Azerbaijani folk tale. The padishah and the gardener - Azerbaijani folk tale Azerbaijani fairy tale the poor gardener and the padishah read

One gardener had a magnificent garden. Fruits, berries and flowers from all over the world grew in it. The rumor about the garden spread everywhere. The Shah of the country in which the gardener lived also heard about this. He called the vizier and said:

Such a beautiful garden is worthy only of a Shah.

Immediately, understanding the Shah’s thought, the vizier replied:

You deign to speak the truth, sir.

On the same day, the padishah ordered the old man to be driven out of the garden.

“I lived off the garden,” said the old man. - I sold the fruits I grew and fed my family. How will I live now?

And the Shah's people answer:

Think for yourself what to do. The Shah will not give you anything in return for your garden.

The saddened gardener came home. The wife sees that her husband is thoughtful.

What are you thinking about? What's happened? - she asked.

The padishah took away our garden,” the old man replies.

How did you take it away? Did you owe it to the padishah, or what? - the wife was surprised.

No, he liked the garden and took it, said the husband.

And what did he give in return? - the wife continued to ask.

What are you talking about? Has the padishah ever paid for what he took? - answered the old man.

So this is not a padishah, but a robber!..

From that day on, the gardener was not allowed anywhere near the garden. The poor old man did not know what to do, how to feed his children. One day the old man says to his wife:

Wife, the Shah treated me unfairly, so I want to deceive him. The wife answers:

Come on, hubby, don’t invite new trouble, is it possible to deceive a man who took his own garden from you by force?

“Wife,” says the gardener, “I am convinced that the padishah is a stupid man.” If he had been smart, he would never have taken away the garden I cultivated through honest labor and would not have made me his enemy. And besides, we are still dying of hunger; it would not be bad to deceive the padishah and snatch gold and silver from him.

At your age, should you cheat? - the wife did not stop persuading.

“You’re wrong, wife,” the old man replies, “it’s not appropriate for a person at any age to deceive.” But in order to avoid starvation, it is not a sin to deceive the cruel robber, the bloodsucker.

After long conversations, the old man changed clothes, put all sorts of pieces of iron in the khurjun and set off.

He approached the palace.

Tell your padishah,” he said to the servants, “that a certain artisan wants to see him.”

The servants reported to the padishah, who ordered the petitioner to be brought to him.

The old man bowed to the Shah and said:

May the years of the ruler of the world last, I can make such a crown that only your friends can see it, but not your enemies. This way you will be able to recognize all the enemies of the crown.

“Old man, I’ve been dreaming of something like this for a long time,” the padishah exclaimed. - If you make such a crown, you will receive in return whatever you want.

“I need a measure of gold and some precious stones,” says the gardener.

He called the padishah keeper of the treasures and ordered him to give the old man everything he needed. The keeper gave the gardener what he required from the treasury.

“To make such a crown, may the life of the ruler of the world last, it will take me forty days,” said the old man.

The padishah agreed, threatening:

Look, old man, if you don’t keep your promise, I’ll order your head to be cut off!

The gardener bowed to the padishah, took the gold and precious stones and returned home. Having exchanged several gold pieces, the old man bought food and drink for the family. The wife bought new clothes for the children. They began to live happily ever after. But the gardener’s wife, no, no, was thoughtful and worried about her husband.

Why are you grieving, wife? “Don’t worry, calm down,” said the gardener.

How can you not worry? - the wife answers. - You asked for forty days, and they are running out. You didn’t keep your promise, one of these days the padishah will call you and order you to cut off your head. How can I not think?

The one who deceived so much gold from the padishah will cope with the rest of the task. So don’t worry, everything will work out,” the old man reassured his wife.

Several more days have passed since this conversation - the forty-day period allotted to the gardener by the padishah has ended.

The padishah ordered the servants to bring the old man to him.

And the old man says:

Tell the padishah to gather the people in the square and come there himself, I’ll be there soon.

The servants conveyed the old man's words to the Shah. By order of the Shah, everyone gathered in the square, and the Shah came with his entire retinue. A throne was placed on a dais. The Shah sat down on it, and around stood the vizier, advisers, generals and all other close associates.

The old man said goodbye to his wife and children, threw his khurjun over his shoulder and appeared in the square.

He bowed to the Shah and, with his permission, addressed the people:

People, I have made a magic crown: the Shah’s friends will see this crown, but his enemies will not see it. Thus, the Shah recognizes the enemies of the throne.

