The good and the bad

The people named the good and the bad were said to have lived in old times. Once they became friends taking oath by putting their hands on bread (bread is treated as sacred as the Holly Book Qoran – translator).
One of the days they both got preparations for journey and off they took their way. They were said to see the world, become more cleverer and wiser. They walked and walked very much, and at last stopped in one settlement, and as they became hungry they wanted to have a bite. While the bad was unwillingly opening his shoulder sack, the good said:
-We don’t need to open both of our sacks for food, let’s eat my bread first, said he openheartedly.
The bad consented to this offer at once, they ate and fed up, and leaving the bad features there they started their journey yoo-hooing. They passed settlements after settlements, stopping now here, now there, always ate the good’s bread filling their stomach, and went on their journey. So, the good’s sack was emptied, in it there was not a piece of bread left for eating. As soon as they reached another settlement, they stopped to have breakfast. The good sat looking at the sack of the bad. The bad sat with his back to the good, inserting his hand in his sack he got a dry flat bread and started eating dipping it into the water. When the good asked him for bread the bad’s brows twisted, he turned pale, eyes widened, his neck vessels stretched and did not give any bread saying “No bread”.
The good was patient, resisted the hunger, walked along sucking the dirt of his teeth. Having passed a long way, the good became weak, his stomach started whistling. He begged the bad for a piece of bread.
-I’ll do whatever you ask me to, if you ask me to be your slave I’ll be the one, please, don’t spare me a piece of bread, pleaded the good.
– If you pull out one of your eyes I’ll give you a flat bread, said the bad his eye wide open, his mouth widened from smiling.
The hunger won over the good, something started tearing him from inside, he became helpless, and at last, he pulled out one of his eyes and gave it to him. He got a little bread from the bad and satisfied his hunger.
Again they started their journey, walked long and very much, the good became weaker and weaker from hunger, he hardly dragged his legs, came up to an oak tree and stopped under it. The bad got a bread from his sack and kept eating it with a chewing noise. The good sat there, his one eye staring around , the other bleeding. Not resisting the hunger he asked the bad for bread.
– If you pull out your second eye I’ll give you a bread, said the bad.
Being helpless he pulled out his second eye too and gave it to him. The bad no longer wanted to be a companion with the good without two eyes. Leaving him there, saddening his heart, but enjoying himself, jeering at the trustfulness of the good, boasting how great his mind was, went on his journey.
The world became dark for the good, walking carefully around, stumbling, crawling moved to the shadow side of the Chinar tree.
Searching around with his hands he found a millstone and sat on it. Suddenly the mill stone seemed moving under him. He felt softness under the stone. There seemed cavity under the stone. The good carefully pushed the stone with all his strength. It moved a little. Searching under the stone with his hands he felt a deep cave under the stone. “I would rather go into the cave and lay there to death than to lead life like this”, he thought and got into the cave trying very hard, and pulled the millstone on the cave.
When the good was taking preparations for his death, he heard some groaning sounds on the earth. Three –four people were heard to be sitting and talking on the millstone.
– The human beings do not know what we, the devils, are aware of. For example, if a blind person smoothes his eyes with leaves of this Chinar tree, his blindness will be cured, said one of them.
– You are right, how should the children of human beings know what secrets we are aware of, said the second devil. For example, over there on the hill there is a blind mouse, as soon as the sun rises, it takes out from its house three pearls and plays with them.
The third devil said:
-What you said is nothing compared with what I am aware of, said the third devil. There other side of this hill a shepherd pastures a flock of sheep. Among the sheep there is a blue he-sheep. Who falls ill and is subject to die will recover quickly if he slays this he-sheep, rolls himself in its skin, boils the head and legs in the soup and drinks it, and eats the brain of the sheep the dead person will recover and survive.
Talking and conversing they left. There hearing all these talks the good began to hope for life again. Trying hard he moved the stone, and came out of the deep cave, with great difficulty he tore two leaves from the Chinar tree and put them on his eyes, his eyes opened with sparkle. Then he walked towards the hill and saw that a blind mouse was playing with three pearls. He ran after the blind mouse and seized the three pearls, put them in his pocket. He looked down from the hill and saw that a shepherd was pasturing a flock of sheep. He looked at them thoroughly and noticed the blue he –sheep. He came up to the shepherd:
– What is the price of that blue he-sheep?, asked he.
– Eh, newcomer, you can’t afford it, its price is equal to one piece of pearl, said the shepherd.
The good took out one pearl from his pocket and gave it to the shepherd, tying a rope round the sheep’s neck and pulling it off he went on his journey.
The good walked, and walked long and very much, then found himself in front of the entrance to a city. The gate guards of the city stopped him.
– This city can be entered only by medical people. Don’t waste your time here, go away along your way, they said to the good.
When he asked about the reason he was told that the Shah’s daughter was lying sick and dying, no doctors could find treatment to her disease.
– It is me, the doctor who can cure her, inform your Shah to show me the princess, said the good.
The guards would not know to believe or not to believe him. However, they sent notice to the palace. From the palace the servants came and led him straight to the palace where the princess was lying. There on the bed a charming girl was lying and fighting with death. The good slew the he-sheep at once, removed its skin, rolled the girl in the wet, fat, not processed skin. Then he put the pot on the stove, washed and cleaned the head and legs of the sheep, put them in the pot, boiled them. Then he gave the girl one or two spoonfuls of the head and legs soup, had the girl eat the brain of the sheep. Veryh soon the girl recovered , got up and walked up to her Shah father.
The Shah became very happy, from joy and happiness he had the horns and fleets plaid, began the wedding party, and had his girl marry the good.
The good enjoyed the honeymoon for three – four days, and went for hunting with his servant guards. When he was going out of the city gate with ceremony, he encountered the bad standing in front of the city gate in the worst shape. The bad recognized at once the good on a speedy horse, holding the rein of the horse, complaining about, and regretting the hardships he had experienced, asked how he could accomplish this position. Since the good is named good, he shared his experience to do him a good favour. Without saying good bye the bad left running towards the Chinar tree, found the millstone told by the good, pushed the stone away, got down into the cave, and pulled the millstone on the cave, lay there not breathing.
Suddenly, the muttering, groaning voices were heard.
-Look up at the Chinar, said one of the Devils, It lacks two leaves. It seems some alive beings might have taken them.
-Oh, don’t say so, the pearls of the mouse got lost too, said the second Devil.
-There is neither the shepherd nor his he-sheep there too. It seems human beings might be aware of them. There is a cave under the stone which we are sitting on, Might somebody have hidden under it and heard our conversation?
The devils counselled and moved the stone with force and saw that the bad was lying in it, his eyes wide open. The devils said that this person had known their secrets, and holding by his two legs they threw him high into the sky. The bad rolling in the sky, choaking, came down, fell on the earth, and broke into pieces. Our tale ended here. Let the dreams of the goods come true.

The End