The Disobedient Kids and Other Czecho-Slovak Fairy Tales
9781465629395
330 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
Once upon a time, a little cock and a little hen went to the Giant Mountains to hunt for strawberries. On the way, they agreed to divide equally all the fruit they found. The little hen was the first to find a big berry and calling the little cock according to their agreement, each ate his half.
Then the little cock found a strawberry, not quite so luscious as the first, but most tempting, in fact so much so, that he said nothing about it to his little partner. Instead, he tried to gobble it down as fast as he could. But it stuck in his throat. He tried every means to get that berry down. He stretched out his neck, moved his head backwards and forwards, jumped up and dawn, shook himself, in fact tried every thing to make that berry go down. But there it stuck! He then began to show signs of great distress. The little hen happening to look up, wondered what he was up to and then ran to see. When she saw that he was choking, she became greatly frightened and looked in all directions for help. Suddenly she happened to think of the spring and away she flew to get a drop of his water.
Trembling with excitement, she panted, "Dear spring, dear spring, give me a drop of your water for my little partner, the cock. He is choking to death. Hurry, hurry, dear spring." But the spring coldly replied, "No, I will not give you a drop, unless you bring me a leaf from the linden tree". So the little hen hurries off to the linden tree, of whom she begs a leaf, which she can give to the spring, who will give her a drop of water for the little cock. But lo, the linden tree has his bargain. "Yes, I will give you a leaf, but you must bring me a kerchief that the peasant woman is making." So off to the peasant woman, the little hen flys. "Dear woman. I pray you, give me a kerchief which I can give to the linden tree, who will give me a leaf which I will give to the spring, who will give me a drop of water." Again the woman made a demand. She said, "Unless you bring me some silk from the Queen of Saba, I will not give you the kerchief".
The little hen was pretty well tired by this time, but she did not dispair. She felt quite sure that the good Queen would help her. "Dear Queen, pray let me have a bit of silk which the peasant woman says she must have. Then I will get the kerchief from the peasant woman to give it to the linden tree, who will give me a leaf for the spring, who will give me a drop of water, so that I can save the little cock."
