Folk Tales
Author's TalesOnce upon a time a big Rooster and a dear little Hen became close friends.
“Let us go to the garden,” the Rooster said, “and scratch up some seeds and worms. I tell you what we”ll do: everything you scratch up you divide with me, and everything I scratch up I'll divide with you.”
The dear little Hen agreed to this and off they went together to the garden.
The dear little Hen scratched and scratched and scratched and every time she scratched up a nice fat worm or a tasty seed she divided with the Rooster.
And the Rooster scratched and scratched and scratched and whenever the Hen saw him scratch up something good he divided with her. But once, when she wasn”t looking, he scratched up a big grain of corn and without dividing it he tried to gobble it all himself. He gobbled it so fast that it stuck in his throat and choked him.
“Oh, dear little Hen!” he gasped. “I'm choking! Run quick and get me some water or I'll die!”
And with that he fell over on his back and his feet stuck straight up in the air.
The dear little Hen ran to the Well as fast as she could and all out of breath she gasped:
“Oh Well!
Give me
Some Water
For Rooster!
Choking!
In garden!
On back!
Feet up!
Oh dear!
He”ll die!”
The Well said:
“If you want me to give you some Water, you must go to the Dressmaker and get me a Kerchief.”
So the dear little Hen ran to the Dressmaker as fast as she could and all out of breath she gasped:
“Dressmaker!
Give me
Kerchief
For Well
For Water
For Rooster!
Choking!
In garden!
On back!
Feet up!
Oh dear!
He”ll die!”
The Dressmaker said:
“If you want me to give you a Kerchief, you must go to the Shoemaker and get me a pair of Slippers.”
So the dear little Hen ran to the Shoemaker as fast as she could and all out of breath she gasped:
“Shoemaker!
Give me
Slippers
For Dressmaker
For Kerchief
For Well
For Water
For Rooster!
Choking!
In garden!
On back!
Feet up!
Oh dear!
He”ll die!”
The Shoemaker said:
“If you want me to give you a pair of Slippers, you must go to the Sow and get me some Bristles.”
So the dear little Hen ran to the Sow as fast as she could and all out of breath she gasped:
“Oh Sow!
Give me
Some Bristles
For Shoemaker
For Slippers
For Dressmaker
For Kerchief
For Well
For Water
For Rooster!
Choking!
In garden!
On back!
Feet up!
Oh dear!
He”ll die!”
The Sow said:
“If you want me to give you some Bristles, you must go to the Brewer and get me some Malt.”
So the dear little Hen ran to the Brewer as fast as she could and all out of breath she gasped:
“Oh Brewer!
Give me
Some Malt
For Sow
For Bristles
For Shoemaker
For Slippers
For Dressmaker
For Kerchief
For Well
For Water
For Rooster!
Choking!
In garden!
On back!
Feet up!
Oh dear!
He”ll die!”
The Brewer said:
“If you want me to give you some Malt, you must go to the Cow and get me some Cream.”
So the dear little Hen ran to the Cow as fast as she could and all out of breath she gasped:
“Oh Cow!
Give me
Some Cream
For Brewer
For Malt
For Sow
For Bristles
For Shoemaker