Three Golden Words

A Ukrainian Folk Tale

It happened long ago, in those distant times when common folk were conscripted into the army.
A man would go to serve young, and return home old and gray.

In one village, a young man had just married. A week after the wedding, he received the order to join the army. He was poor and had no means to pay his way out. Thus he spent twenty-two long years in foreign lands.

At last, he was discharged and set out for home. In those days there were no trains or motorcars — one had to travel on foot or by cart.
The demobilized soldier received three gold coins for the road. And so he walked — through forests and mountains, villages and towns.

In one village, he asked for lodging for the night. After supper he began talking with the host. By the fire sat an old man, silent and still, not saying a word.
The soldier wondered:

“Is that old man deaf and mute?”

“No,” said the host, “he is neither deaf nor mute — only very sparing with his words. He speaks but one word for a gold coin. Yet his counsel is worth its weight in gold.”

‘Well then,’ thought the soldier, ‘what will be, will be. I have three gold coins — let me see what his wise words are worth.’

He came up to the old man, showed him one coin, and said:
“Please, tell me a word of wisdom.”

The old man spoke quietly:
“Remember — never take the short road. Better to go the long way, the road well-trodden by human feet.”

Then he fell silent.

‘Hmm,’ thought the soldier, ‘I hoped for something wiser. But no matter — I have two coins left. Let’s try again.’

He handed the old man a second coin. The man hid it away and said:
“When you draw near your home, remember this: wherever there is a young wife and an old husband — do not stay the night there.”

Again the old man fell silent.

‘Well now,’ thought the soldier, ‘that too is not much of a revelation. But never mind. I have one gold coin left — I’ll give it to him anyway, perhaps he’ll say something truly wise.’

He placed the third coin in the old man’s palm.
“Tell me one more word, grandfather.”

The old man raised his head:
“Remember, my son — an evening’s anger should be put off till morning.”

“How should I understand that?” asked the soldier.

“Like this,” said the old man. “If you grow angry in the evening, do not give your heart free rein — wait until morning before you act.”

Thus ended the soldier’s talk with the old man. He slept there that night, thanked his hosts in the morning, and went on his way.

At the edge of the village he met a young gentleman.
“Good day!”
“Good day! Where are you headed, soldier?”
“To such-and-such village,” he said, naming his home.

“Well then!” said the gentleman gladly. “We’re bound the same way! I’m a baron’s son — I’ve been traveling on business, and now I’m returning home.”

They went together, talking along the road. The young noble had plenty of money — they ate, they drank, and the time passed pleasantly.

Soon they came to a vast and dark forest. A narrow path ran through it.
“If we take this footpath,” said the baron’s son, “we’ll reach home much faster.”

They stepped toward the path, but the soldier stopped.

‘Wait,’ he thought, ‘I paid a gold coin for that advice: better take the long, well-worn road.’

He said aloud, “Let’s go by the main road — this way is dangerous.”

“No, let’s take the shortcut!” said the noble.

They quarreled and parted ways: the baron’s son went through the forest path, and the soldier followed the wide road.

When evening came, the soldier reached a village. He heard shouting — people were talking excitedly: robbers had attacked a young nobleman in the woods, beaten and robbed him.

‘Ah,’ thought the soldier, ‘that must be my companion! The first piece of advice has proven true — the old man spoke wisely indeed.’

He found the wounded baron’s son lying in an inn. The noble said weakly:
“Ah, how wrong I was not to heed you! I barely escaped with my life. Wait here with me a few days while I recover — after that, we’ll go together. From now on, I’ll listen to your counsel.”

The soldier stayed. When the noble was well again, they continued on their journey. The baron’s son now obeyed the soldier in everything.

As evening fell near another village, they asked for a place to sleep. They were weary and found a house where a young woman greeted them kindly.

“Good evening!”
“Good evening to you! What brings honest travelers here?”
“We are on the road, and tired,” they said.

The hostess looked at one, then at the other, and smiled.
“Sit down, you may spend the night here. My house is large — it won’t run away with you.”

She gave them supper, made up beds, and said:
“Rest now. My husband will return soon — pay him no mind.”

Even as she spoke, the door opened and an old man came in. The travelers thought he was her father, but from their talk they realized he was her husband.

“My husband, these travelers asked to stay the night,” said the young woman.
“Let them sleep here in peace,” said the old man. “The house is large.”

But the soldier frowned, remembering the old man’s second piece of wisdom: “Where there’s a young wife and an old husband — don’t stay the night.”
He whispered to the baron:
“Let’s leave this place — trouble lies ahead.”

“Are you mad?” said the noble. “She’s a kind woman — fed us, gave us beds. Where else will we find such comfort?”

