A\u0219a s-au potrivit odat\u0103 lucrurile, c\u0103 un c\u0103m\u0103tar a ajuns s\u0103rac lipit. Ca s\u0103 nu moar\u0103 de foame, trebuia s\u0103 fac\u0103 \u0219i el ceva. Dar, \u0219tie toat\u0103 lumea, c\u0103m\u0103tarii nu se prea au bine cu munca, a\u0219a c\u0103 nici c\u0103m\u0103tarul nostru nu se avea bine cu ea.
\nA stat el \u015fi-a fl\u0103m\u00e2nzit o zi, dou\u0103, trei; \u00eentr-a patra, \u0219i-a zis \u201eMai bine s\u0103 mor dec\u00e2t s\u0103 muncesc!” \u0219i-a pornit-o c\u0103tre r\u00e2u s\u0103 se \u00eenece.
\nDezbr\u0103c\u00e2ndu-se, s-a zv\u00e2rlit c\u0103m\u0103tarul \u00een ap\u0103, dar numai ce i-a trecut apa peste cap, c\u0103 s-a-nsp\u0103im\u00e2ntat de moarte, a s\u0103rit din ap\u0103 \u015fi, ag\u0103\u0163\u00e2ndu-se cu m\u00e2inile, s-a c\u0103\u021b\u0103rat pe mal \u015fi a ie\u015fit afar\u0103.
\nA stat cea stat, apoi iar s-a zv\u00e2rlit \u00een ap\u0103, din nou s-a \u00eensp\u0103im\u00e2ntat \u015fi-a ie\u015fit la mal.
\n\u015ei-a\u0219a, de nu \u015ftiu c\u00e2te ori: ba se zv\u00e2rlea \u00een ap\u0103, ba se c\u0103\u0163\u0103ra \u0219i ie\u015fea la mal, ba se zv\u00e2rlea \u00een ap\u0103, ba se c\u0103\u0163\u0103ra \u015fi ie\u015fea la mal.
\nDar nu departe de locul unde se chinuia a\u015fa, se aflau, \u00een stuf\u0103ri\u015f, cuiburile unor g\u00e2\u0219te s\u0103lbatice. G\u00e2nsacul cel b\u0103tr\u00e2n \u015fi g\u00e2sca v\u0103zur\u0103 ce tot f\u0103cea c\u0103m\u0103tarul.
\n\u2014 Ce om ciudat! a spus g\u00e2nsacul. \u00cenot p\u00e2n’ la el, sa aflu ce a p\u0103\u0163it.
\n\u2014 Nu-i nevoie, nu-i nevoie! s-a speriat g\u00e2sca. \u015ei dac\u0103-i un om r\u0103u?
\nDar g\u00e2nsacul, inimos, nu i-a dat ascultare. \u00cenot\u00e2nd p\u00e2n\u0103-n dreptul c\u0103m\u0103tarului, l-a \u00eentrebat:
\n\u2014 Spune, de ce te arunci \u00een ap\u0103 numai pentru o clip\u0103 \u0219i ie\u015fi \u00eendat\u0103 la mal? De ce faci una ca asta?
\nI-a r\u0103spuns c\u0103m\u0103tarul:
\n\u2014 Vreau s\u0103 m\u0103 \u00eenec, c\u0103 n-am ce m\u00e2nca!
\n\u2014 Pot s\u0103-\u0163i alin s\u0103r\u0103cia \u2014 a spus g\u00e2nsacul, \u015fi s-a cufundat \u00een ad\u00e2nc.
\nIar c\u00e2nd a ie\u015fit de sub ap\u0103, un uria\u015f rubin \u00eei str\u0103lucea \u00een cioc. G\u00e2nsacul \u015fi-a deschis ciocul \u0219i rubinul i-a c\u0103zut c\u0103m\u0103tarului la picioare.
\nNemai\u015ftiind pe ce lume se afl\u0103 de fericire, c\u0103m\u0103tarul a apucat piatra scump\u0103 \u015fi-a luat-o la fug\u0103 c\u0103tre ora\u015f. Acolo a v\u00e2ndut rubinul \u015fi-a ajuns bogat din nou.
\nMult\u0103 vreme a trecut de atunci, iar c\u0103m\u0103tarul nu s-a mai g\u00e2ndit niciodat\u0103 la g\u00e2nsacul care-i d\u0103ruise piatra scump\u0103. Dar \u00eentr-un r\u00e2nd se d\u0103du sfoar\u0103-n \u0163ar\u0103 ca fiica maharajahului se \u00eemboln\u0103vise r\u0103u de tot. Mul\u0163i vraci cercetaser\u0103 bolnava, nici unul \u00eens\u0103 nu se pricepuse s-o scape de chinurile mor\u0163ii. C\u00e2nd, ce s\u0103 vezi, veni din Tibet un vraci vestit care spuse:
\n\u2014 Fiica maharajahului se va \u00eens\u0103n\u0103to\u015fi dac\u0103 va m\u00e2nca inima unei g\u00e2\u015fte s\u0103lbatice. Dar g\u00e2sca s\u0103lbatic\u0103 s\u0103 fie prins\u0103 negre\u015fit vie, altminteri inima-\u015fi pierde puterea t\u0103m\u0103duitoare.
\n\u200b S-a bucurat maharajahul \u015fi-a vestit:
\n\u2014 Cel care-mi va aduce cel din\u0163\u00e2i o g\u00e2sc\u0103 s\u0103lbatic\u0103 vie va primi drept r\u0103splat\u0103 un palat \u015fi o mie de robi.
