Uzbek folktales

The Gold Watermelon

As they say, once upon a time, there was a time, this time is no more. In former times there lived a poor peasant. He had only one-fifth of one hectare land. The peasant spent his life by working constantly on his field. Then spring came. The peasant started to plow the earth. When he had plowed the earth two times and was sitting down at the shore of a large river nearby,a stork, which was flying in the sky, fall down. When the peasant looked up, he saw that one of the stork's wing was broken. The peasant immediately brought the stork home and tied a splint to the stork's wing and for some time he took care of the stork. The stork got well and flew away.

One day, when the peasant was planting cotton (seed), the stork passed over him flying low. The peasant, however, did not take any notice and continued planting the cotton seed, but the stork flew again over him , and this time the stork dropped down three seeds of watermelon. After several days the seeds of the water melon started to grow together with the cotton seed. The peasant weeded, irrigated and hoed the planted field in time. Then came the time to collect the harvest. One day he picked up three of the watermelons and brought them home. The water melons were very big. The peasant invited his close relatives and friends. When he struck the knife into the watermelon, the knife could not cut the watermelon. He put the watermelon away and wanted to cut the second watermelon, but the knife did not pass through, and the same happened with the third watermelon. The peasant as well as the guests were surprised. When they hit the watermelon onto the ground, it split open and what did they see? Its inside was full of gold coins. They tried also to cut the remaining two melons. They too were full with gold coins. The poor man was very happy and he shared all the gold with his guests and they happily went home. The three seeds of the watermelons had multiplied ten times. The peasant collected also the remaining watermelons. Thus he became very rich.

The peasant had a rich neighbor. He asked the poor man: "How did you get rich?"

The peasant told him his story. "Neighbor, you know my field. I started to plow the land in early Spring. One day when I was tired and taking a rest on the river bank, a stork which was flying in the sky fell down. What did I see, one of its wings was broken. I felt sorry for the stork, lifted it up and carried it home. I tied a splint to its broken wing and took care of the stork with medication. After some days the stork was completely healed and flew away. One day, when I had finished plowing and started to plant the cottonseeds, that same stork flew over me, but I continued my work. A while later the stork came back and when it was flying over me it dropped three seeds of watermelon. These seeds grew up from the earth. I took care of them together with my cottonplants. When I cut the watermelons, there was gold inside them. Thus I got rich."

The rich farmer hearing this thought: "If I only could get hold of this gold myself," and he went to the river valley. Soon the rich man saw the stork. He came closer, observed the stork and threw a stick to the stork's leg. The stork's leg was broken, and it could not fly. The rich man immediately caught the stork, brought it home and tied a splint to its leg, and took care of the stork. After several days the stork's leg got well and it flew away. The rich farmer went every day to the field and waited for the stork. One day that familiar stork flew above him, left two seeds and flew away.

The seeds started to grow and became watermelons. As soon as the watermelons ripened, the rich man invited all his relatives. When he cut the watermelon with a knife, at once large hornets got out from the watermelon and started to sting the guests, who were sitting there.

The rich man got up immediately and wanted to drive away the hornets, but the hornets did not pay attention and stung his head and face. In a short while the rich man's head, nose and lips started to swell and swell. He could not withstand his pains, threw himself into the large river and drowned in the water.

The poor man had gotten his wishes because of his honesty, but the rich man was punished for his evil deeds.