Author: A. H. Wratislaw
Once upon a time, in a certain village, there lived a father with three sons. One of them was a bit foolish and always sat by the fireplace, while the other two were considered clever. One of these clever sons went to work in a nearby village. His mother packed him a bag full of cakes baked in the ashes. He went to a house and made a deal with the master that whoever got angry first would have his nose cut off. The servant went to work threshing. His master didn't call him for breakfast or lunch. The master asked him, "Well, Mishek, are you angry?" "Why should I be angry?" Mishek replied.
Evening came, and supper was prepared; again, they didn't invite Mishek. His master asked him, "Well, Mishek, are you angry?" "Why should I be angry?" he said. He wasn't angry because he still had cakes from home. But by the second and third day, his bag was empty, and again he wasn't called for dinner. His master asked, "Mishek, aren't you angry?" "Wouldn't even the devil be angry when you're starving me like this?" Mishek replied.
Then his master pulled out a knife and cut off Mishek's nose. Mishek hurried home without a nose and complained to his father and brothers about his cruel master. "You fool!" said the next brother, Pavko. "Stay here, I'll go! Hey, mother, bake some cakes in the ashes!" Pavko set off and went straight to the same village and the same house, making the same deal with the master: whoever got angry first would have his nose cut off. They set him to thresh for three days, but neither on the first, second, nor third day did they call him for a meal. "Pavko, aren't you angry?" "Wouldn't even devils be angry with you? My stomach is stuck to my backbone." Then his master pulled out a knife and cut off Pavko's nose. Pavko went home without a nose and said to his elder brother, "That's a cruel place; the devil's got my nose."