Hovhannes Toumanian
Barekendan
There once lived a husband and wife.
And they didn’t really like each other.
The husband called his wife a fool, and she called him a fool, so they always quarreled.
One day the husband bought several pounds of rice and butter, put them on a porter and brought them home.
The wife lost her temper:
— And you’re still angry when I call you a fool! Well, why have you brought so much butter and rice! Are you celebrating your father’s wake or your son’s wedding?
— Why are you talking about a funeral wake or a wedding celebration, woman? Just take it and keep it. This is for Barekendan.
The wife calmed down, took it and put it aside.
Many days passed. The wife kept waiting and waiting, but Barekendan still did not come.
And then, once when she was sitting at the doorstep, she saw someone hurrying down the street.
She blocks her eyes from the sun with her hand and shouted:
— Brother, brother, come on, wait!
The passerby stopped.
— Aren’t you Barekendan, brother?
The passerby realized that the woman is not all there, and thinks: “Let me tell her that I am Barekendan and see what happens.”
— Yes, sister, I am Barekendan. What do you say?
— I’m telling you that it’s high time you take the rice and butter from us. We weren’t hired to keep your stuff. Aren’t you ashamed? Why don’t you come and take your stuff?
— Why are you angry, sister? That’s what I came for. I was just looking for your house but couldn’t find it.
— Well, come and take it!
The passerby entered the house and took the butter and rice. He turned around and headed towards the village.
When her husband returned, his wife said:
— The Barekendan came, I handed him his goods and he took them away!
— What Barekendan? What goods?
— I mean the butter and rice. I saw him coming looking for our house. I called him, fooled him, load the stuff on his shoulders, and he took it away.
— Oh, you silly fool. May the house cave in! No wonder I always say that you’re dumb …Which way did he go?
— That way.
The husband jumped on his horse and raced after Barekendan.
Barekendan turned around and saw that a rider was catching up with him, and figured that might be husband of that woman.
Just then, the rider caught up with him:
— Good day, brother!
— Good day!
“Has anyone passed along this road?”
— Yes, someone did pass.
— And what was he carrying on his shoulders?
— Butter and rice.
— That’s what I’m looking for! And how long has it been?
— Quite a lot.
— If I ride after him, will I catch up?
— But how? You’re on horseback, and he’s on foot. Your horse has four legs: one-two-three-four, he has two, so for his every step you must take two: one-two, one-two, one-two —he’ll go quicker and soon be out of sight!
— And what should I do?
— What should you do? If you want, you can leave the horse with me, and you, like him, should run on your own two feet — maybe you’ll catch up.
— Yes, what you say makes sense.
The husband dismounted from his horse, left it with a passerby, and set out on foot.
As soon as he was out of sight, Barekendan put his load on the horse, turned off the road and rode away.
Meanwhile, the husband continued on foot, eventually understanding that he would not catch up, so he returned home.
On his way back, he saw the horse was gone. When he arrived home, he started quarreling with his wife again, he over butter and rice, and his wife over the horse.
And to this day, the husband and wife are still quarreling, each calling the other a fool. And Barekendan listens and laughs.
