The Countryman and the Merchant

The Countryman and the Merchant

Once, in a village of Guria, there lived a poor countryman. He had little land and even less money, but he had enough quick wits for three people. One day he caught a pheasant in a field. He was about to carry it home when the bird suddenly spoke in a human voice. “Let me go, kind man. I will not forget your mercy.” The countryman was so surprised that he opened his hands. “And how will you repay me?” he asked. “I will tell all the birds that you did me no harm. You will see: kindness is never lost.” The pheasant beat its wings and flew away. The next morning, pigeons appeared beside the countryman’s yard. One brought a few grains, another a nut. Then came quails, jays, and thrushes. One left seed, another a berry, another a kernel. This went on for several days, and before long the family’s storehouse held a fine collection of food. “That is your reward,” said the countryman’s wife. “It is not gold, but it is good.” One evening a wealthy merchant asked to stay the night at their cottage. At supper he saw bread, porridge, nuts, and dried berries on the table, and he began to ask questions. “Where did you get so many provisions? I rode past your fields. The harvest there is small.” The countryman noticed the greedy sparkle in his guest’s eyes and decided to play a joke. “It is all because of my cat,” he said very seriously. “She is a special kind. Tell her what you need, and she brings it.” “A cat?” cried the merchant. “Indeed. A very capable one.” At once the merchant wanted to buy her. “I cannot sell her,” protested the countryman. “How would I manage without her?” But the merchant offered more and more money until, at last, the countryman agreed. In the morning the merchant rode home with the cat, certain that he would never need to spend money on food again. One day passed. Then another. The cat brought him nothing. In fact, she once stole a piece of cheese from the table and hid beneath a bench. Furious, the merchant returned to the countryman. “You cheated me! Your cat brings nothing at all!” The countryman was cooking millet porridge. When he saw the merchant through the window, he filled a pot beforehand, then sat by the fire with a single grain in the palm of his hand. The merchant came in. The countryman pretended not to notice him, dropped the grain into the pot, put on the lid, muttered a few words, and a moment later lifted it with great ceremony. The pot was full of fragrant porridge. The merchant forgot all about the cat. “What kind of pot is that?” “Ordinary to look at, magical in use. One grain makes supper for the whole family.” “Sell it to me!” “Never.” The merchant began to bargain again. In the end, he carried off the pot for a handsome price. At home he dropped in one grain and waited a long time. Then he tried two. Then a whole handful. No porridge appeared. The next day the merchant hurried back to the countryman. The countryman guessed who was coming down the road and prepared a new joke. He had two rabbits that looked very much alike. His wife kept one at home, while he took the other with him into the field. When the merchant arrived to complain, the countryman listened and said, “We shall speak about the pot over dinner. It is a pity we are so far from home.” He bent toward the rabbit and said, “Run to the mistress. Tell her to bring bread, cheese, eggs, and a jug of fruit drink.” The rabbit darted away toward the village. After a while, the countryman’s wife appeared on the path with a basket. At her feet hopped the other rabbit, wearing the same ribbon around its neck. The merchant’s mouth fell open. “He truly delivered every word!” “Did you think I would run all the way home myself?” said the countryman. Of course, the merchant wanted to buy the rabbit too. That evening he invited friends to visit, released the rabbit, and ordered, “Run home and tell them to prepare a great dinner!” The rabbit happily vanished into the bushes. But when the merchant and his guests arrived at his house, no one was waiting for them. “What rabbit?” his wife asked in surprise. “No rabbit came here.” The guests laughed, and the merchant turned red to the tips of his ears. The next morning he went back to the countryman once more. “Enough!” he said. “The cat is not magical, the pot is not magical, and the rabbit is no messenger. Give me back my money!” The countryman looked at him calmly. “You were not buying a cat, a pot, or a rabbit. Each time, you were buying the hope of getting everything without work. And people often pay most dearly for that kind of hope.” “Do not lecture me!” cried the merchant. “I will show you who is cleverer!” He decided to take the countryman to town and complain to a judge. On the way, they came upon a great celebration. In the capital, people were choosing a new keeper for the king’s flocks. The merchant tied his horse to a tree and went to see what was happening. The countryman stayed behind. Soon a young shepherd passed by. “Why are you sitting here?” he asked. The countryman sighed. “They want to make me chief keeper of the king’s flocks, but I am refusing. What a troublesome job! Counting sheep, checking pastures, answering for all the shepherds…” The young shepherd’s eyes lit up. “I have dreamed of that work all my life!” “Then go to the square,” said the countryman. “They are looking for someone who truly understands sheep.” The shepherd thanked him and ran toward the town. When the merchant returned, he had cooled down a little. On the way he had heard people talking about his strange purchases—the cat, the pot, and the rabbit. Someone said, “One thing cannot replace work and good sense. If it could, everyone would be rich already.” The merchant walked in silence. At last he asked, “Tell me honestly. Why did I believe you every time?” The countryman smiled. “Because I told you exactly what you most wanted to hear.” “And why did you sell me those things?” “At first it was a joke. Then I saw that you would not listen to any explanation. You only wanted the next miracle. But enough. Take back part of your money. Let the rest be the price of a very expensive lesson.” The merchant was surprised. He had expected another trick and heard only calm words. “And what is this lesson?” “When someone promises easy riches, do not hurry to open your purse. Think first.” The merchant took the money and, this time, did not argue. They say that after that he became much more careful in his dealings. Whenever someone brought him a “magical” thing that was supposed to do all the work by itself, he tested it three times first. And the cat? He kept her. She never learned to bring provisions, but she became excellent at catching mice in the storehouse. In the end, the merchant admitted, “Perhaps she is not so useless after all.”

May this story leave a little light in your heart ✨