There lived a peasant with his wife. They did not have anything else , just a goat. They used to drink the goat milk and lived.
Once the wife tells her husband:
- Take the goat to the fair, sell it in such a way that you return home with the money and the goat also.
- How can I sell the goat so that the goat also remains with me but I return home the money?- the peasant asked.
- Now, that’s your problem. If you come home without the goat, how will we live without the milk?
The peasant took a stick and drove away the goat to the city. It was morning time and they were selling hash in the fair. Seeing the hash seller the peasant drove the goat towards him and started shouting:
- I am selling the goat, who wants to buy it?
- What should I give for your goat?- the hash seller asked him.
- Give a plate of hash soup and I give you the goat.
- Alright, come and eat it.
The peasant took the plate , ate the hash soup- then got up and wanted to drive away his goat but the hash seller caught hold of his arm and said to him:
- where are taking away the goat?
- Well, what do you think? You give me a plate of hash soup and you want to take my goat away?
They started fighting in an ugly manner but the people who had gathered there by now shouted at them:
- Are you people not ashamed of fighting like this?
- Why should we not fight- said the peasant-, this dishonest man gave me a plate of hash and now in exchange he wants to take away my goat which is worth fifteen gold coins.
The crowd attacked the hash seller that he wanted to take away a poor man’s goat just for a plate of hash. The peasant drove the goat further and he met a gata (katah) seller
- I am selling the goat, who wants to buy it?- he started shouting when he saw the gata seller.
- What should I give for your goat? – asked the seller.
- Just give me enough gata to fill my stomach and then I give you the goat.
- Alright, come and eat.
The peasant ate to his heart, then got up , wiped his mouth and wanted to drive away his goat but the gata seller stopped him:
- where are you taking away my goat?
- I am taking away my goat, not yours- answered the peasant.
- Then why did you eat the gata, if you did not want to give the goat?
- Wow, you fool, just for a gata you want to take away my good goat?
They started fighting. The people who had gathered there asked them what happened.
- Well people- the peasant said-, this shameless man gave me a little gata and in exchange now wants to take away my goat.
- Are you not ashamed of yourself- the people gathered said in one voice to the gata seller.
In the meanwhile the peasant took his goat and went ahead.
Soon he met a halva seller, who was carrying halva on his head and offering it
- I have tasty halva, who wants the halva?
- Who buys a good goat, who buys a good goat?- the peasant also shouted.
- How much do you want for your goat?- asked the halva seller.
- Well, just give me some halva , you can take the goat then.
- Come, eat.
The peasant ate the halva and wanted to drive away his goat.
- Hey, where are you taking away my goat?- shouted the halva seller.
- Is the goat yours? Just don’t dare to think that in return for a little halva you can take away my goat?
The peasant started fighting with him also.
- why are you both fighting?- asked the people who had gathered there.
- See this unfortunate devil! He gave me some halva and now want to take away my strong, big goat.
On this, everyone started to punch the halva seller, they took away the goat from him and gave back to the peasant. He took it and went further.
When it became dark, the peasant went in front of a house and said to himself: “ I go into this house and die in it”. He went into the house and saw a woman there.
- What do you want! – said the woman.
- I am a poor traveler, please allow me to pass the night here, with the dawn I will go away.
The woman did not refuse and the peasant went to the barn. One or two hours passed and he heard that someone was knocking on the door. The peasant spied from the lock hole and saw that the hash seller is knocking. After some time again someone knocked. The woman said to the hash seller:
- I think its my husband now, go and hide in the barn, otherwise if he sees us, he will kill both of us.
When he stepped into the barn, the peasant pulled his jacket sleeve and asked him:
- Who are you, and what do you want here?
- Listen, its me, don’t shout- the hash seller said.
- Why have you come here?
- And why have you come here?
- I am selling the goat. Hey, who wants to buy my goat!?- the peasant started shouting.
- Don’t shout, be in silence, what should I give for your goat?
- Ten gold coins.
-Here, take the ten gold coins, but remain silent.
Again someone knocked on the door.
The peasant took the money and put it in his pocket. Again he spied from the lock hole, and he saw that gata seller is knocking. An hour later again someone knocked on the door. The halva seller was knocking. Then the woman said to the gata seller:
- I think ,this is my husband, run to the barn.
When he stepped in the barn, by chance he hit the peasant.
- Oh, who hit me?- the peasant shouted.
- Don’t shout, I just touched you, what are you doing here? – whispered the gata seller.
- I am selling my goat. Hey, I am selling my goat, to whom I should sell my goat!?
- Listen, don’t shout, how much does your goat cost?
- It costs twenty gold coins.
- ok, take it, just keep quiet.
When he put the money in his pocket, the peasant again heard someone knocking on the door.
- I think, this is my husband, go to the barn!- whispered the woman in halva seller’s ears.
The halva seller rushed to the barn.
- What do you want it? Buy my goat or else I will start shouting and the master will come and kill you.
- For God’s sake don’t shout like this, tell me how much is the cost and I will pay you.
- My goat costs twenty five gold coins.
- Well take it and remain silent- said the halva seller and pressed the money in his hands.
The last person knocking was the husband. The peasant spied from the lock hole and listend. The husband went inside the house, had supper and then said to his wife:
- Now, its time to sleep, but first I go to the barn to see the animals. When I come back, we sleep.
- Oh, leave it, there is nothing to see there, you are already tired, let’s go to sleep- asked the wife.
- No, that’s not possible, first I must see the animals- said the man and went to the barn.
When he entered, the goat owner shouted:
- Who are you?
The man turned into a stone.
- well, how are you that is shouting at me in my own barn?
- I am selling a goat.
- What, is it a marketplace here that your are selling a goat?
- Certainly, it’s a marketplace – answered the peasant-, had it not been a marketplace, what are hash seller, gata seller and halva seller doing here?
- What are you talking?
- Well just light the lamp, you will see.
When he lit the lamp, and saw in the middle of the barn, the crouching hash seller, gata seller and the halva seller, and then turned to the peasant and said to him:
- Well, tell me how much does your goat cost? I will give you the money, take it and go away, but don’t ever dare to tell anyone what you saw here!
- The goat costs ten gold coins.
- Take it and leave this plae. But if you tell anyone anything, you can say goodbye to your life.
- Alright, give me!
The peasant took the money, took his goat and went away from the barn. When he reached home he said to his wife.
- Wife, I have come back with the money and the goat is also there.
- Well you see,- answered the woman-, how many times I told you, sell the goat in such a way that you come home with the money and the goat also remains, but you always refused.
The God sent three apples: one for who narrated the story, other for the one who listened to it, and the third for who paid heed to it.
Translated from Hungarian by me
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