Little hunter
It was, and maybe it wasn't. There was a boy in the world. His father and mother died early. He had three younger sisters and three younger brothers. He hunted, he fished and that was how he fed himself and his siblings.
One fine day he set a snare in the reeds and barely hid, three merrily whistling pheasants appeared nearby. The boy was already happy, when suddenly he heard some people walking towards the reeds, and screaming at the top of their lungs.
He ran in front of me. They were two mullahs*.
– Noble mullahs! – the boy begged. – Stop and be quiet for a moment.
– Why should we stand here and be silent?? – one of the mullahs asked.
– I set a trap, three fat pheasants should fall into it – the boy explained. – But if you scream, then you will scare away my prey.
– Agreement, but let's make a deal: you give each of us a pheasant, and we will stand and be silent – said the second mullah.
– O noble mullahs! – the boy started begging again. – I have three hungry brothers and three hungry sisters at home. Shall I feed them one pheasant??
– You're not giving us a pheasant, then we'll scream even louder than before – announced the mullahs and headed towards the reeds.
– Hello, stop! – the boy rushed after them. – Let it be your way!
The mullahs calmed down, and the little hunter caught three pheasants. He gave two of them to the mullahs, and left one behind.
The mullahs seized the unexpected prey and went on their way. The boy couldn't take it anymore and shouted after them:
– And I'm getting nothing for these pheasants?!
One of the mullahs turned and said:
– Remember the word "mutanniet".
the boy asked:
– And what does your word "mutanniet" mean??
– There is a male gender, is feminine, and our word means something in between.
The mullahs laughed and left. The boy also went home, head cruelly, how to feed three brothers and three sisters with this one pheasant.
A lot of time has passed, and maybe not. The boy went fishing. He threw the net over the river waters and pulled out a goldfish, extremely beautiful. Not a single fisherman has ever seen such a fish in his life. They advised the boy, to take her to the king.
The Tsar examined the goldfish and gave the boy a handful of gold coins for it. He also told him to always bring pretty pets to the palace, birds and fish.
Barely had the boy left the tsar's chambers, and here the vizier stands before the tsar, lamenting piteously:
– my Tsar! If you pay with gold for every fish you catch, your treasury will soon be empty.
– It's hard, this time it's gone – replied the Tsar. – We won't be so generous next time.
– The given gold should also be recovered – advised the vizier.
– It is not for the Tsar to take it, what he has already given – car na to. – It's a sign of weakness.
The vizier then exclaimed:
– Let me act, my czar! I'll think of a clever way, and checked, lest your honor suffer, and you will get your gold back.
– No, if you can recover the gold without using force, then follow him – allowed the Tsar.
– I'll ask this boy, what kind of goldfish is it – the vizier betrayed his cunning manner. – When he says, that male, I am him then: "We need a female fish". A jeśli on powie, that the fish is female, then I will decline: “We need a male fish. Give back the tsar's gold".
The tsar of the vizier's wisdom was amazed and sent him on his way. The vizier caught up with the boy and asks:
– Your fish is male or female?
– She is "mutanniet" – replied the boy.
– What does "mutanniet" mean? – asks the vizier, greatly surprised.
– It means, that she is one, and second.
The vizier did not know, what to say, and the boy took the tsar's gold. That's how he used the word, which the greedy mullahs had thrown at him as a mockery.
* Mullah – muslim cleric.