In the wide open farmlands of Belarus, where golden grain once swayed like waves beneath endless skies, there lived an old farmer named Stepan. His life had been simple and filled with hard work. Every year he planted rye and barley, trusting the soil, the sun, and the gentle winds that passed across the plains.
But the land was not always kind.
One autumn, just as Stepan’s harvest had been gathered into tall stacks beside his barn, a terrible storm arrived. Dark clouds rolled across the sky, and rain poured down without mercy for two long days.
When the storm finally ended, Stepan walked into his fields and felt his heart sink.
The harvest was soaked.
Wet grain could not be stored safely. If it remained damp, it would rot within days, destroying the entire year’s work.
Stepan stood quietly among the ruined bundles of rye, staring at the gray sky.
“I have no fire large enough to dry this grain,” he muttered. “And the sun may not return for days.”
Then he remembered something his grandfather once told him:
The wind listens to those who speak to it with respect.
So Stepan decided to try something unusual.
Asking the Wind for Help
That evening, Stepan climbed a small hill outside the village where the wind often blew strongest across the fields.
The air was still, but faint clouds drifted slowly across the sky.
Stepan removed his hat and spoke aloud.
“Great Wind,” he called gently, “you who travel over mountains and rivers, I ask for your help.”
For a moment nothing happened.
Then the grass around him began to stir.
A cool breeze brushed against his face.
Stepan continued.
“My harvest is soaked. If the grain rots, my family will starve this winter. Please send a strong, dry wind to help me save it.”
The breeze grew stronger.
Leaves rustled in the nearby trees.
And then, carried through the air like a distant voice, came an answer.
“Why should I help you, farmer?”
Stepan felt a chill but stood his ground.
“Because I will remember the kindness,” he said. “And if the day comes when the wind needs something from me, I will repay the favor.”
For a long moment the wind whispered through the grass.
Then it replied.
“Very well.”
The Borrowed Wind
That night the wind arrived.
It blew steadily across the fields, lifting the damp stalks of rye and barley and spreading the cool air through the stacked harvest.
The wind worked through the darkness and into the following day, drying the grain gently without scattering it.
Villagers stepped outside their homes and watched in surprise.
“What a perfect wind for drying crops,” one farmer said.
By evening the grain was saved.
Stepan looked over his restored harvest and smiled with relief.
He removed his hat once more and spoke toward the sky.
“Thank you, old friend,” he said.
The wind rustled softly through the fields as if acknowledging the gratitude.
Then it faded away.
Many Peaceful Years
Years passed.
Stepan grew older, his beard turning silver and his steps slower. Yet he remained respected throughout the village for his honesty and calm wisdom.
Sometimes when strong winds blew across the plains, he would pause and listen carefully, remembering the promise he had made long ago.
But the wind never asked for repayment.
Eventually many villagers forgot the story altogether.
Only Stepan remembered.
The Furious Storm
One autumn evening many years later, dark clouds gathered once again above the valley.
But this storm was different.
The wind arrived suddenly and violently, roaring across the plains like a wild creature.
Roofs rattled.
Trees bent dangerously.
Loose boards tore from barns and flew through the air.
The villagers ran outside in panic.
“If this storm grows any stronger,” one woman cried, “the whole village will be destroyed!”
The wind howled louder, swirling dust and leaves through the streets.
Stepan stepped slowly outside his home, leaning on his walking stick.
He listened carefully to the raging air.
Then he nodded.
“The wind has come to collect its promise,” he whispered.
Remembering the Pact
Despite the storm, Stepan walked slowly toward the same hill where he had once asked for help many years before.
The wind pushed against him fiercely, but he continued climbing.
At the top of the hill he stood firmly and raised his voice above the roaring air.
“Great Wind!” he called.
The storm hesitated.
The howling slowed slightly.
Stepan spoke again.
“Do you remember the farmer whose harvest you saved long ago?”
For a moment the wind circled him in a swirling spiral.
Then a voice carried through the gusts.
“I remember.”
Stepan nodded.
“You helped me when I needed you most,” he said. “And I promised to repay you if the day ever came.”
The wind roared once more, shaking the trees below.
“Yes,” it replied. “Today I wish to run freely across the plains.”
Stepan smiled gently.
“The plains are wide,” he said. “But the village is small. If you destroy these homes, innocent people will suffer.”
The wind hesitated.
Stepan continued calmly.
“You kept your promise to me. Allow me now to keep mine. I will honor your strength and remember your kindness, but please spare the village.”
For a long moment the storm spun around the hilltop.
Then, slowly, the roaring began to fade.
The wind drifted across the fields and turned away from the village, racing harmlessly toward the open countryside.
Calm After the Storm
Within minutes the sky grew quiet.
Clouds drifted gently across the moon.
Below the hill, villagers stepped cautiously from their homes.
The storm had passed.
Only a few broken branches remained as signs of its power.
Stepan walked slowly back toward the village.
“What did you do?” a young farmer asked.
“I reminded the wind of an old agreement,” Stepan replied.
The villagers looked at him with amazement.
From that day forward they spoke often about the importance of respecting nature and keeping promises.
A Lesson in the Wind
Years later, when Stepan had grown very old, he would sometimes sit outside his home and listen to the gentle breeze moving through the fields.
Children often asked him about the storm that nearly destroyed the village.
Stepan would simply smile.
“The wind is powerful,” he would say. “But even the wind remembers kindness.”
And whenever strong winds swept across the plains of Belarus, the villagers treated them with respect, believing that somewhere within the rushing air lived a spirit who honored promises.
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Moral Lesson
The Old Man Who Borrowed the Wind teaches that promises carry great power. When people treat nature with respect and gratitude, harmony can exist between the human world and the natural one.
Knowledge Check
1. Who is the main character of the story?
An elderly Belarusian farmer named Stepan.
2. Why does Stepan ask the wind for help?
His harvest becomes soaked after heavy rain.
3. What promise does Stepan make to the wind?
That he will repay the favor someday.
4. What happens many years later?
A violent windstorm threatens to destroy the village.
5. How does Stepan stop the storm?
He reminds the wind of their agreement and asks it to spare the village.
6. What is the story’s central lesson?
Respect nature and keep your promises.
Source: Collected by Jan Czeczot, Peasant Songs and Tales from the Belarusian Lands, 1846
Cultural Origin: Agrarian folklore from Belarus
