Folk Tale

Good But Bad

Translated From

Хорошо, да худо

AuthorАлександр Афанасьев
Book TitleНародные Русские Сказки
Publication Date1855
LanguageRussian
AuthorKathleen Cook
LanguageEnglish
OriginRussia

A rich man and a peasant were riding along. "Where are you from, my man?" "A good way hence, Sir." "But where?" "From the town of Rostov, Tolstoy is my master." "Is it a big town?" "Haven't measured it." "And is your master strong?" "Haven't wrestled with him." "Why did you leave?" "To purchase something dear: a measure of peas." "That's good!" "No, it isn't." "Why not?" "I was drunk and dropped the peas." "That's bad." "No, it isn't." "Why not?" "I dropped one measure and picked up two." "Well, that's good." "No, it isn't." "Why not?" "I planted them and not many came up." "That's bad." "No, it isn't." "Why not?" "There weren't many, but there were lots of pods." "That's good." "No, it's not so good." "Why not?" "The priest's pigs went and trampled all over them." "Oh, that's bad." "No, it isn't." "Why not?" "I killed the pigs and salted two tubs of pork." "That's good." "No, it isn't." "Why not?" "The priest's dogs went and stole the pork." "That's bad." "No, it isn't." "Why not?" "I killed the dogs and made my wife a fur coat." "That's good." "No, it isn't." "Why not?" "When the silly wench walked past the priest's house, he recognised the fur and took the coat away." "That's bad." "No, it isn't." "Why not?" "I took the priest to court and got his grey mare and brown cow. It was me who won the case!"


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