Once upon a time, there was a man who was a soldier, and after he was discharged from the army, he had no job and no other skill to earn money to support himself. He had to walk around and live off handouts. He was wearing a worn-out raincoat, and on his feet were a pair of sturdy cowhide boots that he had left behind when he was in the army.
One day, while walking and thinking, the soldier unknowingly walked into a large forest. He didn’t know where he was going when he saw a man sitting on a fallen tree. The man was neatly dressed in green hunting clothes. The soldier thought the man looked nice, so he offered to say hello and sat down next to him, resting his legs for a while.
The two men chatted for a few moments, and the soldier looked at the shoes on the other man’s feet and said, “Those are nice shoes you’ve got there, they’re pretty well made.
The man smiled and said, “Thanks for the compliment. But if I walked every day like you do, I’d probably wear them out by now.”
The soldier also smiled and said, “These cowhide boots of mine are worn out, but they have been with me on many walks. It’s not pretty, but it’s very durable.”
They talked and time passed quickly. The soldier was hungry, so he said, “I have to keep going, my stomach is empty. Brother, do you know where this road leads?”
The man shook his head and said, “I’m lost too, I don’t know which way to go.
When the soldier heard this, he immediately said, “Oh, then you’re just like me! Then let’s find the way together and look out for each other.
So the two of them walked and walked together in the forest until it was dark.
“I haven’t come out yet.” The soldier looked up in the distance, “Look, there’s a light over there, let’s go over and see if we can find some food.”
They got closer and it turned out to be a small stone house. The soldier knocked on the door and an old woman opened it.
The soldier said politely, “Granny, can we stay here for the night? We have not eaten all day, can you give us something to eat?”
With a worried look on her face, the old woman said, “You can’t stay here too long, the robbers live here. If they come back, you will be in danger.”
The soldier said, “But I haven’t eaten for two days, so even if I die here, it’s better than starving outside.
The hunter was a little scared and didn’t want to go inside. The soldier pulled him into the house and said, “Don’t be afraid, we won’t be so unlucky.
The old woman’s heart softened and she said, “All right, you hide behind the stove, and when the robbers are asleep, I’ll sneak you some food.
Just as the words were spoken, footsteps came from outside the door. Twelve robbers rushed in, each with a knife and a fierce look. They sat down at the table and shouted, “Hurry up and serve the food!
The old woman hurriedly brought in a large plate of fried meat, and the bandits began to eat.
The soldier hiding behind the stove smelled the aroma and couldn’t help but say to the hunter, “I’m really too hungry, I want to go out and eat with them.
The hunter quickly pulled him back and said, “Something will happen to you! They will kill you!”
But then the soldier suddenly coughed. It was so loud that the bandits heard it.
The bandits immediately stopped eating, looked around, and saw the two men hiding behind the stove.
“Haha!” The bandit leader laughed, “What are you two doing hiding in the corner? Have you come to steal something? Just wait, I’ll hang you soon!”
The soldier was not afraid at all and said, “I didn’t come to steal anything, I’m just too hungry. Let me eat first, and then you can do whatever you want with me.
The bandits froze, not expecting this man to be so bold. The leader of the bandits thought about it and said, “Fine, let you eat, and then you’ll have to die.
The soldier was not polite, sat down at the table, picked up the meat and began to eat. He also called back to the hunter, “Come and eat! You’re hungry too, aren’t you? This meat is really delicious.
The hunter didn’t dare to move, and the soldier ate by himself.
The bandits looked at him and thought that this man was too strange. Someone whispered, “This guy has a lot of guts.
After finishing his meal, the soldier added, “I’d like some more wine.
The bandit leader was in a good mood today, so he had the old woman bring out a bottle of the best wine from the cellar.
The soldier took the bottle, uncorked it, walked over to the hunter and said, “Here, brother, taste this, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Then he raised the bottle to the robbers and said, “May you live long! Open your mouths and raise your hands!”
A miraculous thing happened – all the robbers suddenly stood still with their mouths open and their hands raised like wooden men.
Seeing this scene, the hunter hurriedly said, “I know you’re somewhat competent, but we’d better go quickly.
But the soldier smiled and said, “No need to hurry, since we won, we have to take some trophies. They can’t move now, we can eat and drink slowly.
The old woman brought more wine and food, and the soldier ate for three days before he was ready to leave.
The next morning the soldier said, “It’s time for us to go. Ask old Granny how to get to the nearest castle.
They got to the town and the soldier said to his friends, “I found a robber’s den in the woods, let’s go back together and clean it out.
He told his friends to surround the robbers, then took out the bottle of wine, took a swig, waved the bottle again, and shouted, “May you live long!
The robbers regained their mobility, but before they could react, they were grabbed and their hands and feet were tied.
The soldier threw them one by one onto a crate and said, “Take these guys to jail.
The hunter, on the other hand, quietly arranged other tasks.
On the way back to town, the soldier said happily, “Brothers, we’re so lucky, not only did we get enough food, but we also caught the bad guys. We can easily follow the group now.”
As he was about to arrive at the castle, the soldier saw many people standing at the entrance to the city, all with smiles on their faces and green branches in their hands waving in the air. There were also troops neatly lined up to greet someone or something.
Curious, the soldier asked the hunter, “What’s going on here? Who is everyone greeting?”
The hunter smiled and said, “Don’t you know? The king is coming back today and everyone is out to greet him.
The soldier was surprised and asked, “And where is the king?”
The hunter pointed to himself and unfastened the green hunting coat on the outside, revealing the yellow royal robe on the inside.
Only then did the soldier realize that the “hunter” he had traveled with all this time was actually the king!
He was so frightened that he immediately knelt on the ground and said, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, I didn’t know your identity and called you ‘brother’ so casually, please forgive me.
The king smiled and helped him up and said, “You are a brave man and I will take good care of you. If you ever want to eat that day’s roast again, you can come to the palace kitchen anytime. But the next time you use that bottle of wine, remember to ask me first.
This story is about a brave soldier who didn’t have much to offer, but he had a heart that wasn’t afraid of difficulties. He encountered various challenges along the way, but each time he solved the problem with his courage and wisdom.
The most touching thing is that he didn’t feel inferior because of his poverty, but dared to be friends with the king and even helped him defeat the robbers.
The story tells us that no matter where you come from, as long as you are brave, honest, and kind, you can earn respect and happiness.
