Once upon a time—when time itself was young, when camels were town criers and fleas were barbers, when I was still listening to tales at my mother’s knee—there lived two traveling companions in a faraway land. One was named Generous, the other Miserly.
One day, these two friends set out on a long journey together. They walked from dawn to dusk, crossed mountains and streams, until night finally wrapped the world in darkness. Hungry and tired, they sat down to eat. Miserly rummaged through his sack for a long while, then frowned and turned to Generous.
“My food bag won’t open,” he said slyly. “Shall we eat from yours?”
Generous, kind-hearted as ever, did not hesitate.
“Of course,” he said.
He shared his provisions, and the two ate their fill.
Days passed—one, two, and then three. By the end of the third day, Generous’s food was gone. The next night, when it was Miserly’s turn to share, he waited until Generous fell asleep. Quietly, without a word, he gathered his belongings and slipped away into the darkness.
When Generous awoke, he found himself alone. Then he understood that his companion had abandoned him.
“So this is my fate,” he said calmly, and continued his journey by himself.
He walked far and wide, over hills and valleys, until hunger bent his back. At last, he came upon a lonely house standing by the road.
“Let me knock,” he thought. “Perhaps they will give me a bite of bread.”
No one answered, but the door was open. Inside, the house was empty. On the table lay a warm flatbread, fragrant and fresh. Though starving, Generous did not touch the whole loaf. He tore off a small piece and ate it.
“If the owner comes,” he said to himself, “I will tell the truth.”
Then he crawled under the wooden bench and lay quietly.
After a while, a mouse entered the house. Then came a fox. Finally, with a great шум and stomp, an old bear arrived. They ate from the bread on the table and began to talk.
The mouse said,
“On top of the stove sits my silver pot. Whoever finds it may keep it.”
The bear spoke next:
“By the rutted black road, I have buried gold the size of a horse’s head. Whoever digs it up may claim it.”
The fox added,
“My silver lies a little farther on, as big as a sheep’s head. Whoever finds it is its owner.”
When morning came, the animals left. Generous, who had heard every word, climbed out from under the bench. He looked on the stove and indeed found a silver pot. Then he followed the directions, unearthed the gold, and found the fox’s silver as well.
With this newfound fortune, he continued on his way.
One evening, in a forest, he noticed footprints and trampled ground beneath a tall tree.
“What happens here, I wonder?” he said, and climbed the tree to wait.
That night, old healers gathered beneath the tree and began to speak of the king’s sick daughter. The eldest among them said:
“If the king sets a great table, feeds the people, helps the poor, and clothes the naked, his daughter will regain her health.”
At dawn, the healers departed. Generous remembered every word and went straight to the king’s city. At the gate, he asked a passerby what troubled the land.
“The king’s daughter is gravely ill,” the man replied. “Whoever cures her will receive both the princess and the throne.”
Generous went to the palace and presented himself as a healer. When brought before the king, he said:
“Feed your people. Care for the poor. Share what you have. Then your daughter will be healed.”
The king believed him and did exactly as he was told. Soon the princess’s color returned, and she rose from her bed, healthy once more. The king kept his promise and gave both his daughter and his crown to Generous.
One day, Miserly wandered into that very city. Seeing Generous seated on the throne, he was astonished. He went to him and asked how he had become so rich and powerful. Generous told him everything, just as it had happened.
Burning with envy, Miserly said, “I can do the same.” He went to the lonely house, entered, and without a thought ate the entire loaf of bread. Then he hid under the bench.
That night, the mouse, the fox, and the bear returned. When they found no bread on the table, they grew suspicious.
“There is someone here,” growled the bear.
They sent the mouse to look. The mouse peeked under the bench, saw Miserly, and cried out. The bear and the fox dragged him out, took everything he had, and left him outside—hungry, naked, and miserable.
Miserly lay there in shame, filled with regret. From that day on, he swore to abandon greed and live like Generous instead.
And from the sky fell three apples:
One for the listener,
One for the storyteller,
And one for all who know the true value of generosity.