{"id":2531,"date":"2025-10-21T20:42:57","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T17:42:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/an.magicworld.com.ua\/?p=2531"},"modified":"2025-10-21T23:58:21","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T20:58:21","slug":"the-wise-girl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/an.magicworld.com.ua\/en\/ingenuity\/the-wise-girl\/","title":{"rendered":"The wise girl\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ukrainian Folk Tale<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
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Read by: Kateryna Artemenko<\/strong>, actress at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Once upon a time, two neighbors lived side by side \u2014 one rich, the other poor.
The rich man owned four cows, while the poor man had only one. Yet the poor man\u2019s cow gave more milk than all four of the rich man\u2019s cows together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rich man\u2019s children noticed this and ran home, saying:
\u201cFather, that poor man\u2019s cow gives more milk than all of ours combined!\u201d
\u201cI\u2019ll take that cow from him,\u201d the rich man said.
\u201cBut how will you do it, Father?\u201d
\u201cWatch when the poor man drives his cow to the river to drink. Then drive ours there too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the next day, when the poor man led his cow to the river, the rich man\u2019s children drove theirs as well. When the cattle returned, the rich man came out with his whole family, herded all his cows \u2014 and the poor man\u2019s cow too \u2014 into his yard, locked the iron gates, and fastened the bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The poor man\u2019s children wept and ran home.
\u201cFather, the rich man took our cow!\u201d they cried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their parents went to the rich man\u2019s house, but he wouldn\u2019t even listen \u2014 he refused to give the cow back.
The wife said, \u201cGo to the village elder. Tell him the rich man took our cow and won\u2019t return it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the elder himself was wealthy and took the rich man\u2019s side. He called the man in and said:
\u201cGive him back his cow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they returned home, the rich man brought not the poor man\u2019s cow, but his own scrawniest one. When the poor man refused to take it, the rich man struck him on the head.
\u201cIf you won\u2019t take it,\u201d he shouted, \u201cthen you\u2019ll get nothing at all!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The poor man went home crying.
\u201cWhat should I do? He gave me a miserable cow, I refused it, and he beat me.\u201d
His wife said, \u201cGo to the lord. It can\u2019t be that our cow will be lost forever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They went to the lord and told him everything. The lord sent servants to summon the rich man.
\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d the lord asked.
The rich man said, \u201cHe had some cow. His children let it wander among mine, and it came into my yard. I offered to give it back, but he refused to take it.\u201d
The lord turned to the poor man. \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you take it?\u201d
\u201cBecause he offered me not my cow, but his weakest one.\u201d
The lord said, \u201cGo home, both of you. Come back after lunch. I\u2019ll give you three riddles \u2014 whoever solves them wins the cow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The poor man returned home in tears. But he had a daughter who hadn\u2019t spoken until she was seven and was said to be unusually wise.
\u201cFather,\u201d she said, \u201cthe lord will ask three riddles. The first will be: What is the fattest thing in the world?<\/em> You must answer: The holy earth \u2014 for it feeds all living things.<\/em>
<\/em> The second will be: What is the sweetest thing in the world?<\/em> Answer: Sleep \u2014 for when one grows sleepy, he\u2019d drop even honey from his hands.<\/em>
<\/em> The third will be: What is the fastest thing in the world?<\/em> Say: Thought \u2014 because nothing moves faster than the mind.<\/em>
<\/em> Go, Father, and don\u2019t forget what I\u2019ve told you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The poor man went back to the lord. The rich man was already there.
\u201cWhat is the fattest thing in the world?\u201d asked the lord.
\u201cMy lord,\u201d said the rich man, \u201cI have three pigs, and one is pure fat \u2014 that\u2019s the fattest.\u201d
\u201cWrong,\u201d said the lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He asked the poor man.
\u201cThe holy earth, my lord,\u201d said the poor man. \u201cIt feeds the whole world.\u201d
\u201cRight,\u201d said the lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is the sweetest thing in the world?\u201d he asked the rich man.
\u201cMay honey. Nothing sweeter exists.\u201d
\u201cWrong,\u201d said the lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He asked the poor man.
\u201cSleep, my lord,\u201d said the poor man. \u201cWhen a man grows sleepy, he\u2019ll let honey fall from his hands.\u201d
\u201cTrue,\u201d said the lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd what is the fastest thing in the world?\u201d asked the lord.
\u201cMy horse, my lord,\u201d said the rich man. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t run \u2014 he flies!\u201d
\u201cWrong,\u201d said the lord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you?\u201d he asked the poor man.
\u201cMy lord, the fastest thing in the world is thought. You may walk your whole life, but in a moment, your thoughts can reach everywhere.\u201d
\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d said the lord. \u201cGo home, and you \u2014 give him back his cow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lord then told the poor man to return in two hours. The poor man grew anxious \u2014 he didn\u2019t know why he\u2019d been called back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When he came, the lord said:
\u201cHow did you know those riddles? Who told you? Men far wiser than you couldn\u2019t answer so well.\u201d
\u201cMy lord,\u201d said the poor man, \u201cI have a daughter. She didn\u2019t speak until she was seven \u2014 but when she did, she spoke wisely. It was she who told me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lord took two eggs from a bowl, wrapped them in paper, and handed them to the poor man.
\u201cTake these to your daughter. Tell her to put them under a hen tonight and raise two roosters for tomorrow\u2019s soup.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man returned home and gave the eggs to his daughter.
The girl laughed. \u201cPut them down,\u201d she said, taking a pinch of millet and wrapping it in paper.
\u201cTell the lord,\u201d she said, \u201cthat there\u2019s nothing to feed the chicks with. Let him sow this millet, harvest it, grind it into grain, and bring it by morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The poor man brought the millet to the lord and repeated her words.
The lord tore two threads from an old sack.
\u201cTake these to your clever daughter,\u201d he said. \u201cTell her to spin yarn from them and weave sacks for the millet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The girl broke three twigs off a broom and told her father,
\u201cTell the lord to make a loom from these twigs \u2014 then I\u2019ll weave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the poor man brought the twigs, the lord said,
\u201cTell her to come here herself \u2014 walking and not walking, riding and not riding, with a gift and without a gift.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The poor man came home and told his daughter.
\u201cDon\u2019t worry, Father,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ll go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She asked for the goat, a sparrow (for a gift), and a cat in a sack. Then she set out.
She walked with one foot on the ground and the other on the goat\u2019s back \u2014 so she went walking and not walking, riding and not riding. In one hand she held the sparrow, on her shoulder she carried the cat in a sack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the lord saw her, he told his servants to release five or six dogs to tear her apart. But she let the cat out of the sack, and the dogs chased after it, leaving nothing but dust behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She rode up to the lord.
\u201cMy lord, I bring you a gift,\u201d she said.
He held out his hand, and she placed the sparrow on his palm \u2014 and the sparrow flew away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lord laughed. \u201cYou\u2019re clever indeed,\u201d he said. \u201cStay here. You\u2019ll help me judge the village disputes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so she did. She judged wisely and fairly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once, three poor men came with a quarrel.
One had a mare but no harness or cart. The second had only a harness. The third had only a cart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They decided to work together \u2014 to haul their grain to the mill before the river froze. They hitched the mare to the cart using the harness, loaded their grain, and set off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They had to wait long at the mill, and night overtook them. They fell asleep \u2014 and during the night, the mare gave birth to a foal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When they awoke, the man with the harness said:
\u201cMy harness foaled a colt!\u201d
The man with the cart said:
\u201cMy cart gave birth!\u201d
And the man who owned the mare said:
\u201cYou fools \u2014 it\u2019s my mare who gave birth!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They argued so fiercely that they began pulling each other\u2019s hair. Finally, people told them,
\u201cGo to the lord \u2014 his wise girl will judge you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They went, but the lord was away. The girl met them and asked,
\u201cWhat\u2019s the matter?\u201d
The man with the harness said,
\u201cMy harness foaled a colt!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet\u2019s see,\u201d she said. \u201cPull your harness to the side. Does the foal follow?\u201d
They pulled \u2014 the foal didn\u2019t move.
\u201cNow pull the cart.\u201d
The foal didn\u2019t move.
\u201cNow lead the mare.\u201d
The foal followed her at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere,\u201d said the girl, \u201cnow you know whose foal it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the other two still argued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said, \u201cWait, let me tell you something. Yesterday I sowed millet by the river \u2014 and the fish came out of the water and ate it all.\u201d
\u201cThat\u2019s impossible!\u201d they cried. \u201cFish can\u2019t eat millet from the ground!\u201d
\u201cAnd yet,\u201d she said, smiling, \u201cyou think a leather harness or a wooden cart could give birth to a foal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that was the end of the quarrel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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