“Come, let’s go,” urged the soldier. “You promised to heed me.”

“Not this time,” said the noble. “I’m too tired to move.”

The soldier gathered his things, thanked the woman, and stepped out. She tried to persuade him to stay, but he left anyway.

Outside, it began to rain. The soldier thought, ‘I’ll crawl into the haystack and wait it out.’
He climbed into the hay and lay quietly, unable to sleep.

Around midnight, he heard hooves. A horse galloped into the yard. On it rode a young man. The woman rushed out joyfully to meet him.

“Good that you’ve come,” she whispered. “Now we can rid ourselves of the old one.”

The lover tied up his horse near the haystack, leaving his fur coat on the saddle. The woman brought out food and drink, then led him into the house.

The soldier watched — and soon saw a terrible thing. Peering through the window, he saw the young man kill the old husband.

They whispered:
“We’ll put the blame on that traveler who stayed here.”

They smeared the noble’s hands and shirt with blood, wrapped the knife in a rag, and hid it in the haystack.

The soldier crept down, cut two patches from the sleeves of the fur coat, hid them in his pocket, and slipped into the cornfield to wait.

At dawn the woman ran out crying,
“Oh, people, people! I gave a traveler shelter, and he murdered my husband!”

The villagers gathered, found the noble with bloodied hands, and would not believe his protests. According to the law — “an eye for an eye, a head for a head.”

The village court sentenced the baron’s son to death. A gallows was raised, and people shouted, “Hang him! Hang him!”

But no man would do the deed. Then the very same young lover rode up and declared,
“I’ll hang him myself!”

The soldier recognized him instantly. The baron, weeping, saw his companion and said:
“Ah, had I only listened to you! Now I die innocent.”

As they led him to the gallows, the soldier cried out,
“Stop! He is innocent!”

“Silence!” the people shouted. “All the signs are against him!”

“I tell you,” said the soldier, “the true murderer is the man who just offered to hang him!”

“That can’t be! He’s the son of a rich farmer from the next village!”

Then the soldier told everything he had seen that night.

“We need proof!” said the judges.

The soldier took a cloth patch from his pocket.
“Here is my witness — I cut this from the killer’s coat.”

They matched it — it fit perfectly.

“One witness is not enough!”

The soldier produced the second patch.
“Here’s another.”

It too matched.

“If that still doesn’t convince you,” said the soldier, “I have a third witness.”

He led them to the haystack, where they found the blood-stained knife wrapped in the rag. They also found hoofprints matching the lover’s horse, and blood on his shirt. Witnesses recalled seeing him ride that night.

Thus the guilty one was hanged, and the innocent man was freed.

The baron said,
“When my father learns that you saved my life, he will give you half our estate.”

The soldier thought to himself, ‘The second piece of advice came true as well.’

That evening they reached the baron’s home village. The noble invited the soldier in, but he said,
“Thank you kindly — my own home is not far now. I’ll visit another time.”

He walked on to his native village, which he had not seen in twenty-two years. It had changed little — even in darkness he found his house easily.

A light burned inside; his wife was tidying up, then dressing as if expecting someone. The table was set.

‘Aha,’ thought the soldier, ‘she must have a lover.’

Soon a young man came in. She embraced him joyfully, kissing him. Then another youth appeared — she greeted him the same way.

‘So! One wasn’t enough, you faithless woman — you’ve two!’
He drew his revolver, aimed through the window.
‘I’ll kill all three of you!’

But at that instant he remembered the old man’s words: “An evening’s anger should be put off till morning.”

He lowered the gun and walked away, heavy-hearted.

In the village tavern he heard people talking:
“Have you heard the news? Two fine young men returned to the village today — sons of that widow so-and-so. One’s an engineer, the other a doctor. Their father went to the army twenty-two years ago and was never heard from.”

The soldier leapt to his feet in joy — those were his sons! He realized that while he was away, his wife had borne twins, raised and educated them.

He rushed home and tapped on the window. Even in the dark, his wife recognized him. She opened the door and cried with joy:
“You too have come back! All three in one day! Look — these are your sons!”

Then she told him everything — how she had struggled and suffered alone, how she worked to feed and educate their boys.

“We have no wealth,” she said, “but our sons are our true treasure.”

The soldier told her his story in turn — the three golden coins, the wise old man, the trials on the road, all of it.

A few days later the baron summoned him and rewarded him with half his estate.
“For saving my only son’s life,” he said.

And so the soldier found both happiness and fortune. When parting from his noble friend, he said:

“For three gold coins I gained three pieces of wisdom — and truly, they were worth their weight in gold.”