The Horse, the Table-Cloth and the Horn

Once upon a time, there was an old woman. Her son was a fool. One day, the fool found three peas. He picked them up and planted them outside the village. When the shoots came up, he began to guard them. One day, he saw a crane pecking at them. The fool quietly went and caught the crane. “Aha!” he said, “I’m going to kill you.” The crane begged him to release her. In return, she would give him a present. The fool agreed. The crane gave him a horse and said, “When you want some money, say ‘Go!’ to the horse, and when you have enough, say ‘Stop!’” The fool took the horse, climbed on it and said, “Go!” The horse dissolved into a pile of silver. The fool started laughing and then said “Stop!” The silver was transformed back into a horse. The fool said goodbye to the crane and led the horse home. At home, he strictly told her mother, “Don’t say ‘Go!’ Only say ‘Stop!’” He said and left.

The Fool’s Mother was Confused

The fool’s mother was confused as to why he said those words. She thought, ‘What if I do say ‘Go!’?’ And she said it. The horse turned into silver. Her eyes sparkled and she quickly started collecting the money in a box. When she had enough, she said “Stop!” In the meantime, the fool again found the crane pecking his peas, caught it and threatened to kill it. This time, the crane gave him a table-cloth. The crane said, “When you are hungry and want to eat, say ‘Unfold!’ and when you have eaten, say ‘Fold up!’” The fool, at once, tried it out. “Unfold!” he said, and the table-cloth unfolded. He ate and drank and ordered “Fold up!” And the table-cloth folded itself up. He took it home. “Don’t say ‘Unfold!’ to the table-cloth; only say ‘Fold up!’” His mother did the same with the table-cloth as with the horse. She said “Unfold!” She ate and drank, and then ordered “Fold up!”

The Fool Ran Home

The fool again caught the crane, who gave him a horn. As she flew into the air she said, “Say ‘Out of the horn!’” Unfortunately, the fool said those words, and two young men with cudgels leapt out of the horn and started beating the fool. Then, the crane screamed from the sky, “Into the horn!” and the two men disappeared. The fool went home with the horn and said to his mother, “Don’t say ‘Out of the horn!’ Say ‘Into the horn!’ instead.” The moment the fool left, his mother locked the door and said “Out of the horn!” Immediately, the two young men with cudgels jumped out of the horn and started beating the old woman. Hearing her scream, the fool ran home. But the door was locked. He shouted, “Into the horn!” When the old woman had recovered, she opened the door and the fool came in. The fool said, “Serve you right, mother! I told you not to say that.”

The Fool and His Mother Lived Happily

The fool decided to give a feast and invited all the lords and the ladies, and the noblemen. When they had arrived and seated themselves, he led the horse and said, “Go!” The horse turned into silver. The guests were stunned and started stealing the silver and hiding them in their pockets. Then the fool said, “Stop!” and the horse reappeared. Now, it was time to feed the guests and so the fool took out the table-cloth. He said, “Unfold!” It unfolded and food and drink appeared on it. The guests began to eat, drink and make merry. When all the guests had eaten, the fool said, “Fold up!” And the table-cloth folded up. Now, he brought out the horn. The guests shouted, “Out of the horn!” The two young men leapt out and began to beat them until they returned the money they had stolen and ran off. And the fool and his mother lived happily ever after.

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