WISDOM, HAPPINESS, WEALTH
Once upon a time, Wealth, Happiness, and Wisdom were walking together down the road and argued about who was the strongest of all. Wisdom boasted to Wealth and Happiness:
— I am the strongest. If a person has no wisdom, they will have neither wealth nor happiness!
— If there is no happiness, then wisdom and wealth are of no use to a person! — said Happiness.
— No, I am still stronger than both of you! — replied Wealth hotly. — Without wealth, there is neither happiness nor wisdom!
Just then, they saw a young farmer in the field. Wealth, ahead of the others, grabbed the farmer by the hand and stroked his beard.
— May gold and silver grow in the land you plow! — it said.
And in an instant, the farmer's field was covered not with wheat, but with gold, not with grass, but with silver.
Seeing this, Wisdom thought: “Am I not stronger than Wealth?” It took away the farmer's mind.
The farmer, having lost his mind, immediately went to the village, to the rich man, and said:
— On my field, instead of wheat, bare stones have grown.
The rich man followed the farmer. He saw gold and silver scattered across the field and guessed that the farmer had lost his mind. Then the rich man said to him:
— You give me this land. And I will give you as much other land in return.
The farmer was very pleased with this. The rich man, in one day, moved all the gold and silver to his yurt.
Then Happiness, seeing that the farmer had lost both wealth and wisdom, decided to help him. And immediately a rich caravan appeared. The caravan drivers saw the farmer and said:
— This person seems honest and kind! Let’s make him our caravan chief and we will all obey him!
The caravan drivers put a fox fur coat on the farmer, a marten hat on his head, placed him on a swift horse, and took him with them.
Soon the caravan arrived at the village of a rich man and made a stop there. As night fell, the oldest caravan driver came to the rich man's yurt.
Rich man, our caravan chief has no wife,— he said. I have come to ask for your eldest daughter for him.
The rich man was very pleased and exclaimed:
— If my daughter pleases your caravan chief, I will be very happy to give her to him in marriage!
The rich man ordered a wedding yurt to be set up and brought his beautiful daughter there. The rich man welcomed the groom with honor and led him into the yurt. All the girls of the village gathered at the wedding yurt. They quietly lifted the side of the yurt and began to look at the distinguished groom.
The groom had an important appearance and a beautiful posture. But he said nothing, remaining silent as if he were mute. After all, he had no mind, and he did not know what to talk about!
— Why doesn’t he say anything? — the girls whispered. — It seems he does not consider the rich man's daughter his equal.
These conversations reached the rich man himself.
“Why doesn’t he say anything? Does he really consider my daughter unequal to him? Does he want to make a fool of me?” — the rich man was offended. And he decided to wait until morning. When dawn broke, it became known to everyone that the groom had not opened his mouth or uttered a single word.
— A disgrace has fallen upon my head, he despises my daughter! — exclaimed the angry rich man and, gathering the people, decided to kill the groom.
Just at that time, Wealth, Happiness, and Wisdom were passing nearby this village. They learned that the rich man was going to kill the farmer. Wealth and Happiness began to plead with Wisdom:
— We admit defeat. Return the farmer's mind and save him!
Wisdom agreed and gave the farmer twice as much wisdom as he had before. The farmer immediately came to his senses, looked around, and, seeing that they were going to kill him, took off his hat, straightened his beard, and spoke:
— Rich man, allow me to say two words.
— Let him speak, let him speak! — the people murmured.
The rich man agreed.
— When I was still a little boy, an enemy attacked our village, and we all fled from him,— said the farmer, — At that time, one girl from our village dressed in men's clothing, hid her braids under her hat, and, mounting a horse, went out against the enemy. Having driven away the enemy, she with a ringing laugh stopped the fleeing people. So, since yesterday, I have been sitting and thinking, maybe your daughter will turn out to be as brave as that girl!
Hearing such words, the rich man was pleased and arranged a grand wedding feast.
After the wedding, the farmer took his beautiful wife with him and, at the head of the caravan, set off on a long journey to trade with other peoples and khanates. Since then, the saying has remained among the people: “If there is no wisdom, there will be neither wealth nor happiness.”
Kyrgyz Tales