Once upon a time there lived a cheerful boy named Jack. So one fine morning he set out to wander around the world - to seek happiness. As soon as he walked away from the house, he looked - and a cat met him. “Where are you going, Jack?” “I’m wandering around the world, looking for happiness,” Jack answers him. “Can I go with you?” “Of course we’ll go, because with friends any road will seem more fun!” And they went on together. They walked quite a bit, they looked - a dog was coming towards them. “Where are you going, Jack?” “I’m wandering around the world, looking for happiness,” Jack answers him. “Can I go with you?” “Of course we’ll go, because with friends any road will seem more fun!” And the three of them went on. They walked not far away and looked - a goat was coming towards them. “Where are you going, Jack?” “I’m wandering around the world, looking for happiness,” Jack answers her. “Can I go with you?” “Of course we’ll go, because with friends any road will seem more fun!” And the four of them went on. They walked not far away and looked at a bull coming towards them. “Where are you going, Jack?” “I’m wandering around the world, looking for happiness,” Jack answers him. “Can I go with you?” “Of course we’ll go, because with friends any road will seem more fun!” And they went on, all five of them. They walked away not far and looked at a rooster coming towards them. “Where are you going, Jack?” “I’m wandering around the world, looking for happiness,” Jack answers him. “Can I go with you?” “Of course we’ll go, because with friends any road will seem more fun!” And they all went on together. They walked and walked, but now the twilight had deepened and it was getting dark. Where to spend the night? The friends were lost in thought and suddenly they saw a house standing not far away.
Jack ordered his friends not to make noise, and he crept to the window and looked into the house. And what did he see? The robbers were sitting in the house and counting the stolen goods! Jack quickly figured out what to do. He returned to his friends and told them to shout at the top of their lungs when he gave the sign. Jack gave a sign, and immediately the cat meowed, the dog barked, the goat bleated, the bull mooed, and the rooster crowed. Even the robbers were frightened by such noise and ran away, leaving behind everything they had stolen. And Jack and his friends entered the house. They settled down for the night, but Jack was still afraid that the robbers might return at night. And he decided to warn them. He put the cat in a rocking chair, hid the dog under the table, put the goat in the attic, sent the bull to the basement, and put the rooster on the roof. He himself went to bed. The robbers, who were hiding nearby, noticed that the lights in the house had gone out. And one of them went there to pick up the stolen goods. But a few minutes later he rushed back, scared and out of breath. “I entered the house,” he says, “and was about to sit in a chair.” And there is already an old woman sitting with knitting needles. How will he stick them in me! (But it was just a cat!) - I then went up to the table, I wanted to take our money. And there under the table is a shoemaker. How he would stick his awl into me! (But it was just a dog!)—I then went up to the attic. And there is someone threshing grain. How he would hit me with a heavy flail! (But it was just a goat!) - I then went down to the cellar. And there is a woodcutter. How he would throw an ax at me! (But it was just a bull!) - But everything would have been fine if it hadn’t been for the dwarf on the roof. How he screams: “Bring him here!..” I ran away. (And the rooster crowed: “Ku-ka-re-ku!”) Since then, the friends all lived happily together in a house by the road.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru