Page:Slavonic Fairy Tales.djvu/260

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WISDOM AND FORTUNE.

(from the bohemian.)

Once Fortune met Wisdom in a certain place.

"Get out of my way!" cried Fortune.

At that time Wisdom was inexperienced and did not know which was to make room for the other; she therefore said,—

"Why should I get out of your way? Are you better than I am?"

"He is better," answered Fortune, "who can do most. Do you see that peasant boy ploughing the field? Get inside him, and if you succeed better than I, I shall always, and justly, make room for you whenever we meet."

Wisdom agreed to this proposal and entered at once into the ploughboy's head. As soon as the boy felt that he had wisdom in his head, he began to reason within himself,—