smoked her with it—and she immediately began to recover. In three days, she was completely well.
The king and everyone else were overjoyed. The king said:
— For curing my daughter, I’ll give her to you in marriage. And when I die, you’ll be king in my place.
Soon, the king died, and the man became king.
After ruling for several years, a wealthy merchant arrived in his kingdom, asking permission to trade. The king ordered him brought before him. The merchant came, and the king immediately recognized his uncle but didn’t show it. After talking, he allowed the merchant to trade but ordered his men not to let him leave. When the merchant tried to leave, they brought him back to the king. The king asked:
— Where are you from?
— From such-and-such kingdom.
— Which city?
— Such-and-such.
— What’s your name?
— So-and-so.
The king then revealed that he was the nephew who had disappeared.
— So, uncle, you said it’s better to live by deceit than by truth. But look: you’re just a merchant, and I’m a king—truth has overcome deceit!
— How did this happen?
The king told him everything: how he had wanted to hang himself, how he had overheard the devils, and all that followed. Finally, he loaded two ships with goods and gave them to his uncle, saying:
— I forgive you for what you did to me. Take these two ships with all their goods. When you return to your city, tell everyone that it’s better to live by truth than by deceit.
The uncle took the two ships and returned home. But envy consumed him—why wasn’t he a king? He grew more and more depressed until he thought:
— I’ll go hang myself too. Maybe the same will happen to me as it did to my nephew.
He took a rope and went to the same spot in the forest where his nephew had intended to hang himself. But things didn’t go as planned—devils appeared out of nowhere, grabbed him, and hung him on the highest branch.
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