How the Hen Saved the Rooster

A hen and a rooster were walking around the threshing yard, gathering scattered beans. The rooster hurried, snatched up a large bean, and it became lodged at…

A hen and a rooster were walking around the threshing yard, gathering scattered beans. The rooster hurried, snatched up a large bean, and it became lodged at the very edge of his beak. He sat down in the shade, and the hen told him to wait calmly. She sheltered her friend with a wing and examined his beak carefully. To soften the bean and remove it gently, they needed clean water.

The hen ran to the river. The river burbled, “I will gladly give you water, but bring me a broad linden leaf so that we can fold it into a little cup.” A fallen leaf lay beneath the linden tree, but the wind had torn its edge. The hen carefully picked the leaf up by its long stem. “Ask the young woman for strong thread,” the linden rustled, “and then the water will not spill.”

The young woman took out a spool and said she would help when she received milk from the cow after milking. The cow nodded amiably toward the distant meadow. She was waiting for fresh hay, but the haymakers could not begin their work without a sharp scythe. The hen did not lose heart: she called everyone together to talk and explained why it was important to bring the rooster water quickly.

The charcoal burners brought dry charcoal for the forge, and the blacksmiths sharpened the scythe. Everyone passed the help along without wasting time. The haymakers cut fragrant hay; the cow ate peacefully and gave milk; the young woman was then free to mend the linden leaf and fold it into a cup. The river filled it with cool water, and the hen hurried back across the meadow.

The rooster moistened his beak, and the young woman, who had followed the hen, carefully removed the softened bean with a clean spoon. The rooster took a deep breath and crowed loudly. All the helpers were gathered near the threshing yard: the river burbled nearby, the linden rustled, and there stood the cow, the haymakers, the blacksmiths, and the charcoal burners. The hen thanked everyone, and the rooster promised that from then on he would eat slowly and always call for help.