The Tale of the Spotted Calf
Long, long ago, in a village, there lived an old woman. All alone in the whole wide world—she had neither a son nor a daughter, only a little spotted calf. And the old woman took care of the calf as if it were her own grandchild.She would get up in the morning, bake some buttery flatbreads, hang them on the calf’s horns, and tie a sack to its backside. Then she would send the calf into the mountains—let it eat the flatbreads and not forget to break some twigs. And by evening, before the sun could set, the calf would come running home, carrying a full sack of twigs.
But one day, the sun set behind the mountains, and the little spotted calf still hadn’t returned. The old woman waited and waited, not knowing what to think. The sky turned black, and still, there was no sign of the calf. It seemed the old woman would never see her beloved pet again. She took her walking stick and went into the mountains to search. Suddenly, she met a hare. The old woman asked him:
“Tell me, kind hare, have you seen my little spotted calf anywhere?”
“Your little spotted calf has been eaten by a witch, and tonight she will come to devour you too.”
The old woman was terrified and heartbroken. But there was nothing she could do. She wept and went home. She sat by the gate, tears streaming down her face. The old woman cried, and her sorrow gnawed at her heart. People heard her wailing and were on the verge of crying themselves. Along came Brother Awl and asked:
“Granny, oh granny, why are you so sad?”
“An evil witch has eaten my little spotted calf, and tonight she will come to devour me!”
“Don’t be afraid, granny! I’ll come back tonight and save you from trouble!”
Then Sister Thorn walked by and asked:
“Granny, oh granny, why are you so heartbroken?”
“An evil witch has eaten my little spotted calf, and tonight she will come to devour me!”
“Don’t be afraid, granny. I’ll come back tonight and save you from trouble!”
Next, Auntie Chicken Egg rolled by and asked:
“Granny, oh granny, why are you crying?”
“An evil witch has eaten my little spotted calf, and tonight she will come to devour me.”
“Don’t be afraid, granny, I’ll come back tonight and save you from trouble!”
Then Auntie Frog hopped by and asked:
“Granny, oh granny, why are you so upset?”
“An evil witch has eaten my little spotted calf, and tonight she will come to devour me!”
“Don’t be afraid, granny, I’ll come back tonight and save you from trouble!”
Brother Cow Dung shuffled by and asked:
“Granny, oh granny, why are you so downcast?”
“An evil witch has eaten my little spotted calf, and tonight she will come to devour me!”
“Don’t be afraid, granny, I’ll come back tonight and save you from trouble!”
Finally, Uncle Stone Roller rolled by and asked:
“Granny, oh granny, why are you so sorrowful?”
“An evil witch has eaten my little spotted calf, and tonight she will come to devour me!”
“Don’t be afraid, granny, I’ll come back tonight and save you from trouble!”
As night approached, they all gathered to discuss their plan. Brother Awl hid under the old woman’s belt, Sister Thorn concealed herself behind the lamp, Auntie Chicken Egg rolled into the stove, Auntie Frog jumped into the water bucket, Uncle Stone Roller hid above the doorframe, and little Brother Cow Dung had nowhere to go, so he just plopped down on the ground.
The evil witch arrived, barged into the house, and said:
“Old woman, oh old woman, I’m going to eat you now, but I don’t know where to start.”
The old woman replied:
“Then start with my belly!”
The witch tried to grab her belly, but it wasn’t so easy! Brother Awl pricked her in the side!
“Ouch, your belly is covered in thorns!”
“Then start with my head!”
“Your head is covered in hair.”
“Then pull it out! But first, light the lamp!”
The witch tried to light the lamp, but Sister Thorn dug into her hand! The witch ran to the stove to get some fire and light, but Auntie Chicken Egg smeared her eyes. She reached for the water bucket, but Auntie Frog grabbed her by the nose. The witch got scared and tried to run away, but she slipped on Brother Cow Dung. Then Uncle Stone Roller came rolling in and crushed the evil witch. Let that be a lesson to her for eating other people’s calves!
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