\nAfl\u00e2nd de una ca asta, a fugit c\u0103m\u0103tarul c\u0103tre r\u00e2ul unde \u00eent\u00e2lnise c\u00e2ndva o g\u00e2sc\u0103 s\u0103lbatic\u0103. \u0218i, ajung\u00e2nd la locul \u015ftiut c\u0103m\u0103tarul cel nerecunosc\u0103tor s-a a\u015fezat pe mal \u015fi-a prins a r\u0103cni cu putere:
\n\u2014 Unde e\u0219ti, ales m\u00e2ntuitor, unde e\u015fti? Oare n-ai s\u0103-mi dai o m\u00e2n\u0103 de ajutor? Sunt la mare cump\u0103n\u0103, nefericitul de mine, la mare cump\u0103n\u0103!
\nG\u00e2nsacul a auzit r\u0103cnetele, \u015fi-a p\u0103r\u0103sit cuibul \u015fi a \u00eenotat c\u0103tre c\u0103m\u0103tar.
\n\u2014 Ce-ai p\u0103\u0163it? l-a \u00eentrebat g\u00e2nsacul. Cu ce te pot ajuta?
\n\u2014 Of \u2014 a \u015foptit c\u0103m\u0103tarul cel viclean \u2014 de-ai \u015fti c\u00e2t sunt de nefericit! Ie\u015fi la mal \u015fi-am s\u0103-\u0163i povestesc tot!
\nG\u00e2nsacul a venit l\u00e2ng\u0103 mal, \u015fi-a scuturat apa de pe aripi, \u015fi a urcat pe uscat. \u00cen clipa aceea c\u0103m\u0103tarul l-a \u015fi \u00een\u015ff\u0103cat, l-a v\u00e2r\u00e2t la subsuoar\u0103 \u015fi-a pornit gr\u0103bit c\u0103tre ora\u0219.
\n\u2014 Unde m\u0103 duci? a \u00eentrebat cu spaim\u0103 g\u00e2nsacul. D\u0103-mi drumul \u015fi am s\u0103-\u021bi mai g\u0103sesc un rubin!
\nDar c\u0103m\u0103tarul cel r\u0103u a pufnit \u00een r\u00e2s:
\n\u2014 La ce mi-ar folosi rubinul t\u0103u? C\u00e2nd fiica maharajahului \u00ee\u0163i va m\u00e2nca inima, voi primi drept mul\u0163umire un palat \u015fi o mie de robi.
\nA pl\u00e2ns g\u00e2scanul \u015fi, c\u0103z\u00e2nd pe p\u0103m\u00e2nt, lacrimile i se schimbar\u0103 \u00een uria\u015fe m\u0103rg\u0103ritare.
\nCum a v\u0103zut mul\u0163imea m\u0103rg\u0103ritarelor, c\u0103m\u0103tarul cel lacom s-a zv\u00e2rlit la p\u0103m\u00e2nt, s\u0103 le culeag\u0103. Dar numai ce le-a atins, c\u0103 m\u00e2na i se lipi de p\u0103m\u00e2nt. Uit\u00e2nd de g\u00e2scan, c\u0103m\u0103tarul cel lacom \u015fi-a \u00eentins dup\u0103 m\u0103rg\u0103ritare \u015fi cealalt\u0103 m\u00e2n\u0103, care i s-a lipit \u015fi ea de p\u0103m\u00e2nt. Acu’ nu mai putea \u0163ine pas\u0103rea la subsuoar\u0103 \u015fi g\u00e2scanul a zburat slobod dincolo de nori. Auzind pa\u015fii trec\u0103torilor, a \u00eenceput a striga c\u0103m\u0103tarul:
\n\u2014 Ajutor! Ajutor!
\nAu venit oamenii \u015fi-au \u00eencercat s\u0103-i desprind\u0103 m\u00e2inile de pe p\u0103m\u00e2nt. Dar, din ce se str\u0103duiau mai tare, dintr-at\u00e2t m\u00e2inile c\u0103m\u0103tarului cel lacom intrau mai ad\u00e2nc \u00een p\u0103m\u00e2nt.
\nDeodat\u0103 se auzi \u00een preajm\u0103 o larm\u0103 cumplit\u0103:
\n\u2014 Elefan\u021bii! Vin elefan\u0163ii s\u0103lbatici! au strigat oamenii \u00eensp\u0103im\u00e2nta\u021bi, \u015fi-au rupt-o la fug\u0103.
\n\u2014 Sc\u0103pa\u0163i-m\u0103! Sc\u0103pa\u0163i-m\u0103! le-a strigat din urm\u0103 c\u0103m\u0103tarul. Dar nimeni nu se mai sinchisea de r\u0103cnetele lui. Elefan\u0163ii cei uria\u015fi se apropiau repede, tot mai repede, \u015fi cel mai mare dintre ei a c\u0103lcat peste c\u0103m\u0103tar \u015fi l-a strivit.
\nA\u015fa \u015fi-a sf\u00e2r\u015fit via\u0163a omul \u0103sta nerecunosc\u0103tor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A\u0219a s-au potrivit odat\u0103 lucrurile, c\u0103 un c\u0103m\u0103tar a ajuns s\u0103rac lipit. Ca s\u0103 nu moar\u0103 de foame, trebuia s\u0103 fac\u0103 \u0219i el ceva. Dar, \u0219tie toat\u0103 lumea, c\u0103m\u0103tarii nu … <\/p>\n