Читать книгу River of fairy tales. Unprofessional translation from Russian онлайн

23 страница из 61

«All right!» the Merchant was very displeased. «If you don’t want to give your wheat to me, I can buy it! I’m a rich man, and I will give you five gold seeds for five sacks of your wheat!»

The Merchant ached for his gold. He didn’t want to lose even a few seeds. But he was hungry, and his stomach was growling.

«I don’t need your five seeds,» the Farmer laughed.

«What?! Will you ask ten gold seeds from me?» The Merchant couldn’t find his place, so very indignant he was. «Ten gold seeds for some ordinary wheat?»

«I don’t need your ten seeds either!» the Farmer laughed his heart out.

«What do you want then? Would you snatch all my gold from me?» The Merchant was so scared, he started to scold the Farmer again. «You, outlaw! You wicked lazy bones! I will never ever allow it!»

«But if you have nothing to eat, you will die of hunger,» the Farmer explained.

«Then will you need all your gold seeds at all? You will never take them in the grave with you.»

The Merchant burst into tears. He understood finally how right the Farmer was. His sack of gold costs nothing when he has no food for winter. One cannot bake pancakes of gold, or crumpets of gold.