The Golden Cockerel and the Magic Millstones

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and an old woman, and they were very poor—so poor! They had no bread. So they went to the forest, gathered acorns, brought them home, and began to eat. Whether they ate for a long time or a short time, the old woman dropped one acorn into the cellar. The acorn sprouted and in no time grew up to the floor. The old woman noticed it and said:
"Old man! We must cut a hole in the floor. Let the oak grow taller. When it grows, we won’t need to go to the forest for acorns anymore; we’ll just pick them in the house."

The old man cut a hole in the floor. The little tree grew and grew until it reached the ceiling. The old man dismantled the ceiling, and then he removed the roof: the little tree kept growing and growing until it reached the very sky.

The old man and old woman ran out of acorns, so he took a sack and climbed up the oak tree. He climbed and climbed... and reached the sky. He wandered around the sky and saw: a golden-combed rooster was sitting there, and next to it stood a pair of magic millstones. Without thinking twice, the old man took both the rooster and the millstones and climbed back down to the hut. He came down and said to the old woman:
"What shall we do? What shall we eat?"
"Wait," said the old woman, "I’ll try the millstones."

She took the millstones and began to grind: out came pancakes and pies, pancakes and pies, whatever she turned—it was all pancakes and pies! And she fed the old man.

A nobleman happened to pass by and stopped at the old man and old woman’s hut.
"Do you have anything to eat?" he asked.
The old woman said:
"What can I give you, dear? How about some pancakes?"
She took the millstones and ground them: out fell pancakes and pies.

The nobleman ate and said:
"Grandma, sell me your millstones."
"No," replied the old woman, "I can’t sell them."

He envied their treasure and stole the millstones. When the old man and old woman noticed the millstones were gone, they began to grieve.
"Wait," said the golden-combed rooster, "I’ll fly and catch up!"

He flew to the nobleman’s mansion, perched on the gate, and cried:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo! Nobleman, nobleman! Give us back our millstones, golden and blue!"

When the nobleman heard this, he immediately ordered:
"Hey, lad! Grab him and throw him in the water."

They caught the rooster and threw him into a well. He began to chant:
"Little beak, little beak, drink the water! Little mouth, little mouth, drink the water..." And he drank the whole well dry.

He drank the water and flew back to the nobleman’s mansion. He perched on the balcony and cried again:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo! Nobleman, nobleman! Give us back our millstones, golden and blue! Nobleman, nobleman! Give us back our millstones, golden and blue!"

The nobleman ordered the cook to throw him into a hot oven. They caught the rooster and threw him into the hot oven—right into the fire. He began to chant:
"Little beak, little beak, pour the water! Little mouth, little mouth, pour the water..."

And he poured water, extinguishing all the heat in the oven. He flapped his wings, flew into the nobleman’s chambers, and cried again:
"Cock-a-doodle-doo! Nobleman, nobleman! Give us back our millstones, golden and blue! Nobleman, nobleman! Give us back our millstones, golden and blue!"

At that very moment, the nobleman was hosting guests. The guests heard the rooster’s cries and immediately ran out of the house. The host rushed after them, and the golden-combed rooster snatched the millstones and flew back with them to the old man and old woman.

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The Golden Cockerel and the Magic Millstones

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