The Rooster and the Millstones

Once upon a time, an old man and an old woman lived in a small house, and their golden-feathered rooster walked around the yard. One day, the old woman…

Once upon a time, an old man and an old woman lived in a small house, and their golden-feathered rooster walked around the yard. One day, the old woman accidentally dropped an acorn near the porch, and a strong oak tree grew from it. The tree stretched higher and higher, grew past the awning over the porch, and stretched its branches toward the golden clouds. The old man and the old woman were amazed, and the rooster decided to explore the unusual tree.

The rooster flew from branch to branch. Where flying was difficult, he made his way along the thick branches. Above the clouds, he found a small hand mill—a pair of millstones. It was made of two round stones, each with a grain painted on it. The rooster put the millstones in a sturdy sack and carefully climbed down the tree.

At home, the old woman turned the millstones, and a golden stack of pancakes appeared on a plate. The old man brought out some honey, and the rooster sat nearby and crowed happily. The magic millstones made exactly as much food as people asked for. That meant there was always a warm breakfast in the house, and the couple shared any extra pancakes with their neighbors.

One day, a wealthy traveler stopped by. He admired the millstones and asked to borrow them until evening so he could serve food to his friends. The old man and the old woman agreed, but the traveler broke his promise and took the millstones to his large house. The couple waited until night. Then the rooster decided to go and remind the traveler that it was time to return them.

The rooster went to the traveler and repeated three times in a loud, calm voice, “Return our millstones!” The traveler heard him and looked at the millstones on the table that did not belong to him. He realized that he had broken his promise, and he felt ashamed. He put the millstones on a small cart and apologized. The rooster brought them home along a sunny road. The old man and the old woman welcomed him at the gate and understood that you can remind someone about a promise calmly but firmly.