Once upon a time there lived an old man with an old woman. They lived in poverty and reached the point where they had neither firewood nor splinters.
The old woman sends the old man:
- Go to the forest, chop some wood.
The old man got ready. He arrived in the forest, chose a tree, and hacked at it with an axe.
Suddenly a bird jumps out of a tree and asks:
- Chivy, chivy, chivychok, what do you need, old man?
- Yes, the old woman needs firewood and splinters.
- Go home, you have a lot of firewood and splinters.
The old man obeyed and did not cut down the tree. He comes home - his yard is full of firewood and splinters. He told the old woman about the bird, and the old woman said to him:
“Our hut is bad—come on, old man, back to the forest, see if the bird can fix our hut.”
The old man obeyed. He comes to the forest, finds this tree, takes an ax and let’s chop it down.
The bird jumps out again:
- Chivy, chivy, chivychok, what do you need, old man?
- Well, little bird, my hut is really bad, won’t you fix it?
- Go home, you have a new hut, plenty of everything.
The old man returned home and did not recognize: there was a new hut in his yard, like a full bowl, plenty of bread, but you couldn’t count the cows, horses, sheep.
They lived for some time, the old woman got tired of her rich life, she said to the old man:
“We have enough of everything, but we are peasants, no one respects us.” Go ahead, old man, ask the bird if she will make you an official, and me an official.
The old man took the axe. He comes to the forest, finds this tree and begins to chop it down. A bird jumps out:
- Chivy, chivy, chivychok, what do you need, old man?
- Yes, dear little bird, is it possible to make me an official, and my old woman an official?
- Go home, you will be an official, and your old woman will be an official. He returned home. He rides through the village - everyone takes off their hats, everyone is afraid of him. The yard is full of servants, his old woman is dressed like a lady.
They lived for a short time, the old woman wanted more.
- What a big deal - an official! The Tsar will want to put both you and me under arrest. Go, old man, to the bird and ask if he will make you a king and me a queen.
There is nothing to do. The old man took the ax again, went into the forest and began to chop down this tree. A bird jumps out:
- Chivy, chivy, chivychok, what do you need, old man?
- Yes, here’s what, mother dear bird: won’t you make me a king, my old woman a queen?
- Go home, you will be a king, your old woman will be a queen.
He arrives home, and the ambassadors have already arrived for him: the Tsar has died, and you have been chosen in his place.
The old man and the old woman did not have to reign for much - it seemed to the old woman that being a queen was not enough:
- What a great thing - the king! God wants - he will send death, and they will bury you in damp earth. Go, old man, to the bird and ask if she will make us gods...
The old man took an ax, went to the tree and wanted to chop it down to the root. A bird jumps out:
- Chivy, chivy, chivychok, what do you want, old man?
- Do me a favor, birdie, make me a god.
- Okay, go home - you will be a bull, and your old woman will be a pig. The old man immediately turned into a bull. He comes home and sees that his old woman has become a pig.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru