Once upon a time there were poor woodcutters, husband and wife. From early morning until sunset they worked in the forest. And when it got dark, they put bundles of firewood on their shoulders and went to the city to sell firewood and buy some food.
One day, the husband and wife, as always, got up very early, grabbed axes, some food, a bottle of water and went into the forest. We went further into the thicket and started chopping and chopping - we had prepared a lot of logs and were very tired.
And as the sun was setting, the husband and wife hurried back to the city, but they were too late - the city gates were already locked.
The tired woodcutters shouted for a long time to be allowed into the city, but no one responded. So they had to settle down for the night near the city wall.
The husband and wife lay down on a wooden platform, and it must happen that nearby, on a huge banyan tree*, roosters settled down for the night - they flew in from all over the city.
Exactly at midnight the woodcutters hear the roosters start talking.
- Hey, buddy, are you the one throwing some crap? Stop it now! - the rooster crowed from the bottom branch of the banyan tree.
- What are you allowing yourself to do?! - the rooster responded from the top branch. “I am nobler and more noble than you, that’s why I’m sitting above you now.” You have nothing to boast about!
- And here it is! - answered the first rooster. - Do you know what I’m like?! Once a man eats my liver, he will become the most important military leader in the kingdom. Once a woman eats my heart, she will become a queen.
The second rooster laughed:
“And I’ll tell you what: if a man eats my head, in exactly seven days he will become king!” Once a woman eats my heart, in exactly seven days she will become queen!
The woodcutters lie under the banyan tree, listen to boastful speeches and are surprised.
- Maybe we are really destined to be king and queen? - says the husband. - Let's climb the banyan tree and catch the roosters.
They climbed a tree and caught the roosters, and in the morning, as soon as the city gates opened, they hurried home, boiled the birds and ate them.
Exactly seven days have passed, and - what do you think? - the king died.
They began to search throughout the country for a person worthy of the high royal rank. They searched for a long time, but still could not find it. And then they decided so. Roll out of the royal palace a cart with armor that will pass from the old king to the new, push the cart as hard as possible - and let it roll! Whichever house he stops at, that owner will be king.
And the cart rolled and rolled straight to the hut of the poor woodcutters and pulled up. There's nothing you can do about it! The ministers had to put the woodcutters on a cart and take them to the palace.
Miracles, and that’s all! The poor woodcutter became a king, and his wife became a queen!
“If the roosters hadn’t boasted then, we wouldn’t have seen the royal palace!” — the king never ceased to be surprised.
Yes, there is little good in bragging! But the king and queen were kind and fair. And now they still rule, if they haven’t died.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru