There was once a poor lad. This poor lad had married a rich girl, but he had little joy in his wealth, for she always complained that she had everything, down to the last penny, and that he had nothing, and that if he had not married her he would have been poor for life.
The poor man got tired of this, what he thought, what he didn’t think, threw a bag around his neck, left his wife and his little son, and went off to seek his fortune. He made up his mind that he would not return until he had made a great deal of money.
The poor man went on his way, through hills and valleys, through forests and fields, and once he met an old man on the way. He greeted the old man, and the old man greeted him and asked:
Where to, where to, brother?- Where to, where to, brother?
Says the poor man:
I’m certainly off to look for a job, if I could get a job somewhere.- I’m certainly off to look for a job, if I could get a job somewhere.
“Well, come to me,” said the old man, “you’ll have a good time at my place. I will not give you much money, but if you serve me honestly, I will give you good advice. You’ll get more than money out of it.- “Well, come to me,” said the old man, “you’ll have a good time at my place. I will not give you much money, but if you serve me honestly, I will give you good advice. You’ll get more than money out of it.
The poor man goes to the old man to serve. Year after year passes. The old man was very pleased with him, and he with the old man. Ten years had passed, and he was still serving the old man. When ten years had passed, the old man asked:
Well, my boy, will you stay?- Well, my boy, will you stay?
I’ll stay, my lord, why not stay, I’ve got good things to do here.- I’ll stay, my lord, why not stay, I’ve got good things to do here.
He stayed there for another ten years. When the second ten years had passed, the old man asked:
Well, my boy, will you stay?- Well, my boy, will you stay?
Says the poor man:
I won’t stay any longer, master, I’m going home now to see what my wife is doing.- I won’t stay any longer, master, I’m going home now to see what my wife is doing.
So God guide you, my son! Here, I’ll give you a loaf of bread, but don’t cut it till you get home. I’ll give thee three words of advice, remember them well. My first piece of advice is, where you see a quarrel, get away from it. My second counsel is, that thou leave not the beaten path for the untrodden. My third counsel is always to put off today’s anger till tomorrow.- So God guide you, my son! Here, I’ll give you a loaf of bread, but don’t cut it till you get home. I’ll give thee three words of advice, remember them well. My first piece of advice is, where you see a quarrel, get away from it. My second counsel is, that thou leave not the beaten path for the untrodden. My third counsel is always to put off today’s anger till tomorrow.
The poor man thanks the bread and the advice, and sets off for home. He went on his way, and on the way he passed a village, entered a house and asked for lodging for the night. He was given lodging, but no sooner had he settled down than the farmer and his wife began to quarrel. Words were exchanged, and they even got into a fight. The poor man remembered the advice, wished the quarreling couple a good night’s rest, went next door and slept there.
Well, in the morning there’s a lot of noise in the village. I wonder what made the noise? The poor man goes out into the street, and suddenly a man grabs him and shouts at the top of his voice:
This man killed him, this man!- This man killed him, this man!
The poor man just stared and stared, not knowing what could have happened. What happened was that the man he had first asked to stay with was found dead in the morning. The man who had taken him saw him go in, but he did not see him come out, and thought he was the murderer.
Luckily for him, his host proved that he had been staying with him and he was released.
“Well, well,” he said to himself, “it was good to take the old man’s advice after all!”
He goes on, he walks on, he comes to a big forest, there he catches up with three people, he joins them, they get to know each other, they go on together. But suddenly the three men stop and say that they are not going this way, they know a shorter path. They called the poor man to come with them, but the poor man remembered the old man’s advice, said goodbye to them, and went on his way.
He was right to take the old man’s advice, because later he heard that the three men had been attacked by highwaymen and had taken all the money they had.
Well, the poor man gets home to his village, it was just evening when he got to the courtyard. He sees that they have not yet gone to bed, for the candle on the table is burning. He thinks to himself, first he looks out of the window to see what his wife is doing.
Well, the woman was sitting at the table, having dinner, and opposite her was a stout man. The poor man was in a terrible rage. He thought his wife was married. He went off in a rage to get a gun to shoot his wife and the man.
But when he was out on the street, he remembered the old man’s advice to save today’s anger for tomorrow. He turned back, went into the house, said a proper hello, and was greeted by his wife. They exchanged word after word, his wife met him, fell on his neck with great joy, hugged and kissed him, and then the stout man, who was none other than the poor man’s son.
Oh, dear God, the poor man prayed, but it’s a good thing I took the old man’s advice. Then he took the bread, cut it open, and, my lord, the beautiful yellow gold fell from the bread like a shower of rain. But now the woman could not complain. There was enough money to go round.
The poor man became the biggest farmer in the village.
They are still alive today, if they are not dead.
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