The Clever Farmer
A Simple Life and an Unexpected Discovery
Once upon a time, there lived a farmer who worked far from home, on the land of a rich baron. In the past, gangs of bandits used to hide in the mountains that rose behind the plain. But the emperor had sent his soldiers to find and kill them. Now, the area was quiet and safe.
Still, from time to time, old weapons from past battles could be found in the fields. One day, while cutting wood, the farmer found a sack full of gold.
— Is this gold?
The farmer had only seen silver coins in his life. And he was so amazed by the discovery of gold that, by the time he returned home, it was already dark.
— What am I to do with so much gold?
On his way home, the farmer thought about the problems his sudden wealth would cause.
— But how can I use this gold? Anything you find on the baron's land belongs to him.
An Ingenious Plan
By law, the farmer had to hand the gold over to the baron. But the farmer decided it was much fairer to himself to keep the treasure.
— The baron has enough anyway. I am poor and I need this money more than he does, so I will keep the gold, but...
He realized the risks that would arise if anyone found out about his luck.
— I mustn't tell anyone about this. But my wife can't keep quiet, she can't keep any secret. And as soon as she opens her mouth, I'll be thrown into prison. What should I do?
He thought about the problem constantly, trying to find a solution. And he found it. So, before he reached home, he left the sack full of gold in a bush, near some fir trees.
The Enchanted Forest
The next day, instead of going to work, he went to the village to buy some trout, doughnuts, and a rabbit. In the afternoon, he went home and told his wife:
— Take your wicker basket and come with me. It rained yesterday and the forest is full of mushrooms. We must gather them before others do. — Oh, mushrooms? Let's go quickly!
His wife, who loved mushrooms, took the basket and followed her husband. When they reached the forest, the husband ran towards his wife, shouting:
— Look! Look! I found a tree with doughnuts!
And he pointed to the branches where he had placed the doughnuts.
— Ha! Oh my! Doughnuts in a tree! — Yes, who would have thought? Anyway, go look for mushrooms in the grass. Over there.
His wife was amazed, but even more puzzled when, instead of mushrooms, she found trout in the grass.
— Look, dear! Trout in the grass! — Today is our lucky day. My grandfather always said everyone has a lucky day. Maybe we'll find a treasure too.
Besides loving to gossip, the farmer's wife was a bit naive, so she believed her husband and repeated, looking around:
— It's our lucky day! It's our lucky day!
And she kept finding trout in the grass.
The Treasure from the River
Her basket was already full of fish. When the two reached the riverbank, the farmer went ahead, looked into the bush, and said:
— Yesterday I cast my nets. And I want to check if I caught any fish or shrimp.
A few minutes later, his wife heard her husband's excited voice:
— Come see what I caught! What extraordinary luck! I fished a rabbit!
They were returning home and his wife was happily talking about the wonderful dinner, with doughnuts, fish, and rabbit. The farmer smiled and said:
— Let's pass by the forest again. Maybe we'll find more doughnuts. — Oh, yes! Let's go.
They went to the place where the farmer had hidden the gold coins. The farmer pretended to find something.
— Look here! It's a strange sack and it's full of gold! — What? What are you saying? — Yes, I think this is an enchanted forest. I found doughnuts in the tree, then trout in the grass, and now gold!
The poor woman was so happy that her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't utter a word and was moved when she touched the shining coins.
— So much gold! And now it's ours? — Yes, my dear.
Before the Baron
At home, after dinner, neither of them could sleep. The farmer's wife kept waking up to check the treasure they had hidden in an old boot. The next day, the farmer returned to work, but first he told his wife:
— Don't tell anyone what happened yesterday. — Of course not! I'm not crazy.
And the farmer repeated the same thing to her every day after that. However, very soon, the entire village had found out about the treasure. The farmer and his wife were summoned by the baron, and when they arrived, the farmer tried to stand behind his wife.
— I heard you found a treasure. — Oh, yes, that's right. — Can you tell me where and how? — In an enchanted forest.
The wife, at the baron's request, told about the doughnuts, then about the trout, and finally about the rabbit from the river. Meanwhile, her husband kept tapping his forehead and gesturing towards the baron. The baron began to look at the woman with pity.
— And I bet then you also found the treasure. — That's right, sir!
The baron turned to the farmer and, tapping his own forehead, said with compassion:
— I understand what you mean. Unfortunately, I have the same problem with my wife.
The Moral of the Story
The farmer and his wife were sent home and no one believed their story. And so, the clever farmer did not end up in prison and spent his money wisely.
