how much sorrow will be brought to the houses of country dwellers when many of those who went to war perish or become crippled? It is easy to start a war, but it is difficult to finish it. Moreover, war is an expensive thing that only wealthy countries may afford.» The absence of answer to new questions confused the sultan again.
At this moment he came up to the third fiancé, the prince of eastern lands. He was ecstatically digging the soil around withered trees. It seemed that hard work gave him real pleasure and joy.
«Who are you? And what are you doing with this land?» the disguised ruler asked.
«I am the youth who wants to marry the most beautiful and wonderful girl of your country – the young princess!» the young man answered with a kind and modest smile. «I am trying to restore this wonderful garden. I am very lucky, because I am making new life, creating, and reproducing it. I am not very good at sciences, and I am bad at weapons. But I am good at writing songs and poems. It’s probably for this reason that I like to create. There is nothing better in the world than to work on restoring something destroyed or create something new. The sultan will hardly choose me as a fiancé for his daughter. I have no education or military valor, like the other princes have. They are stronger and more intelligent than me. But even if I fail to get the princess’ hand, I will be glad to accomplish this task anyway. For I will be able to leave a memory about myself. When I restore this garden, it will be my gift for her. Later, when she comes here, the rustling leaves will remind her about me and my feelings. When she gives birth to children, they will also run here, play, and have fun in this garden. They will hide in the shade of branches from sun or rain. And the fruit that will ripen here every year will bring joy to everybody with their taste and aroma. The sultan gave me a wonderful task, and I am very glad and thankful to him.»
«Does it mean that you don’t think you will be able to get princess’ love before you even try to do it?» the disguised bride’s father asked in surprise.
«I think that you cannot get true love, you can only give it to another one. I can give my love to the charming princess and have no right to demand and expect something back. I don’t know who she will give her love to. My love for the princess is my gift to her, not a deal or an exchange. True feeling is always disinterested…»
The youth caressed the withered boles of trees gently and diligently continued digging the soil, carrying water, and fertilizing the soil.
«That’s a worthless fiancé!» the sultan thought sadly. «He has no education, like the first one. No strength, like the second one. What is the point in such a useless husband? If I leave the country to him, he will turn it into gardens and parterres. Can it be right?!»
The monarch turned around and staggered to the palace thoughtfully. Then he called the old wise man again. The sultan complained the counselor that he had met the princes and talked to them, but he could not decide who was the worthiest husband of them. Whom should he choose as a husband for his beloved daughter, so that she would be happy all her life and so that the country would get a reliable ruler? In the end of the story, he exclaimed helplessly:
«Why is it that the good is always doubtful and relative, while the evil is apparent and definite?»
The old man sneered. He knew quite enough to learn to doubt his infallibility, so he said evasively:
«Try to ask the bride’s opinion. Tell her everything you heard from the three fiancés when you talked in the garden. But don’t call their names. And let her appreciate their answers.»
The sultan called the daughter and told her about his conversations with fiancés in the garden. The princess thought just a little bit; she looked into her father’s eyes honestly and confessed:
«If the decision depended on me, I would choose the third one. The most worthless one, in your opinion. The one who does not believe that I will be his wife but continues to work and restore the garden. Because he did not seek joy in sciences or war, but in creation. Because he did not feel happy with discoveries and winning battles, but with his ability to give his work and love to other people. Because when he is working, he is not thinking about himself or his glory, but about his love, his bride, her future, and the future of her children! You can rely on such a person in family life. And it means that you can also rely on him in ruling the country.»
The wise man smiled and said to the sultan:
«I think you don’t need my advice anymore. I could not have said better.»
GreediBerry
Once there lived a man in a village. His name was Frol. Everything was fine with him: he had a nice house, a milk-cow, laying hens, a fertile field. But once he decided to go to the forest and pick sweet berries. He was about to leave when his neighbor, an old woman, told him:
«Frolushka, pick some berries in the forest and bring a handful to me. I am too old to go to the forest alone.»
«All right,» the kind Frol agreed. «Don’t worry, I’ll bring a whole basket of berries for you, so that you could eat as much as you like.»
«Thank you, dear! But I’ll give you one important piece of advice. Don’t go to the huge cliff above the river,» the old woman warned.
«Why not?» the curious man asked.
«There is a bad berry there. GreediBerry! If you eat it, you will become greedy. And great trouble may happen to you then.»
Frol laughed at the old woman’s words and went to the forest. He was walking along the road and thinking: «That’s stupid. There is no GreediBerry. And even if it existed, what is the trouble with greediness? Nobody has ever died of it. Greedy people just become richer than others.» thought Frol and headed for the huge cliff.
Near the edge of the cliff there was a wonderful meadow. He saw a marvelous bush there with unusual red berries that grew in clusters. Frol could not help picking one berry and trying it. He liked it very much! The berry tasted so delicious that the man threw at it and ate almost everything at once.
He was picking it and putting handfuls into his mouth so violently that he was covered in berries all over. He ate his full of juicy berries, felt heavy and flopped to the ground. He sat down and felt that he was too weak to go home.
Frol had a little rest and thought: «The nasty old woman! She knew that the berry here was very tasty. That’s why she forbade going here. It’s good that I disobeyed. I have never tried such juicy berries in my life! And I won’t bring this disgusting old woman anything, I won’t appease her. I will keep for myself everything I will pick in the forest. I don’t have enough for myself!»
The man picked the rest of berries from this wonderful bush and went home. But he did not notice and did not understand that he had become greedy. And now he was not his own master but gain and greediness were his masters.
The man came to the village, and the neighbor was waiting for him:
«So, Frolushka? Have you brought me some berries as you promised?»
«I have
