Fairy tale for children

Three women were taking water from the well. Two women began to praise their sons. One woman said proudly:

• My son is clever, strong and handsome.

The other woman said:

• And my son sings like a nightingale. No one has such a voice. And the third woman stood nearby and kept quiet.

• What can you say about your son? – asked the women.

• What can I say? – said the woman. – There is nothing special about him.

The women were going home carrying heavy buckets. On the way home they stopped, because they felt tired, their hands hurt and their backs ached. Suddenly, three boys ran out to meet them. The son of the first woman jumped over his hand, walked on his hands, and threw heavy stones. The son of the second woman came into the middle of the road and sang like a nightingale, and danced. The women looked at them with admiration. And the son of the third woman ran up to his mother, took the buckets and carried them home. It was interesting for the first women to find out whose son was the best. And old man passed by. Two women ran up to him and asked him to judge whose son was better. The old man replied:

• Where are your sons? I saw only one and he pointed to the boy who was carrying the buckets.