The old man finished his speech, put his hand into the khurjun, and pulled out something as if from there.

One gardener had a magnificent garden. Fruits, berries and flowers from all over the world grew in it. The rumor about the garden spread everywhere. The Shah of the country in which the gardener lived also heard about this. He called the vizier and said:

Such a beautiful garden is worthy only of a Shah.

Immediately, understanding the Shah’s thought, the vizier replied:

You deign to speak the truth, sir.

On the same day, the padishah ordered the old man to be driven out of the garden.

“I lived off the garden,” said the old man. - I sold the fruits I grew and fed my family. How will I live now?

And the Shah's people answer:

Think for yourself what to do. The Shah will not give you anything in return for your garden.

The saddened gardener came home. The wife sees that her husband is thoughtful.

What are you thinking about? What's happened? - she asked.

The padishah took away our garden,” the old man replies.

How did you take it away? Did you owe it to the padishah, or what? - the wife was surprised.

No, he liked the garden and took it, said the husband.

And what did he give in return? - the wife continued to ask.

What are you talking about? Has the padishah ever paid for what he took? - answered the old man.

So this is not a padishah, but a robber!..

From that day on, the gardener was not allowed anywhere near the garden. The poor old man did not know what to do, how to feed his children. One day the old man says to his wife:

Wife, the Shah treated me unfairly, so I want to deceive him. The wife answers:

Come on, hubby, don’t invite new trouble, is it possible to deceive a man who took his own garden from you by force?

“Wife,” says the gardener, “I am convinced that the padishah is a stupid man.” If he had been smart, he would never have taken away the garden I cultivated through honest labor and would not have made me his enemy. And besides, we are still dying of hunger; it would not be bad to deceive the padishah and snatch gold and silver from him.

At your age, should you cheat? - the wife did not stop persuading.

“You’re wrong, wife,” the old man replies, “it’s not appropriate for a person at any age to deceive.” But in order to avoid starvation, it is not a sin to deceive the cruel robber, the bloodsucker.

After long conversations, the old man changed clothes, put all sorts of pieces of iron in the khurjun and set off.

He approached the palace.

Tell your padishah,” he said to the servants, “that a certain artisan wants to see him.”

The servants reported to the padishah, who ordered the petitioner to be brought to him.

The old man bowed to the Shah and said:

May the years of the ruler of the world last, I can make such a crown that only your friends can see it, but not your enemies. This way you will be able to recognize all the enemies of the crown.

“Old man, I’ve been dreaming of something like this for a long time,” the padishah exclaimed. - If you make such a crown, you will receive in return whatever you want.

“I need a measure of gold and some precious stones,” says the gardener.

He called the padishah keeper of the treasures and ordered him to give the old man everything he needed. The keeper gave the gardener what he required from the treasury.

“To make such a crown, may the life of the ruler of the world last, it will take me forty days,” said the old man.

The padishah agreed, threatening:

Look, old man, if you don’t keep your promise, I’ll order your head to be cut off!

The gardener bowed to the padishah, took the gold and precious stones and returned home. Having exchanged several gold pieces, the old man bought food and drink for the family. The wife bought new clothes for the children. They began to live happily ever after. But the gardener’s wife, no, no, was thoughtful and worried about her husband.

Why are you grieving, wife? “Don’t worry, calm down,” said the gardener.

How can you not worry? - the wife answers. - You asked for forty days, and they are running out. You didn’t keep your promise, one of these days the padishah will call you and order you to cut off your head. How can I not think?

The one who deceived so much gold from the padishah will cope with the rest of the task. So don’t worry, everything will work out,” the old man reassured his wife.

Several more days have passed since this conversation - the forty-day period allotted to the gardener by the padishah has ended.

The padishah ordered the servants to bring the old man to him.

And the old man says:

Tell the padishah to gather the people in the square and come there himself, I’ll be there soon.

The servants conveyed the old man's words to the Shah. By order of the Shah, everyone gathered in the square, and the Shah came with his entire retinue. A throne was placed on a dais. The Shah sat down on it, and around stood the vizier, advisers, generals and all other close associates.

The old man said goodbye to his wife and children, threw his khurjun over his shoulder and appeared in the square.

He bowed to the Shah and, with his permission, addressed the people:

People, I have made a magic crown: the Shah’s friends will see this crown, but his enemies will not see it. Thus, the Shah recognizes the enemies of the throne.

