The Story of the Black Grouse

The black grouse wanted to build a house. He thought and thought:
"I have no axe, there are no blacksmiths — no one to forge an axe for me."
There’s no one to build the black grouse a little house.
"Why should I bother with a house? One night is no big deal!"
Splash into the snow!

He spent the night in the snow, got up early in the morning, flew around the open world, called out loudly and swiftly, and looked for companions. He descended to the ground and met up with a companion.
They played, wandered through the bushes, searched for a spot, built nests, laid eggs, and raised their young.

With their young, they walked out into the open field, fed the chicks with insects, led them out into the open world, and flew around freely. And again, in winter, they spent the night in the snow.
"One night is no big deal! Why should we bother with a house? It’s better to sit on the birch trees, gaze out into the open field, welcome the red spring, and shout our cheerful calls!"

More fairy tales

• The Fox, the Hare, and the Rooster
• The Man and the Bear
• The Soldier's Overcoat
• The Tale of the Rejuvenating Apples and the Living Water
• The Sheep, the Fox, and the Wolf