Stones Are Falling from the Sky

Once upon a time, there lived a rooster with a bright red comb. He was just like any other rooster: his tail was green, and his boots were yellow. He strutted importantly around the yard, though he was a terrible coward. He was afraid of everything: the dog with the fluffy tail, the long-eared donkey, and even the lame cat. Whenever something scared him, he would flap his wings, crow loudly, and stir up the whole yard.

One day, the rooster was pecking at grains under a mulberry tree. Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew and knocked a berry off the lowest branch. The berry landed right on the rooster's back.

Terrified, the rooster cried out:
"Oh-oh-oh! Who hit me?"

"Stones are falling from the sky!" joked the wind.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" screeched the rooster, and he bolted. He flew over fences and rooftops, running all the way to the outskirts of the village. There, he met a quacking duck, who asked:
"Why are you running, rooster?"

"Stones are falling from the sky!" replied the rooster, panting heavily. "You'd better run too, or we'll be crushed!"

"Well, I never!" quacked the duck, and she waddled after the rooster.

They ran and ran, and soon they met a prickly hedgehog.

"Why are you running, rooster?" asked the hedgehog, lifting his pointed nose.

"Ask the duck!" replied the rooster.

"Why are you running, duck?" the hedgehog asked.

"Stones are falling from the sky!" quacked the duck. "Run fast, or we'll be hit!"

And so, they ran one after another: the rooster in yellow boots, the quacking duck, and the prickly hedgehog. They ran and ran until they nearly broke their legs.

Out of nowhere, a quick-footed bunny appeared. The bunny asked the rooster:
"Why are you running, rooster?"

"Ask the duck!"

"Why are you running, duck?"

"Ask the hedgehog!"

"Tell me, hedgehog, why are you running?"

"Stones are falling from the sky! You'd better run too, or you'll get hit on the head!"

The bunny joined them, making four in total. Remember them? The rooster in yellow boots, the quacking duck, the prickly hedgehog, and the quick-footed bunny. They dashed into the forest. Just as they entered, they met a sly fox.

"Why are you running, rooster?" asked the fox.

"Ask the duck!"

"Why are you running, duck?"

"Ask the hedgehog!"

"Why are you running, hedgehog?"

"How can I not run when stones are falling from the sky? Run with us!"

"Oh my!" exclaimed the fox, and she ran after them.

Now there were five: the rooster in yellow boots, the quacking duck, the prickly hedgehog, the quick-footed bunny, and the sly fox.

They ran and ran until they met a gray wolf.

"Why are you running, rooster?" asked the wolf.

"Ask the duck!"

"Why are you running, duck?"

"Ask the hedgehog!"

"Why are you running, hedgehog?"

"Ask the bunny!"

"Why are you running, bunny?"

"Ask the fox!"

"Why are you running, fox?"

"How can I not run," replied the fox, "when stones are falling from the sky? Run with us!"

"Ow-oo-oo!" howled the wolf and chased after the fox.

Now there were six. Remember them? The rooster in yellow boots, the quacking duck, the prickly hedgehog, the quick-footed bunny, the sly fox, and the gray wolf.

They ran and ran until they reached a bear's clearing. There, they met a clumsy bear.

"Why are you running, rooster?" growled the bear.

"Ask the duck!"

"Why are you running, duck?"

"Ask the hedgehog!"

"Why are you running, hedgehog?"

"Ask the bunny!"

"Why are you running, bunny?"

"Ask the fox!"

"Why are you running, fox?"

"Ask the wolf!"

"Tell me, wolf, why are you running?"

"Because... because everyone else is running," replied the foolish wolf, forgetting why he had joined them.

"Well, then I'll run too," said the clumsy bear, and he lumbered after them.

Now there were seven: the rooster in yellow boots, the quacking duck, the prickly hedgehog, the quick-footed bunny, the sly fox, the gray wolf, and the clumsy bear.

They ran and ran until they reached a deep pit and stopped.

"What do we do now?" asked the rooster. "Let's go back."

"Not a chance!" shouted the fox. "We didn't run all this way just to turn back."

"But the pit?" quacked the duck.

"We'll jump over it! Rooster, you go first since you led the way."

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!" crowed the rooster, spread his wings, and flew over the pit.

The quacking duck flapped her wings and followed suit.

The bunny took a running leap and jumped not only over the pit but almost across the entire forest.

It was the hedgehog's turn, but his legs were short. He shuffled around, curled into a ball, and—plop!—fell right into the pit.

"Is that how you jump?" shouted the fox. She ran as fast as she could but also ended up at the bottom.

The wolf followed, and the clumsy bear fell headfirst into the pit.

"Well, we're stuck now!" the animals said, blinking in fear.

Three days and three nights passed. On the fourth day, the fox said:
"I'm hungry."

"Me too!" snarled the wolf.

"Me too," growled the bear. Only the hedgehog stayed silent.

"Who should we eat?" asked the wolf.

"The smallest one!" replied the fox, looking at the hedgehog.

"Get him!" roared the animals, and they pounced on the prickly hedgehog.

But the hedgehog curled into a tight ball and stuck out his sharp spines. The animals tried to grab him but quickly pulled back their paws.

"Ouch, he pricked me!" whined the fox.

"Me too!" groaned the bear.

"Me too!" gasped the wolf.

The animals fell silent in the deep pit and didn't move all day. When night fell, they turned on each other, roaring and gnashing their teeth. They tore each other to pieces, and by morning, the hedgehog saw that the wolf, the bear, and the fox were gone.

Only the hedgehog remained, wondering what to do in the pit. Suddenly, two large wings blocked the sun.

"An eagle!" thought the hedgehog, bracing himself. But the eagle called out:
"Don't be afraid, hedgehog! I've come not to harm you but to save you, for you are a good hedgehog. Last summer, you ate that terrible snake that was sneaking up the cliffs to my nest, trying to swallow my eaglets. A favor deserves a favor in return."

The eagle swooped down, grabbed the hedgehog with his talons, carried him out of the pit, and gently placed him on the grass.

The hedgehog was overjoyed and quietly returned to his burrow.

Meanwhile, the rooster and the duck, having jumped over the pit, ran for another hour until they grew tired and said to each other:
"The stones have stopped falling from the sky!"

They returned to their village, and the quick-footed bunny stayed in the forest.

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Stones Are Falling from the Sky

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