The old man finished his speech, put his hand into the khurjun, pulled out something as if from there and placed it on the Shah’s head. In fact, he had nothing in his hands; he held his empty hands over the ruler’s head and said:

Congratulations, my Shah, on your crown. Now let your friends tell you how beautiful this crown is, and you rejoice, welcome your friends and destroy your enemies.

The old man stepped aside and gave the courtiers the opportunity to look at the Shah’s “crown”. And the Shah had a very flattering vizier. He was the first to jump forward and shout:

May the years of the padishah last, congratulations, what a beautiful crown, how it suits you!

Then an adviser approached the Shah, looked at the place where the crown should have been, but saw nothing. He stood there, craning his neck in surprise, first to the right, then to the left, he wanted to admit that he didn’t see anything, but he thought that they would consider him an enemy of the Shah, and exclaimed:

Ah-ah, is there a second such valuable, beautiful crown in the world? It was as if the sun had risen above your Majesty's head.

Thus, almost all the courtiers passed by the Shah, admiring the crown, without actually seeing anything. Lastly, it was the commander’s turn to speak out about the crown. The military leader bowed to the Shah and said: “May the Shah’s life last, with such a crown we don’t need the sun or the moon, your crown will shine on us day and night.”

And the people looked from afar, and no one saw any crown. Some thought that they were standing far away, so they could not see the crown, others were afraid, and others simply, like everyone else, unanimously congratulated the Shah.

The padishah ran his hand over his head and felt nothing. I ordered a mirror to be brought, and again I saw nothing. He wanted to attack the master, expose him in lies, and thought that he himself would be considered an opponent of the throne. So he exclaimed:

Let the one who is devoted to me give gifts to the master!

Everyone began vying with each other to give gifts to the old man.

Finally the square was empty. The padishah took the old man aside and asked:

Listen, old man, what have you done - cheated both me and the people?

About the padishahs,” the old man answered, “I am the same person from whom you took the garden and left the children without food. Well, I answered this way.

What if I order you to be hanged?

Then everyone will begin to condemn you for your ingratitude to the master who made you the magic crown.

The padishah realized that if he executed the old man, he would completely lose all respect, and released him.

The gardener returned home, making his wife and children happy. From then on, they began to live and live well and make good money.

One gardener had a magnificent garden. Fruits, berries and flowers from all over the world grew in it. The rumor about the garden spread everywhere. The Shah of the country in which the gardener lived also heard about this. He called the vizier and said:

“Such a beautiful garden is worthy only of a Shah.”

Immediately, understanding the Shah’s thought, the vizier replied:

- You deign to speak the truth, lord.

On the same day, the padishah ordered the old man to be driven out of the garden.

“I lived off the garden,” said the old man. “I sold the fruits I grew and fed my family.” How will I live now?

And the Shah's people answer:

- Think for yourself what to do. The Shah will not give you anything in return for your garden.

The saddened gardener came home. The wife sees that her husband is thoughtful.

- What are you thinking about? What's happened? she asked.

“The padishah took away our garden,” the old man answers.

- How did you take it away? Did you owe it to the padishah, or what? - the wife was surprised.

“No, he liked the garden, so he took it,” said the husband.

- And what did you give in return? - the wife continued to ask.

- What are you talking about? Has the padishah ever paid for what he took? - answered the old man.

- So this is not a padishah, but a robber!..

From that day on, the gardener was not allowed anywhere near the garden. The poor old man did not know what to do, how to feed his children. One day the old man says to his wife:

“Wife, the Shah treated me unfairly, so I want to deceive him.” The wife answers:

- Come on, hubby, don’t bring about new trouble, is it possible to deceive a man who took his own garden from you by force?

“Wife,” says the gardener, “I am convinced that the padishah is a stupid person.” If he had been smart, he would never have taken away the garden I cultivated through honest labor and would not have made me his enemy. And besides, we are still dying of hunger; it would not be bad to deceive the padishah and snatch gold and silver from him.

- At your age, should you cheat? - the wife did not stop persuading.

“You’re wrong, wife,” the old man replies, “it’s not appropriate for a person at any age to deceive.” But in order to avoid starvation, it is not a sin to deceive the cruel robber, the bloodsucker.

After long conversations, the old man changed clothes, put all sorts of pieces of iron in the khurjun and set off.

He approached the palace.

“Tell your padishah,” he said to the servants, “that a certain artisan wants to see him.”

