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S E V E N YEAR O LD CLEVER M A R U S IA A Ukrainian Folktale Translated and Retold by Helene Turkewicz-Sanko Marusia was a seven year old little girl and the apple of her father Ivan's eye. She was his eldest daughter and she always found the right words to cheer him up. The family lived in a small whitewashed cottage on the outskirts of the village. Ivan had a plot of land and he worked very hard but last year's crop had been ruined by rain and he had nothing to feed his family, not even a drop of milk for the children. One day, his brother Bohdan took pity on him and decided to give him one of his own cows, under one condition. "Ivan," he said, " you will plough my land, plant my wheat and help me during the harvest." Ivan was so grateful that he went to work for his brother the very next day. He ploughed the land, planted wheat, and when harvest time came, helped during the harvest. But just before winter, Bohdan decided to take his cow back. "Brother," he said. "Give me back my cow. You should have your own cow by now." "But I worked for it. The cow is paid off by my labor," said Ivan. "Didn't I plough your land, plant the wheat and harvest it for you, just like you asked me?" "You call that work?" said Bohdan. "I want my cow back." Surprised, helpless and hurt, Ivan stood as if changed into a stone statue. At first he could not believe that his own brother would ask him to return the gift. Then he became angry because he felt that he had worked very hard to pay for the cow. Finally, at the thought of having no milk for his family, he decided to bring the matter to the village judge. In the village, the judge was a very powerful lord who loved to hunt, and when the brothers came to ask him who was right and who was wrong, the hunting season had just opened. He certainly did not want to be bothered by these two silly men for a matter so ridiculous as a cow. So he said to the brothers: "I will ask you three questions. The one who can guess the right answers to my three questions will get the cow." "Let's hear them," said Bohdan. "The first question," said the judge, "is what best fills a man's stomach? The second question is what gives man the most pleasure? And the third is what travels fastest? Now go home and tomorrow at dawn come back with the answers." Bohdan went home whistling. He felt he knew the answers and that the questions were indeed very easy. But Ivan came home very sad. He sat on his bench and remained silent. "I am so unfortunate," he said to himself. "I cannot think of any answers to these three questions." When Marusia saw her father so preoccupied, she approached him, put her hand on his shoulder, leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "What is the matter, father?" "Your Uncle Bohdan wants our cow back. Today we went to the judge. The judge asked us to solve three riddles. We will lose our cow if I do not have the answers by tomorrow morning." "What are the questions?" asked Marusia. Ivan told her three questions. "That's easy," said Marusia. "Mother Earth fills our stomachs because it provides us with food and water. Thought is what travels fastest, for it takes us anywhere we want to go in no time at al’. Sleep gives us the most pleasure because when we sleep we leave even the things we treasure most." The next day, Ivan walked very confidently to the judge's house. Bohdan was already there. He too was very sure of himself. "Do you have the answers?" asked the judge. "Yes," replied both brothers. "Let's hear them. Who wants to be first?" "I do," said Bohdan and began to answer the three questions. "Ham and sausage best fill the stomach. Money is what gives the most pleasure and hunting dongs travel the fastest." He spoke very quickly and stood there with a big smile on his face. "Wrong," said the judge and turned to Ivan. "And what are your answers?" "It is the Earth that best fills a man's stomach; it is thought that travels the fastest and takes us anywhere anytime; it is sleep that gives man most pleasure because when we sleep, we can leave everything, even our most precious possessions." "Right!" said the judge. "The cow is yours." The thing is, the judge loved riddles and he thought he was the most intelligent and cleverest man. He did not like to be outwitted. Therefore, he became very curious and asked Ivan who had helped him solve the riddles. "My daughter Marusia," replied Ivan. "How old is she?" 18 ’’НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, БЕРЕЗЕНЬ 1998 Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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