The Rooster and the Hen

Once upon a time, a rooster and a hen set off into the forest to find delicious forest nuts. Along the way, the rooster said:

"If we find a nut, we'll split it in half."
"Of course," agreed the hen.

Soon, she found a nut and divided it into two halves. She gave one half to the rooster and kept the other for herself. The rooster was terribly greedy. He quickly ate his share, and while the hen looked away, he snatched her half as well. But a piece of the nut got stuck in his throat. The rooster cried out to the hen:

"Quick, bring me some water, or I'll die!"

The hen rushed to the well for water:

"Please, well, give me water for the rooster, or he'll die because a piece of nut is stuck in his throat."

But the well replied:

"I'll give you water if you bring me a handkerchief from the seamstress."

The hen ran to the seamstress:

"Seamstress, please give me a handkerchief for the well, and it will give me water for the rooster, or he'll die because he choked on a nut."

The seamstress answered:

"I'll give you a handkerchief if you bring me shoes from the shoemaker."

The hen ran to the shoemaker:

"Shoemaker, shoemaker! Please give me shoes for the seamstress. She'll give me a handkerchief for the well, and it will give me water for the rooster, or he'll die because he choked on a nut."

The shoemaker replied:

"Bring me bristles from the pig, and I'll give you shoes for the seamstress."

The hen ran to the pig:

"Pig, pig! Please give me bristles for the shoemaker. He'll give me shoes for the seamstress, she'll give me a handkerchief. I'll take the handkerchief to the well, and it will give me water for the rooster, because he choked on a nut and might die."

"I'll give you bristles if you bring me slops from the cook."

The hen ran to the cook:

"Cook, cook! Please give me slops for the pig. She'll give me bristles for the shoemaker. The shoemaker will give me shoes for the seamstress, she'll give me a handkerchief. I'll take the handkerchief to the well, and it will give me water for the rooster, or he'll die because he choked on a nut."

"I'll give you slops if you bring me milk from the cow."

The hen ran to the cow:

"Cow, cow! Please give me some milk. I'll take it to the cook, he'll give me slops for the pig. She'll give me bristles for the shoemaker, and he'll give me shoes for the seamstress, who will give me a handkerchief. I'll take the handkerchief to the well, and it will give me water for the rooster, who might die because he choked on a nut."

"I'll give you milk if you bring me grass from the meadow."

The hen ran to the meadow:

"Meadow, meadow! Please give me some grass for the cow. She'll give me milk, I'll take it to the cook. He'll give me slops for the pig. The pig will give me bristles for the shoemaker, and he'll give me shoes for the seamstress, who will give me a handkerchief. I'll take the handkerchief to the well, and it will give me water for the rooster, because a nut is stuck in his throat."

"I'll give you grass if you bring me dew from the sky."

The hen lifted her head and cried out:

"Sky, sky! Please give me dew for the meadow. It will give me grass for the cow, who will give me milk for the cook. He'll give me slops for the pig. The pig will give me bristles for the shoemaker, and he'll give me shoes. I'll take the shoes to the seamstress, and she'll give me a handkerchief. I'll take the handkerchief to the well, and it will let me draw water for the poor rooster, who might die because a nut is stuck in his throat."

The sky took pity on the rooster and gave dew to the meadow. The meadow allowed the hen to gather grass, and she ran to the cow. The cow ate the fragrant grass and gave the hen some milk. For the milk, the cook gave the hen slops for the pig.

The pig gave bristles, the shoemaker gave the hen shoes for the seamstress. Pleased with her new shoes, the seamstress gave the hen a handkerchief. For the handkerchief, the well gave the hen water, and she brought it to the rooster. The rooster drank the water, the nut slipped down, and the joyful rooster crowed:

"Cock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo! I can sing my songs again."

From that day on, the rooster stopped being greedy and shared everything with the hen.

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The Rooster and the Hen

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