The Death of the Little Rooster

A hen and a rooster were walking on the priest’s threshing floor. The little rooster choked on a bean. The little hen took pity on him and went to the river to…

A hen and a rooster were walking on the priest’s threshing floor. The little rooster choked on a bean. The little hen took pity on him and went to the river to ask for water.

The river said:

“Go to the little linden tree and ask for a leaf. Then I’ll give you water!”

“Little linden, little linden! Give me a leaf! I’ll take the leaf to the river, the river will give me water, and I’ll take the water to the little rooster — the little rooster has choked on a bean: he cannot draw a breath, he does not breathe, he lies as if dead!”

The linden said:

“Go to the girl and ask for thread. Then I’ll give you a leaf!”

“Girl, girl! Give me some thread! I’ll take the thread to the linden, the linden will give me a leaf; I’ll take the leaf to the river, the river will give me water, and I’ll take the water to the little rooster — the little rooster has choked on a bean: he cannot draw a breath, he does not breathe, he lies as if dead!”

The girl said:

“Go to the cow and ask for milk. Then I’ll give you thread.”

The little hen came to the cow:

“Cow, cow! Give me some milk! I’ll take the milk to the girl, the girl will give me thread; I’ll take the thread to the linden, the linden will give me a leaf; I’ll take the leaf to the river, the river will give me water, and I’ll take the water to the little rooster — the little rooster has choked on a bean: he cannot draw a breath, he does not breathe, he lies as if dead!”

The cow said:

“Go to the haymakers, little hen, and ask them for hay. Then I’ll give you milk.”

The little hen came to the haymakers.

“Haymakers, haymakers! Give me some hay! I’ll take the hay to the cow, the cow will give me milk; I’ll take the milk to the girl, the girl will give me thread; I’ll take the thread to the linden, the linden will give me a leaf; I’ll take the leaf to the river, the river will give me water, and I’ll take the water to the little rooster — the little rooster has choked on a bean: he cannot draw a breath, he does not breathe, he lies as if dead!”

The haymakers said:

“Go to the smiths, little hen, and have them forge a scythe.”

The little hen came to the smiths:

“Smiths, smiths! Forge me a scythe! I’ll take the scythe to the haymakers, the haymakers will give me hay; I’ll take the hay to the cow, the cow will give me milk; I’ll take the milk to the girl, the girl will give me thread; I’ll take the thread to the linden, the linden will give me a leaf; I’ll take the leaf to the river, the river will give me water, and I’ll take the water to the little rooster — the little rooster has choked on a bean: he cannot draw a breath, he does not breathe, he lies as if dead!”

The smiths said:

“Go to the charcoal burners of Laya, little hen, and ask them for charcoal. Then we’ll forge you a scythe.”

The little hen came to the charcoal burners of Laya:

“Charcoal burners of Laya, charcoal burners of Laya! Give me some charcoal! I’ll take the charcoal to the smiths, the smiths will forge a scythe; I’ll take the scythe to the haymakers, the haymakers will give me hay; I’ll take the hay to the cow, the cow will give me milk; I’ll take the milk to the girl, the girl will give me thread; I’ll take the thread to the linden, the linden will give me a leaf; I’ll take the leaf to the river, the river will give me water, and I’ll take the water to the little rooster — the little rooster has choked on a bean: he cannot draw a breath, he does not breathe, he lies as if dead!”

The people of Laya gave her charcoal. The little hen took the charcoal to the smiths, and the smiths forged a scythe; she took the scythe to the haymakers, and the haymakers mowed some hay; she took the hay to the cow, and the cow gave her milk; she took the milk to the girl, and the girl gave her thread; she took the thread to the linden, and the linden gave her a leaf; she took the leaf to the river, and the river gave her water; she took the water to the little rooster: there he lay, unable to draw a breath, not breathing — he had choked on a bean on the priest’s threshing floor!