There lived in a village a peasant named Bastiano. And he had a wife, lazy and lazy.
One morning Bastiano was going to the forest to chop wood and said to her:
- Lina, I know you don’t really like to work, but please make sure that the chickens don’t peck the grain.
- Don't worry, hubby. I won’t let these chickens anywhere near the field.
Lina actually settled down more comfortably on the edge of the field under a fig tree and began to look at both sides. But the chickens did not even think of approaching the field. The sun was getting hotter and hotter, and Lina decided that nothing bad would happen if she took a nap for a minute. Just one minute. As soon as she had time to think this way, she fell asleep.
Then the cicada, sitting on a fig tree, sang:
- Lina, Lina, watch the field. If you don't keep track, the chickens will peck the grain. Bastiano will return and you will get it.
But Lina saw wonderful dreams and, of course, did not know that the chickens had climbed into the field and were greedily pecking at the grain. When she finally woke up, the chickens were so full that they couldn’t even take a step.
- Oh, oh, the whole harvest is gone! – Lina screamed in despair. But she quickly consoled herself: “But now I will have big, fat chickens.”
She put the chickens in the coop and went back to sleep under the fig tree.
And the cicada sang again:
- Lina, Lina, watch the chickens. If you don't keep an eye on them, the fox will eat them. Bastiano will return and you will get it.
But Lina was tired after hard work - no joke: driving all the chickens into the chicken coop - she slept soundly and did not hear anything. But when I woke up, I immediately ran to the chicken coop. And what did I see! The fox was finishing the last chicken wing.
- Oh, you red-haired thief! – Lina shouted and instantly slammed the window through which the fox climbed into the chicken coop.
My affairs are not so bad, thought Lina. - True, the fox ate the chickens.
But when I sell the beautiful fox skin, I can buy young chickens.
And two or three geese to boot. It’s even good that everything turned out this way.
Soon she calmed down completely and returned to her favorite fig tree, lay down in the shade and immediately fell asleep.
And again the restless cicada sang:
- Lina, Lina, watch the fox. If you don't keep track, the dog will tear it apart. Bastiano will return and you will get it.
But Lina dreamed that she was buying chickens at the market, and she did not hear anything.
She was awakened by a terrible noise coming from the chicken coop. She rushed there as fast as she could. She ran up, looked through the window and saw: a big gray dog chasing a fox. While Lina was sleeping, the dog, sensing the smell of a fox, crept up to the chicken coop, dug a passage with its paws and climbed inside.
Well, just wait, you bad dog! – thought Lina, quietly unlocked the door and... grabbed the dog by the collar. The fox, of course, didn’t waste any time, darted through the open door and was gone. But Lina wasn’t too upset even now. ,,Nothing, my husband will go hunting with this dog, not one, but a dozen foxes.
Lina tied the dog to the fence and lay down under the fig tree as if nothing had happened.
And the cicada sang again:
- Lina, Lina, watch the dog. If you don't keep track, the boys will drag her away.
Bastiano will return and you will get it.
But it was in vain that she sang: Lina was fast asleep and heard nothing.
Bastiano finally returned from the forest. Lina greeted him joyfully and contentedly.
- Well, wifey, is the wheat in our field intact?
– You see, hubby, I only turned away for a second, and these nasty chickens pecked all the grain. But they became big and fat.
“There’s nothing you can do,” Bastiano sighed, “you’ll have to sell the chickens and buy grain.”
- Dear hubby, the chickens are gone. They were eaten by a fox. But, you know, I caught the robber and locked her in the chicken coop.
“Well, then let’s sell the fox skin,” said Bastiano.
“Of course, we would definitely sell it, but the fox ran away.” A large dog got into the chicken coop and almost killed it. She ruined her entire skin!
But don’t be upset, I caught the dog. You go hunting with her and you’ll shoot a lot of foxes.
- Okay, let's go look at your dog.
They came - there was no dog. While Lina was fast asleep, nestled under a fig tree, the boys passing by untied her and ran away with her.
They were the only ones they saw.
What did Bastiano do here? Can't you guess?! So, Bastiano got very angry!
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru