Russian Fairy Tales Children's Fairy Tales
THE DOG AND THE COCK
One
summer a certain peasant's crops failed him, and so he had no food to
give to his animals, which were a cock and a dog. And the dog said to
thecock:
“Well, brother Peeter, I think we should get more to eat if we
went and lived in the forest than here at our master's, don't
you?” “That's a fact,” answered the cock,
“let's be off, there's no help for it.”
So
they said good-bye to their master and mistress and went off to see
what they could find. And they went on and on, and couldn't find a nice
place to stop. Then it began to grow dark, and the cock said:
“Let's spend the night on a tree. I'll fly up on to a branch, and
you take shelter in the hollow. We'll get through the night somehow.”
So
the cock made his way on to a branch, tucked in his toes, and went to
sleep, while the dog made himself a bed in the hollow of the tree. And
they slept soundly the whole night through, and towards morning, when
it began to get light, the cock woke up and, as was his custom, crew as
loud as he could: “Cock-a-doodle-doo! cock-a-doodle-do! all wake
up! all get up! the sun will soon be rising, and the day will soon
begin!”
And
he crew so loud, that a fox in a hole near by was up in an instant
thinking: “What a funny thing for a cock to be crowing in the
forest! I expect he's lost his way and can't get out again!”
And
he began to look for the cock, and after a bit he saw him sitting upon
the branch of the tree. “Oho!” thought the fox, “he'd
make a fine meal! How can I get him to come down from there?”
So
he went up to the tree and said to the cock: “What a splendid
cock you are! I've never seen such a fine one all my days! What lovely
feathers, just as if they were covered with gold! And your tail! nobody
could describe it in words or on paper, it's so beautiful! And what a
sweet voice you've got! I could
listen to it all day and all night. Do fly down a little closer and
let's get to know each other a little better. That reminds me, I've got
a christening on at my place to-day, and I shall have plenty of food
and drink to offer such a welcome guest. Let's go along to my
home.”
“Right
you are,” answered the cock, “I'll certainly come, only you
must ask my companion too. We always go about together.”
“And where is your companion?” asked the fox. “Down
below in the tree hollow,” answered
the cock. And the fox poked his head into the hole, thinking there was
another cock there, when the dog popped his head out and caught Mr. Fox
by the nose!
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