God's Will



Once upon a time, in a certain country, there lived two farmers, Ivan and Naum. Both of them went to a village to earn a living and started working for two different landowners. They worked all week and met each other only on Sundays.

Ivan asked, Brother, what have you earned

Naum replied, God has blessed me with five rubles.

Ivan scoffed, God gave them to you He doesnt even give twice as much as the wages!

Naum smiled and said, No, my brother, without Gods will, we cannot earn even a single penny.

They argued about this for a long time. Finally, they decided:

Lets walk, and the first person we meet on the way will be our judge. Whoever loses must hand over all his earnings to the other.

They had barely walked twenty steps when they met a demon disguised as a man. They asked him to settle their dispute, and he said:

Dont rely on God. Just earn as much as you can.

Naum, according to the bet, handed over all his earnings to Ivan and returned home emptyhanded.

A week later, the two friends met again and resumed their debate.

Naum said, Ivan, last time you won my money, but God has given me more.

Ivan challenged him again, If God has really given you money, lets test it once more. The first person we meet will be our judge. This time, whoever loses must give away his money, but also cut off his right hand.

Naum agreed.

As they walked, they met the same demon again, who gave the same answer. So, Ivan gave his money to Naum and cut off his right hand before returning home.

Naum was troubled, wondering how he would work without his right hand and who would feed him. But he had faith that God is merciful. He went to the riverbank and lay down in a boat.

At midnight, several demons gathered on the boat and began boasting about their misdeeds.

One demon said, I made two farmers fight and helped the wrong one. The righteous man lost his right hand.

Another demon said, Thats nothing! If that man rubs tar three times on his wound, his hand will grow back instantly.

A third demon bragged, I sucked the blood of a rich mans daughter and left her halfdead. Now she cant even move from her bed.

A fourth demon replied, Thats easy to fix. If someone wants to heal her, they should boil the herb growing by the riverbank and give her the infusion. Shell be completely healthy again.

The fifth demon said, A farmer built a mill by a pond and has been trying for a long time to make it work. But every time he releases the water, I create a hole in the dam.

The sixth demon laughed, That farmer is a fool! If he just packed the dam with dry grass and straw, your trick wouldnt work.

Naum carefully listened to everything. The next day, he rubbed tar on his wound, and his hand regrew. He repaired the farmers mill and healed the rich mans daughter.

Out of gratitude, the rich man and the farmer rewarded Naum with great wealth. Now, he lived a prosperous and happy life.

One day, he met his old friend Ivan, who was shocked to see him and asked, How did you become so rich And where did you get your right hand back

Naum narrated the entire story from beginning to end, hiding nothing. Ivan listened carefully and thought to himself, I will do the same and become even richer than him.

So, that very night, he went to the riverbank and lay down in the same boat.

At midnight, the demons gathered again and began discussing, Brothers, someone must have been spying on us because the farmers hand grew back, the girl was cured, and the mill started working.

Realizing someone had overheard them, the demons rushed toward the boat, captured Ivan, and tore him to pieces.

This folktale teaches the importance of faith, patience, and humility. Naums unwavering trust in God and his good deeds brought him success, while Ivans greed and blind imitation led to his downfall.