Slovenčina / A2
Vdova a súdca
Jedna chudobná žena prišla za sudcom. Manžel jej už zomrel a teraz mala ďalší problém.
„Stalo sa nešťastie,“ povedala. „Moja krava zranila na poli tvoju kravu rohmi. Čo teraz urobíme?“
Sudca odpovedal: „Urobíme to spravodlivo. Ty si vezmeš moju kravu a ja tvoju.“
„Súdiš spravodlivo,“ povedala žena. „Ale pomýlila som sa. Bolo to naopak. Tvoja krava zranila moju.“
„Aj ja som sa pomýlil,“ odpovedal sudca. „Ja som svojej krave nič také neprikázal. Bola to náhoda. Ak je zranená tvoja krava, je to tvoja škoda, nie moja.“
English summary · includes the ending
A poor widow goes to the local judge with a problem. She says her cow has injured his cow with its horns in a field. She asks what they should do about it. The judge says they must do what is fair. He decides that they should exchange cows, so he will receive her cow and she will take his injured one.
The widow agrees that his decision is fair, but corrects her account. She has told the story the wrong way round: it was his cow that injured hers.
The judge immediately changes his answer. He says he has also made a mistake. He never ordered his cow to hurt another animal, so this was an accident. The person who suffered the loss must accept it. His idea of fairness changes as soon as he learns whose cow was actually hurt.
Adapted for Lejrbål from the credited source.
Read the source