The servants reported to the padishah, who ordered the petitioner to be brought to him.

The old man bowed to the Shah and said:

- May the years of the ruler of the world last, I can make such a crown that only your friends can see it, but not your enemies. This way you will be able to recognize all the enemies of the crown.

“Old man, I’ve been dreaming of something like this for a long time,” exclaimed the padishah. “If you make such a crown, you will receive in return whatever you want.”

“I need a measure of gold and some precious stones,” says the gardener.

He called the padishah keeper of the treasures and ordered him to give the old man everything he needed. The keeper gave the gardener what he required from the treasury.

“To make such a crown, may the life of the ruler of the world last, it will take me forty days,” said the old man.

The padishah agreed, threatening:

- Look, old man, if you don’t keep your promise, I’ll order your head to be cut off!

The gardener bowed to the padishah, took the gold and precious stones and returned home. Having exchanged several gold pieces, the old man bought food and drink for the family. The wife bought new clothes for the children. They began to live happily ever after. But the gardener’s wife, no, no, was thoughtful and worried about her husband.

- Why are you grieving, wife? “Don’t worry, calm down,” said the gardener.

- How can you not worry? - the wife answers. “You asked for forty days, but they’re running out.” You didn’t keep your promise, one of these days the padishah will call you and order you to cut off your head. How can I not think?

“The one who deceived so much gold from the padishah will cope with the rest of the task.” So don’t worry, everything will work out,” the old man reassured his wife.

Several more days have passed since this conversation - the forty-day period allotted to the gardener by the padishah has ended.

The padishah ordered the servants to bring the old man to him.

And the old man says:

“Tell the padishah to gather the people in the square and come there himself, I’ll be there soon.”

The servants conveyed the old man's words to the Shah. By order of the Shah, everyone gathered in the square, and the Shah came with his entire retinue. A throne was placed on a dais. The Shah sat down on it, and around stood the vizier, advisers, generals and all other close associates.

The old man said goodbye to his wife and children, threw his khurjun over his shoulder and appeared in the square.

He bowed to the Shah and, with his permission, addressed the people:

“People, I have made a magic crown: the shah’s friends will see this crown, but his enemies will not see it.” Thus, the Shah recognizes the enemies of the throne.

The old man finished his speech, put his hand into the khurjun, pulled out something as if from there and placed it on the Shah’s head. In fact, he had nothing in his hands; he held his empty hands over the ruler’s head and said:

- Congratulations, my Shah, on the crown. Now let your friends tell you how beautiful this crown is, and you rejoice, welcome your friends and destroy your enemies.

The old man stepped aside and gave the courtiers the opportunity to look at the Shah’s “crown”. And the Shah had a very flattering vizier. He was the first to jump forward and shout:

- May the years of the padishah last, congratulations, what a beautiful crown, how it suits you!

Then an adviser approached the Shah, looked at the place where the crown should have been, but saw nothing. He stood there, craning his neck in surprise, first to the right, then to the left, he wanted to admit that he didn’t see anything, but he thought that they would consider him an enemy of the Shah, and exclaimed:

- Ah-ah, is there a second such valuable, beautiful crown in the world? It was as if the sun had risen above your Majesty's head.

Thus, almost all the courtiers passed by the Shah, admiring the crown, without actually seeing anything. Lastly, it was the commander’s turn to speak out about the crown. The military leader bowed to the Shah and said: “May the Shah’s life last, with such a crown we don’t need the sun or the moon, your crown will shine on us day and night.”

And the people looked from afar, and no one saw any crown. Some thought that they were standing far away, so they could not see the crown, others were afraid, and others simply, like everyone else, unanimously congratulated the Shah.

The padishah ran his hand over his head and felt nothing. I ordered a mirror to be brought, and again I saw nothing. He wanted to attack the master, expose him in lies, and thought that he himself would be considered an opponent of the throne. So he exclaimed:

“He who is devoted to me, let him bestow gifts on the master!”

Everyone began vying with each other to give gifts to the old man.

Finally the square was empty. The padishah took the old man aside and asked:

“Listen, old man, what have you done? You’ve cheated both me and the people?”

“Oh padishahs,” answered the old man, “I am the same person from whom you took the garden and left the children without food.” Well, I answered this way.

- What if I order you to be hanged?

“Then everyone will blame you for your ingratitude to the master who made you the magic crown.”

“The padishah realized that if he executed the old man, he would completely lose all respect, and he let him go.

