"Who wants to buy my donkey for 1 franc and my stick for 500 francs?" - Juha's donkey

“How can that be,” they asked.  “Didn’t you promise us the price of your donkey?”  And they began to shout louder and louder.

When the villagers had vented their anger, Juha began to speak “Oh, may peace be upon you who are gathered here!  I am telling you now, the donkey was sold for one franc!  I promised you the price of my donkey, and I am faithful to my promise: Here is the franc!  As for the rest, it’s not for you; it was the price of my stick.”

“You can keep the price of your donkey,” replied the poor people.  “It can’t help us at all!”

And they returned to their homes, berating Juha with their curses.

If Juha can lie and cheat both openly and covertly, he can also be indignant when accused of less than honest behavior, as shown by the following story, “Juha and the Lost Donkey.”

One day Juha found a donkey wandering through a field.  It was a very nice donkey and had no halter, so Juha caught it, took it home, and put it in his courtyard.

Soon, however, the donkey’s owner, who was from the next village, came down the street.  He stopped at Juha’s house and knocked at the door.  “My donkey slipped its halter and wandered away.  Have you found it?” he asked Juha.

“No, I have no donkey here,” Juha replied.

But just then, the donkey began braying in the courtyard.

The donkey’s owner said, “That’s my donkey braying! How can you tell me there is no donkey here?”

“Well!” exclaimed Juha.  “Who are you going to believe, me or a donkey?”