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 It
has happened in Kerch steppe many-many years ago. In that time the
Crimea was already famous for its wheat.
Once upon a time a merchant nicknamed Golden Elephant appeared
in the Crimean peninsula. He was of large stature, had thick arms
and legs like an elephant and his nose was as long as a trunk. His
boxes were stuffed with gold accumulated during long years of money-grabbings.
Golden Elephant began to construct a building on a cape of Kazantip.
Thousands of poor people were constructing this building. The merchant's
answer to curious persons was:
"I'm going to live and trade here. And what for high walls
and stern towers - I like to sleep quiet."
When a fortress called Long Fortress by people was at last constructed,
Golden Elephant hired armed guard and began to convey wheat there.
He bought it from inhabitants at a low price and very often he wheedled
wheat out of them without paying.
Time flies. The barns of Lond fortress were already filled up with
wheat. But the greedy merchant were buying more and more wheat.
A year of bad harvest came in, the year which Golden Elephant had
been looking forward. There was neither a shock of wheat nor a haystack
in the burned out Crimean steppe. And people turned their eyes towards
the castle with hope and said: "He won't let us and our children
die of starvation. "
And Golden Elephant who had strengthened his guard was waiting
for buyers. First of all citizens appealed to him. Then merchants
from abroad came to him. In conclusion poor ploughmen who had given
at some time some sacks of wheat to Golden Elephant for a bundle
of dried fish began appear.
He fixed very high price...
The number of starving men grew, more and more often they made
requests to Golden Elephant for giving them some bread. But the
merchant was inexorable. Hundreds of people died there, near Long
Fortress, behind the walls of which there was so much wheat that
it would be enough to feed whole cities and countries.
In that time a traveller wandered about the Crimea. When he saw
steppe burnt by the sun, thousands of people near the walls of the
fortress, he understood everything. So he decided to help miserable
toilers who died of starvation but could not take some wheat lied
nearby.
"People! - he said.- Think over, whom you ask for help, whom
you are begging. Don't you know Golden Elephant? He was preparing
to this crime all his life! Don't wait, he won't give you wheat.
Till you have some strength - take bread by force. It's your bread,
isn't it? You grew it with your own hands. Don't be afraid, there
is a lot of you, but he is alone!..
"You are quite right, kind man! - was the answer of people
from the whole steppe.
And crowds of starving people flown to Long Fortress. Thick walls
did not hold, high towers did not help. Having dropped their arms
the guard run away in panic, Golden Elephant wanted to hide himself
from popular revenge, he buried himself into wheat with the head
and choked there.
On the place where Long fortress had been standing only ruins remained.
They are the witnesses of human avidity and great power of people.
Kazantip - a cape on Sea of Azov shore.
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