The Careless Word

In Zaonezhye, beside a quiet lake, lived an old man named Yegor and an old woman named Darya. Yegor repaired boats and made light oars, and his clever dog Lada…

In Zaonezhye, beside a quiet lake, lived an old man named Yegor and an old woman named Darya. Yegor repaired boats and made light oars, and his clever dog Lada was always at his side. One day, a finely dressed traveller appeared on the road. He asked if Lada could spend a day in a mountain garden: the sheep there had scattered, and a kind helper was needed. Yegor agreed, and the traveller invited him to climb Mount Myan that evening.

A path led to the summit through pine trees and blue-grey mist. When Yegor climbed above the clouds, an extraordinary city opened before him. Honey-coloured lights shone in the windows, clear streams flowed along the streets, and Lada was waiting happily at the gate. The garden’s owner thanked the old man for his help and offered him a choice of rewards: silver coins, a warm fur coat or a carved little box.

While Yegor was thinking, a young worker approached him. Quietly, he asked, “Please don’t take the riches. Help me return home instead. I have lived in this city for a long time, but I remember Rogatitsa Street in Novgorod and my parents’ house with its green shutters.” Yegor saw how homesick the young man was and chose to help him instead of taking riches. The owner of the mountain garden kept his word and opened a short way down for them, while Lada ran joyfully alongside.

On the way, the young man explained that he had once left home after some careless, angry words. Since then, his family had not known where to look for him, and he had been unable to find his way back through the mountain mist. Yegor, Darya, Lada and the young man travelled to Novgorod. On Rogatitsa Street they found the house with green shutters and an old copper bell hanging above its gate.

The merchant and his wife recognised their son at once and embraced him. They asked one another’s forgiveness and agreed to choose their words with care from then on, even when they were upset. To celebrate his return, they laid a long table for neighbours and travellers. Lada received a soft bed beside the stove, while Yegor and Darya gained new friends and a standing invitation to visit. And so a kind choice proved more valuable than any little box.