(derailed fairy tale)

In one faraway village, one Ukrainian woman lived with two sons. Both of them were cripples and could not serve in the Army. The younger one damaged his arm while building a new cowshed and the elder one lost his eye while picking cherries. So they helped their Mom with her daily household duties on the big farm.

After her sudden death, the brothers divided the property among themselves. When it was the turn of the cows, the younger brother suggested,

“You know, brother, let me spruce up the new cowshed we built one year ago. In the evening, the cows will return from the pasture, how many cows will enter this new barn — all of them will be mine.”

“You won’t be able to do anything, because the cows will follow their habit to the old herd,” answered the elder.

“Don’t worry, it will work out!”

“I’m telling you that not a single cow will enter the new herd!”

“Don’t you care?” the smaller one stood his ground.

The older one saw that he would not convince the younger one because everyone considered him a fool, “Let him do what he wants…”

The younger brother built a new cowshed next to the old one. In the evening, all the cows entered the old barn, only one thin, crooked cow wandered into the new one.

“This is my fate,” sighed the younger brother and took the cow for himself. He decided to slaughter it and sell the meat.

The younger brother cut down the cow, however, at that time he heard above his head,

“Kar! Kar!”

The boy raised his head and saw a crow.

“What, do you want meat?” he asked.

“Kar! Kar!”

“If you want it, then wait a little!”

The smaller one put the meat into piles and said,

“Now pay twenty-five gold each.”

The crows grabbed the meat and flew to their nests.

“Okay, pay on Saturday evening,” decided the younger brother.

He came home, and the older brother asked him,

“Where did you feed your cow?”

“I slaughtered it and sold the meat.”

“Did you sell it? Fine fella, molodchaga! You must have traded something, right?”

“I sold the meat to the crows,” answered the smaller brother. “And they will return the money on Saturday.”

“What did you do, dupe? Where is it written that the crows have money?”

“You’ll see!” said the smaller one.

On Saturday night he went to the crows. He stood under the trees and called out,

“Hey you, crows, pay for the meat!”

Crows were flying here and there, circling above him, and only one could shrieked loudly,

“Kar! Kar! Kar!”

“You say next Saturday, yeah?” asked the boy. “Well, let it be, you see I trust you!”

A whole week passed. The younger brother went to the crows, stood under the trees and called,

“Hey! Pay for the meat!”

“Kar! Ha! Ha! Kar!” answered the crows.

“What, next Saturday? No, I won’t wait any longer! As you wish, give me the money right now!”

“Kar-Kar, Ha-Ha, Kar-Kar!” sounded to him again.

“If you don’t like it, I will cut down all the trees on which your nests are!”

But the crows did not seem to hear his threats. Then the younger brother took an ax and began to chop down the first tree. He chopped, chopped, when he saw a hollow in the tree. He put his hand in there, and there was a bag with gold.

“So you have gold, but you don’t want to pay!” he got angry. Then he took some gold and went to his brother.

“And you said that crows won’t pay for meat… Look!” He showed the gold to his elder brother who could hardly stand on his feet not believing his eyes.

“How could they pay for it?” he asked with a stony face.

“At first they didn’t want to. Then I took an ax and began to cut down the tree where their nests are; then I see that there is a hollow. And in the hollow – gold! I took as much as I needed…”

“And then,” interrupted the older brother, “what did you do next?”

“I left the rest there.”

“Let’s go, we’ll run there and take what’s left!”

“Let’s go.”

The brothers came to the tree where the gold was and pulled out a bag from the hollow. On reflection, the elder brother gave advice,

“Let’s share it brotherly.”

“All right. I Agree,” answered the smaller one, “I have just only one condition: you will carry the bag, because it is a big burden for me.”

“Surely, no problem,” the older brother took the bag, and they went home. Suddenly a strong wind blew. Without thinking long, the brothers climbed a thick and spreading tree to wait out the bad weather. As soon as they sat down, they looked down — there were three gloomy men standing under the tree, looking like vicious thieves. They hid looted goods here.

“Let’s wait out the storm,” said the first. And then what will we do?” the others got interested.

“First, let’s go to the tree with crowsnests, check if our gold is whole, then - to the fir tree where the owls live, see if the diamonds are there; finally well go down to the oak tree where the sparrows live, let’s look at our pearls.”

The older brother pushed the younger one, whispering, “Shut up, dupe!” But the youngest started shouting,

“Now I know everything! I know everything! Everything! Yeah!”

To the surprise of the elder brother, the goblin looking thieves dashed away from there being frightened like hen-hearted rabbits!

The brothers climbed down the tree and went to the fir tree where the owls lived taking the diamonds, then they went to the oak tree where the sparrows lived and took the pearls. They shared everything among themselves. After coming back, they donated a half of their treasures to the fund of Serhiy Prytula for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to protect their Motherland, married two good-hearted and gorgeous girls from the nearest village and kept on living happily, because they had a lot of gold and other diamonds…