Half-Chicken

One day, he met a man, and the man said to him:

"Half-Chick, oh Half-Chick! Would you carry this purse for me? I’ll tell you who it’s for and where to take it."

Half-Chick the chick replied:

"Why not? I’ll carry it."

And off he went. He walked and walked, went far, and no one crossed his path. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a ladder appeared on the road.

"Where are you going, Half-Chick?" it asked.

"I’m carrying a purse to a certain place."

"Will you take me with you?"

"Why not? I’ll take you."

They walked for a while, and then the ladder stopped:

"Oh, Half-Chick, I’m so tired, I can’t go any further!"

The chick felt sorry for the ladder:

"Climb onto my wing, I’ll carry you."

Not far along, the chick looked up and saw a river.

"Where are you going, Half-Chick?" it asked.

"I’m carrying a purse to a certain place."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"Of course, let’s go."

They walked far, the chick, the ladder, and the river.

"Oh! I’m so tired, I can’t go on, my legs are giving out," said the river.

But Half-Chick the chick was lively and cheerful, as if he hadn’t walked at all:

"Climb onto my wing too. I’ll carry you."

He walked and walked, never tiring. Soon, the chick met a fox.

The fox also asked where he was going and if he would take her along. But after walking a bit further, the fox grew tired, barely dragging her feet. Half-Chick the chick said:

"Climb onto my wing, I’ll carry you along with the river and the ladder."

They walked and walked, and then they saw a house. In that house lived the man the purse was meant for. The chick handed him the purse, but the man was no good, wicked: he grabbed the chick and threw him into a well. Half-Chick cried out:

"Ladder, ladder, climb down and save me!"

The ladder leaned against the well’s wall. The chick climbed out and didn’t drown.

The owner caught Half-Chick again, opened the stove where maize was drying, and shoved him into the fire. It was so hot! The chick was about to burn!

"River, river," called Half-Chick, "climb down and save me!"

The river climbed down and put out the fire. Only one spur on the chick’s leg got singed: after all, he didn’t have the other leg to begin with. The owner grabbed Half-Chick again and locked him in a pen. When evening came and the sun set, he took him to the henhouse. The henhouse was full of hens and roosters, all big and strong.

They pounced on Half-Chick and started pecking and plucking him.

"Fox, fox, climb down and help me!" called the chick.

The fox jumped down and chased all the hens away.

And Half-Chick grabbed the owner’s purse and ran off! He shared the money with his friends—the ladder, the river, and the fox—and they all lived together happily ever after. Fairy girl