There lived a rich merchant Karp Sutulov with a beautiful wife, whose name was Tatiana. Karp had a friend, Athanasius Berdov. Going to go to Lithuanian land, Karp came to a friend and asked him to help with money Tatiana, who was left alone to manage the house. Athanasius agreed. Karp promised to pay him off after his arrival. Arriving home, he told Tatiana about this conversation, allowed her to make “frequent feasts for good wives,” and then borrow money from Athanasius.

After the departure of her husband, Tatiana took advantage of his permission, gave feasts, for which many women gathered. So three years passed, and Tatiana's money ran out, but her husband still did not go. Then she went to Athanasius Berdov, recalled his promise and asked for a loan of one hundred rubles. Athanasius agreed to give money on one condition: "Lie down with me for the night." The poor woman was embarrassed and said that she needed to consult with her spiritual father.

Tatiana told the confessor about the proposal that Athanasius made to her. Pop promised the woman two hundred rubles - on the same condition. Amazed Tatiana went to the archbishop and told him about the words of Athanasius and the priest. The archbishop answered: "... Abide with me alone, and I will give you three hundred rubles."

Then Tatiana ordered the archbishop to come to her at the third hour of the day, the priest at the sixth, and Athanasius at the tenth hour.

The archbishop came and gave Tatiana three hundred rubles. The cunning woman began to rebuke him: it was not fitting for him to be with her in the same dress in which he serves God. The archbishop replied that he did not have worldly clothes. Then Tatiana put a woman’s shirt on him (under the pretext that she had given all the other clothes to the wash).

At this time, the pop came to her gate and began to knock. Tatiana joyfully exclaimed that her husband had returned. The archbishop was perplexed, and the resourceful woman ordered him to hide in the chest.

Locking the first guest in the chest, Tatiana opened the door to the ass and took two hundred rubles from him. Speaking with him, she tried to awaken in him the conscience and fear of God, but in vain. The pop was already wearing one shirt and no belt when there was another knock on the door. Tatiana was delighted: the husband arrived! The priest was frightened, but the woman hid him in another chest.

Entering Athanasius, Tatiana took one hundred rubles from him. Talking to him, she quietly told the maid to go out the door and knock. Hearing a knock and learning from Tatiana about the arrival of Karp, Athanasius began to run down the chamber in horror. But Tatiana pointed him to the third chest ...

The next morning, a wise woman went to the governor and asked him for money for a mortgage of three chests with precious dresses. The governor agreed to give money without a mortgage, but Tatiana insisted: she’s afraid that these chests will be stolen from her, let them stand at the governor’s better ... When the chests were brought, Tatiana invited the governor to look at the good stored in them . And before him appeared three disgraced guests in their lower shirts.

The governor, laughing, ordered the "captives" to leave the chests. Tatiana told him her story: how she outwitted three men. The governor praised her mind and chastity. He took five hundred rubles from the merchant Athanasius Berdov, one thousand from the priest, and one and a half thousand from the archbishop. The governor released the unlucky seducers home, and divided the money in half with the woman.

Soon Karp Sutulov arrived, and Tatiana told him everything. He was very happy with the wisdom of his wife.