The Golden Mountain And The Greedy Merchant

Long ago in Russia there lived a rich merchant with his only son. The merchant's son had too much fun spending money, and the day came when he saw himself ruined; he had nothing to eat, nothing to drink. He took a shovel and went to the market place to see if perchance somebody would hire him as a worker.

A rich, proud merchant, worth many, many thousands, came along in a gilded carriage. All the fellows at the market place, as soon as they perceived him, rushed away and hid themselves in the corners. Only one remained, and this one was our merchant's son. "Are You looking for work, good fellow? Let me hire You," the very rich merchant said to him. 

"Yes I am looking for work replied the young man." "All right. To-morrow come to the landing place."said the rich merchant.

The next day, early in the morning, our merchant's son arrived at the landing; the very rich merchant was already there waiting. They boarded a ship and went to sea. For quite a long time they journeyed, and finally they perceived an island. Upon that island there were high mountains, and near the shore something seemed to be in flames. "Seems like something is on fire," said our merchant's son.

"No, it is my golden palace."replied the rich merchant. They landed, came ashore, and—looked there! the rich merchant's wife came to meet him, and along with their young daughter, the most pretty and lovely girl. The family met; they greeted one another and went to the palace. And along with them went their new work-man. They sat around the oak table and ate and drank and were cheerful. "One day does not count," the rich merchant said; "let us have a good time and leave work for to-morrow." 

Our merchant's son was a young, brave fellow, handsome and stately, and the merchant's lovely daughter liked him well. She left the room and made him a sign to follow her. Then she gave him a touchstone and a flint.  "Take it," she said; "when you are in need, it will be useful."

The next day the very rich merchant with his hired workman went to the high golden mountain. The young fellow saw at once that there was no use trying to climb or even to crawl up. "Well," said the merchant, "let us have a drink for courage." And he gave the fellow some drowsy drink. The fellow drank and fell asleep. The rich merchant took out a sharp knife, killed a wretched horse, cut it open, put the fellow inside, pushed in the shovel, and sewed the horse's skin together, and himself sat down in the bushes.

Seeing the dead horse all the crows came flying, black crows with iron beaks. They took hold of the dead horse, lifted it up to the top of the high mountain, and began to pick at it. The crows soon ate up the horse and were about to begin on the merchant's son, when he awoke, pushed away the crows, looked around and asked out loud: "Where am I?". The rich merchant below answered: "On a golden mountain; take the shovel and dig for gold."

And the young man dug and dug, and all the gold he dug he threw down, and the rich merchant loaded it upon the carts. "Enough!" finally shouted the master. "Thanks for your help. Farewell!"

"And what about me—how shall I come down?" asked the workman. "You will be pleased to know that Ninety Nine workmen like you have already been killed after coming here and with you the count will be rounded and you will  be the hundredth." 

The proud, rich merchant said this to the workman and went off. "What shall I do?" thought the poor merchant's son. ''Impossible to go down! But to stay here means death, a cruel death from hunger."

The poor fellow stood upon the mountain all alone, while above the black crows were circling, the black crows with iron beaks, as if they were ready to prey the poor workman. The fellow tried to think how it all happened, and he remembered the lovely girl and what she said to him in giving him the touchstone and the flint. He remembered how she said: "Take it. When you are in need of it and it will prove useful." "I fancy she had something in mind; let us try." thought the poor workman and took out stone and flint, struck it once and lo! two brave fellows were standing before him. "What is your wish? What are your commands?" said they. 

"Take me away from this mountain down to the seashore." And at once the two took hold of him and carefully brought him down.

The workman was wandering around the sea and there he saw a huge ship sailing near the island. "Ahoy! good people! take me along!" the workman asked the sailors. "No time to stop!" said the sailors and they went sailing by. But the winds arose and the tempest was heavy. "It seems as if this fellow over there is not an ordinary man; we had better go back and take him along," decided the sailors. They turned the ship toward the island, landed, took the merchant's son along with them and brought him to his native town.

It was a long time, or perhaps only a short time after—who could tell?—that one day the merchant's son took again his shovel and went to the market place in search of work. The same very rich merchant came along in his gilded carriage; and, as of old, all the fellows who saw him coming rushed away.

The merchant's son remained alone. "Will you be my workman?"asked the rich merchant. "I will work but at the cost of two hundred rubles a day. If so, let us to work." "A rather expensive fellow." "If too expensive go to others; get a cheap man. There were plenty of people, but when you appeared—they saw you and they left." "Well, all right. Come to-morrow to the landing place."

They met at the landing place, boarded a ship and sailed toward the island. The first day they spent rather gayly, and on the second, master and workman went to work. When they reached the golden mountain the rich, proud merchant treated his hired man to a tumbler. "Before all, have a drink." "Wait, master! said the workman, Let me treat you this time."

The young man had already prepared some of the drowsy stuff and he quickly mixed it with the wine and presented it to the master. The proud merchant drank and fell sound asleep.The workman killed a miserable old horse, cut it open, pushed his master and the shovel inside, sewed it all up and hid himself in the bushes.

All at once black crows came flying, —black crows with iron beaks; they promptly lifted up the horse with the sleeping merchant inside, bore it to the top of the mountain, and began to pick the bones of their prey.

When the merchant awoke he looked here and looked there and looked everywhere. "Where am I?" he shouted. "Upon the golden mountain replied the workman. Now if you want to come down safely, do not lose time; take the shovel and dig. Dig quickly and I'll teach you how to come down."

The proud, rich merchant had to obey and dug and dug. Twelve big carts were loaded. "Enough!" shouted the workman. "Thank you, and farewell!" "And what about me shouted the rich merchant?". There are already ninety and nine fellows perished before thee; and with you there will be a hundred." said the workman.

The workman took along with him the twelve heavy carts with gold, arrived at the golden palace and married the lovely girl; the rich merchant's daughter became mistress of all her father's wealth, and the merchant's son with his family moved to a large town to live.

And the rich merchant, the proud, rich merchant? He himself, like his many victims, became the prey of the black crows, black crows with iron beaks. Well, sometimes it happens just so.