The gardener returned home, making his wife and children happy. From then on, they began to live and live well and make good money.

One gardener had a magnificent garden. Fruits, berries and flowers from all over the world grew in it. The rumor about the garden spread everywhere. The Shah of the country in which the gardener lived also heard about this. He called the vizier and said:

Such a beautiful garden is worthy only of a Shah.

Immediately, understanding the Shah’s thought, the vizier replied:

You deign to speak the truth, sir.

On the same day, the padishah ordered the old man to be driven out of the garden.

“I lived off the garden,” said the old man. - I sold the fruits I grew and fed my family. How will I live now?

And the Shah's people answer:

Think for yourself what to do. The Shah will not give you anything in return for your garden.

The saddened gardener came home. The wife sees that her husband is thoughtful.

What are you thinking about? What's happened? - she asked.

The padishah took away our garden,” the old man replies.

How did you take it away? Did you owe it to the padishah, or what? - the wife was surprised.

No, he liked the garden and took it, said the husband.

And what did he give in return? - the wife continued to ask.

What are you talking about? Has the padishah ever paid for what he took? - answered the old man.

So this is not a padishah, but a robber!..

From that day on, the gardener was not allowed anywhere near the garden. The poor old man did not know what to do, how to feed his children. One day the old man says to his wife:

Wife, the Shah treated me unfairly, so I want to deceive him. The wife answers:

Come on, hubby, don’t invite new trouble, is it possible to deceive a man who took his own garden from you by force?

“Wife,” says the gardener, “I am convinced that the padishah is a stupid man.” If he had been smart, he would never have taken away the garden I cultivated through honest labor and would not have made me his enemy. And besides, we are still dying of hunger; it would not be bad to deceive the padishah and snatch gold and silver from him.

At your age, should you cheat? - the wife did not stop persuading.

“You’re wrong, wife,” the old man replies, “it’s not appropriate for a person at any age to deceive.” But in order to avoid starvation, it is not a sin to deceive the cruel robber, the bloodsucker.

After long conversations, the old man changed clothes, put all sorts of pieces of iron in the khurjun and set off.

He approached the palace.

Tell your padishah,” he said to the servants, “that a certain artisan wants to see him.”

The servants reported to the padishah, who ordered the petitioner to be brought to him.

The old man bowed to the Shah and said:

May the years of the ruler of the world last, I can make such a crown that only your friends can see it, but not your enemies. This way you will be able to recognize all the enemies of the crown.

“Old man, I’ve been dreaming of something like this for a long time,” the padishah exclaimed. - If you make such a crown, you will receive in return whatever you want.

“I need a measure of gold and some precious stones,” says the gardener.

He called the padishah keeper of the treasures and ordered him to give the old man everything he needed. The keeper gave the gardener what he required from the treasury.

“To make such a crown, may the life of the ruler of the world last, it will take me forty days,” said the old man.

The padishah agreed, threatening:

Look, old man, if you don’t keep your promise, I’ll order your head to be cut off!

The gardener bowed to the padishah, took the gold and precious stones and returned home. Having exchanged several gold pieces, the old man bought food and drink for the family. The wife bought new clothes for the children. They began to live happily ever after. But the gardener’s wife, no, no, was thoughtful and worried about her husband.

Why are you grieving, wife? “Don’t worry, calm down,” said the gardener.

How can you not worry? - the wife answers. - You asked for forty days, and they are running out. You didn’t keep your promise, one of these days the padishah will call you and order you to cut off your head. How can I not think?

The one who deceived so much gold from the padishah will cope with the rest of the task. So don’t worry, everything will work out,” the old man reassured his wife.

Several more days have passed since this conversation - the forty-day period allotted to the gardener by the padishah has ended.

The padishah ordered the servants to bring the old man to him.

And the old man says:

Tell the padishah to gather the people in the square and come there himself, I’ll be there soon.

The servants conveyed the old man's words to the Shah. By order of the Shah, everyone gathered in the square, and the Shah came with his entire retinue. A throne was placed on a dais. The Shah sat down on it, and around stood the vizier, advisers, generals and all other close associates.

The old man said goodbye to his wife and children, threw his khurjun over his shoulder and appeared in the square.

He bowed to the Shah and, with his permission, addressed the people:

People, I have made a magic crown: the Shah’s friends will see this crown, but his enemies will not see it. Thus, the Shah recognizes the enemies of the throne.

