The Kitten with the Golden Forehead
Once upon a time, there lived an old man and his wife. They were so very poor that they had nothing to eat or cook.So the wife said to the old man:
"Take the axe, go to the forest, chop down an oak tree, take it to the market, sell it, and buy a measure of flour. We'll bake some bread."
The old man got ready, went to the forest, and started chopping down the oak tree. Suddenly, a cat jumped down from the oak—a cat with a golden forehead, a golden ear, a silver ear, golden fur, silver fur, a golden paw, and a silver paw.
"Old man, old man, what do you need?"
"Well, my dear kitty, my wife sent me to chop down an oak, take it to the market, sell it, and buy a measure of flour for bread."
"Go home, old man: you'll have your flour!"
The old man returned home, and lo and behold—his storage was full of flour!
The wife baked bread, ate her fill, fed the old man, and said to him:
"Now it wouldn't hurt to cook some porridge. But here's the problem: we have no salt. Take the axe, go to the forest, knock on the oak tree, maybe the cat with the golden forehead will jump out—ask him for some salt."
The old man took the axe, went to the forest, knocked on the oak tree... Out jumped the cat—the one with the golden forehead, golden ear, silver ear, golden fur, silver fur, golden paw, and silver paw.
"Old man, old man, what do you need?"
"Well, my dear kitty: we have bread, but no salt!"
"Go home, old man: you'll have your salt!"
The old man returned home, and lo and behold—a whole barrel of salt stood there!
The wife cooked porridge, ate her fill, fed the old man, and said to him:
"Now it wouldn't hurt to taste some cabbage. Sharpen the axe, go to the forest, knock on the oak tree, maybe the cat with the golden forehead will jump out—ask him for some cabbage."
The old man sharpened the axe, went to the forest, knocked on the oak tree... Out jumped the cat—the one with the golden forehead, golden ear, silver ear, golden fur, silver fur, golden paw, and silver paw.
"Old man, old man, what do you need?"
"Well, my dear kitty: we have bread, we have salt, but no cabbage!"
"Go home, old man: you'll have your cabbage!"
The old man returned home, and lo and behold—a whole barrel of cabbage stood there!
The wife said:
"Oh, how wonderful! Now if only we had some lard... We could cook cabbage soup and season it with lard. Don't be lazy, old man, take the axe, go to the forest, knock on the oak tree, maybe the cat with the golden forehead will jump out—ask him for some lard."
The old man took the axe, went to the forest, knocked on the oak tree... Out jumped the cat—the one with the golden forehead, golden ear, silver ear, golden fur, silver fur, golden paw, and silver paw.
"Old man, old man, what do you need?"
"Well, my dear kitty: my wife is asking for some lard to go with the cabbage."
"Alright, old man, go home: you'll have your lard!"
The old man returned home, and lo and behold—a whole tub of lard stood there!
The old man was happy, and so was his wife. They began to live without worries, telling stories to their children.
And now they live, chewing bread and slurping cabbage soup. Here's your tale, and for me—a bundle of bagels.
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