Why to old men honour

One severe tsar has published such law: all old people to kill.

— Old men cannot neither press, nor plough, trees to cut,-spoke on.-only houses sit, bread eat yes underfoot are confused for nothing.

And here imperial executioners have rolled up sleeves and took axes in hands. All old men переказнили. There was on that earth only one old man — the father of a certain boyar. The boyar of the old man of the father has regretted, has not given out to its executioners, and has hidden in a hiding place and there fed. Anybody about it did not know the nobility, to know did not know.

The severe tsar had a black horse, yes such restive, what light not видывал. Not that what to travel it, but also to approach to it dared nobody. A vein in an imperial palace one знахарка, the artful woman. Time was asked by its tsar how to travel a horse. And it to it in the answer:

— How to travel? And order, a sovereign, to the boyars to twist a lasso from sand. You will lasso the black horse a sand lasso, it becomes more quiet than a lamb.

The tsar of all boyars has called and declared the will:

— Tomorrow deliver me a lasso from sand. And if be in a palace without a lasso, I all of you to uniform переказню.

Boyars have dispersed, having hung up heads. Nobody understood, how it it is possible to twist a lasso from sand. Among boyars there was also the one who has rescued from execution of the father. It has returned home, and the old man and asks it:

— What закручинился, the sonny?

The boyar has told, that demanded by the tsar.

— Only and all? — The old man speaks. — well, you to be afraid there is nothing. Tomorrow morning, when all of you will gather in a palace, the tsar will ask you: "Where a lasso?", and you to it answer: "the Tsar-sovereign, we are ready to twist a lasso from sand, yes we do not know, what to you надобен — whether thick, whether thin. Give to us the sample".

The son has executed fatherly council. For other day the tsar has listened to a clever excuse, has inclined a head and speaks:

— That the truth the truth, it would be necessary to you to give the sample, yes only is no place to take it.

Also the tsar of boyars did not begin to execute.

In that summer there was a great drought what on the earth still never happened. All has burnt out — and grasses and breads. Granaries have become empty, grains does not remain on seeds. People were frightened — not to die with hunger! I reign too care considerable. He again has called the boyars and orders:

— Listen to an imperial word! Tomorrow be in a palace and report on me where to take grains on crops. Instead of that I from all of you a head поснимаю.

There were from the tsar boyars not the. How to be? Anywhere grains — though a sphere drive! And here the old man — that veins in a hiding place, — its son again закручинился sees. He began to ask the son, and that to it in the answer:

— Well, the father, this time and you will not help me.

— Why?

— Yes because in all our earth is not present a kernel, and the tsar ordered to us, to boyars, tomorrow to report on it where to find seeds on crops.

— Be not afraid, the sonny. Here you will come tomorrow to the tsar, and you and присоветуй to it that he has ordered to peasants разрыть all ant hills what only are in our kingdom. There will find grain, that by ants it is collected.

For other day peasants разрыли ant hills and in everyone have typed on a sack of large grain. Then the tsar has graciously managed with the boyar and has asked:

— Tell, who has given you such wise advice?

— I do not dare, a sovereign. I will tell — you will order to hang up me.

— Speak! Hair will not fall from your head.

Here the boyar admitted, that has hidden the father, and the old man has learnt it to plead from a sand lasso and has specified where to find the latent grain.

And then is have published the new law: nobody dares to offend old people, and when they go along the street, everyone should let their pass.