The old man finished his speech, put his hand into the khurjun, pulled out something as if from there and placed it on the Shah’s head. In fact, he had nothing in his hands; he held his empty hands over the ruler’s head and said:

Congratulations, my Shah, on your crown. Now let your friends tell you how beautiful this crown is, and you rejoice, welcome your friends and destroy your enemies.

The old man stepped aside and gave the courtiers the opportunity to look at the Shah’s “crown”. And the Shah had a very flattering vizier. He was the first to jump forward and shout:

May the years of the padishah last, congratulations, what a beautiful crown, how it suits you!

Then an adviser approached the Shah, looked at the place where the crown should have been, but saw nothing. He stood there, craning his neck in surprise, first to the right, then to the left, he wanted to admit that he didn’t see anything, but he thought that they would consider him an enemy of the Shah, and exclaimed:

Ah-ah, is there a second such valuable, beautiful crown in the world? It was as if the sun had risen above your Majesty's head.

Thus, almost all the courtiers passed by the Shah, admiring the crown, without actually seeing anything. Lastly, it was the commander’s turn to speak out about the crown. The military leader bowed to the Shah and said: “May the Shah’s life last, with such a crown we don’t need the sun or the moon, your crown will shine on us day and night.”

And the people looked from afar, and no one saw any crown. Some thought that they were standing far away, so they could not see the crown, others were afraid, and others simply, like everyone else, unanimously congratulated the Shah.

The padishah ran his hand over his head and felt nothing. I ordered a mirror to be brought, and again I saw nothing. He wanted to attack the master, expose him in lies, and thought that he himself would be considered an opponent of the throne. So he exclaimed:

Let the one who is devoted to me give gifts to the master!

Everyone began vying with each other to give gifts to the old man.

Finally the square was empty. The padishah took the old man aside and asked:

Listen, old man, what have you done - cheated both me and the people?

About the padishahs,” the old man answered, “I am the same person from whom you took the garden and left the children without food. Well, I answered this way.

What if I order you to be hanged?

Then everyone will begin to condemn you for your ingratitude to the master who made you the magic crown.

The padishah realized that if he executed the old man, he would completely lose all respect, and released him.

The gardener returned home, making his wife and children happy. From then on, they began to live and live well and make good money.

One gardener had a magnificent garden. Fruits, berries and flowers from all over the world grew in it. The rumor about the garden spread everywhere. The Shah of the country in which the gardener lived also heard about this. He called the vizier and said:

“Such a beautiful garden is worthy only of a Shah.” Immediately, understanding the Shah’s thought, the vizier replied:

- You deign to speak the truth, lord.

On the same day, the padishah ordered the old man to be driven out of the garden.

“I lived off the garden,” said the old man. “I sold the fruits I grew and fed my family.” How will I live now?

The Shah's people answer:

- Think for yourself what to do. The Shah will not give you anything in return for your garden. The saddened gardener came home. The wife sees that her husband is thoughtful.

- What are you thinking about? What's happened? – she asked.

“The padishah took away our garden,” the old man answers.

- How did you take it away? Did you owe it to the padishah, or what? – the wife was surprised.

“No, he liked the garden, so he took it,” said the husband.

- And what did you give in return? – the wife continued to ask.

- What are you talking about? Has the padishah ever paid for what he took? - answered the old man.

- So this is not a padishah, but a robber!..

From that very day

The gardener was not allowed anywhere near the garden. The poor old man did not know what to do, how to feed his children. One day the old man says to his wife:

“Wife, the Shah treated me unfairly, so I want to deceive him.” The wife answers:

- Come on, hubby, don’t invite new trouble, is it possible to deceive a man who took his own garden from you by force?

“Wife,” says the gardener, “I am convinced that the padishah is a stupid person.” If he had been smart, he would never have taken away the garden I cultivated through honest labor and would not have made me his enemy. And then, we still die of hunger,

It would not be bad to deceive the padishah, snatch gold and silver from him.

– At your age, should you cheat? – the wife did not stop persuading.

“You’re wrong, wife,” the old man replies, “it’s not appropriate for a person at any age to deceive.” But to avoid starvation, it’s not a sin to cheat

cruel robber, bloodsucker.

After long conversations, the old man changed clothes, put all sorts of pieces of iron in the khurjun and set off.

He approached the palace.

“Tell your padishah,” he said to the servants, “that a certain artisan wants to see him.”

The servants reported to the padishah, who ordered the petitioner to be brought to him. The old man bowed to the Shah and said:

- May the years of the ruler of the world last, I can make such a crown that only your friends can see it, but not your enemies. This way you will be able to recognize all the enemies of the crown.

“Old man, I’ve been dreaming of something like this for a long time,” exclaimed the padishah. -If you make such a crown, you will receive in return whatever you want.

“I need a measure of gold and some precious stones,” says the gardener.

He called the padishah keeper of the treasures and ordered him to give the old man everything he needed. The keeper gave the gardener what he required from the treasury.

“To make such a crown, may the life of the ruler of the world last, it will take me forty days,” said the old man.

The padishah agreed, threatening:

- Look, old man, if you don’t keep your promise, I’ll order your head to be cut off! The gardener bowed to the padishah, took the gold and precious stones and

came back home. Having exchanged several gold pieces, the old man bought food and drink for the family. The wife bought new clothes for the children. They began to live happily ever after. But the gardener’s wife, no, no, was thoughtful and worried about her husband.

- Why are you grieving, wife? “Don’t worry, calm down,” said the gardener.

- How can you not worry? - the wife answers. “You asked for forty days, and they

at the end of. You didn’t keep your promise, one of these days the padishah will call you and order you to cut off your head. How can I not think?

“The one who deceived so much gold from the padishah will cope with the rest of the task.” So don’t worry, everything will work out,” the old man reassured his wife.

Several more days have passed since this conversation - the forty-day period allotted to the gardener by the padishah has ended. The padishah ordered the servants to bring the old man to him. And the old man says:

“Tell the padishah to gather the people in the square and come there himself, I’ll be there soon.”

The servants conveyed the old man's words to the Shah. By order of the Shah, everyone gathered in the square, and the Shah came with his entire retinue. A throne was placed on a dais. The Shah sat down on it, and around stood the vizier, advisers, generals and all other close associates.

The old man said goodbye to his wife and children, threw his khurjun over his shoulder and appeared in the square.

He bowed to the Shah and, with his permission, addressed the people:

“People, I have made a magic crown: the Shah’s friends will see this crown, but his enemies will not see it.” Thus, the Shah recognizes the enemies of the throne.

The old man finished his speech, put his hand into the khurjun, pulled out something as if from there and placed it on the Shah’s head. In fact, he had nothing in his hands; he held his empty hands over the ruler’s head and said:

– Congratulations, my Shah, on your crown. Now let your friends tell you how beautiful this crown is, and you rejoice, welcome your friends and destroy your enemies.

The old man stepped aside and gave the courtiers the opportunity to look at the Shah’s crown. And the Shah had a very flattering vizier. He was the first to jump forward and shout:

- May the years of the padishah last, congratulations, what a beautiful crown, how it suits you!

Then an adviser approached the Shah, looked at the place where the crown should have been, but saw nothing. He stood there, craning his neck in surprise, first to the right, then to the left, he wanted to admit that he didn’t see anything, but he thought that they would consider him an enemy of the Shah, and exclaimed:

- Ah-ah, is there a second such valuable, beautiful crown in the world? It was as if the sun had risen above your Majesty's head.

Thus, almost all the courtiers passed by the Shah, admiring the crown, without actually seeing anything. Lastly, it was the commander’s turn to speak out about the crown. The military leader bowed to the Shah and said: “May the Shah’s life last, with such a crown we don’t need the sun or the moon, your crown will shine on us day and night.”

And the people looked from afar, and no one saw any crown. Some thought that they were standing far away, so they could not see the crown, others were afraid, and others simply, like everyone else, unanimously congratulated the Shah.

The padishah ran his hand over his head and felt nothing. I ordered a mirror to be brought, and again I saw nothing. He wanted to attack the master, expose him in lies, and thought that he himself would be considered an opponent of the throne. So he exclaimed:

“He who is devoted to me, let him bestow gifts on the master!” Everyone began vying with each other to give gifts to the old man.

Finally the square was empty. The padishah took the old man aside and asked:

“Listen, old man, what have you done - deceived both me and the people?”

“Oh padishahs,” the old man answered, “I am the same person from whom you took the garden and left the children without food.” Well, I answered this way.

- What if I order you to be hanged?

“Then everyone will blame you for your ingratitude to the master who made you the magic crown.”

“The padishah realized that if he executed the old man, he would completely lose all respect, and he let him go.

The gardener returned home, making his wife and children happy. From then on, they began to live and live well and make good money.

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