Once upon a time there lived a rooster, covered in yellow and red feathers, with a golden plume tail. A very beautiful rooster. A rooster for all the roosters.
Early in the morning the rooster flew up onto the fence and shouted:
- Ku-ka-re-ku! My dear chickens! Get up! It's time to get to work! Look how much grain is scattered on the ground.
And the chickens jumped off their roost and hurried into the yard.
That day the rooster woke up, as usual, very early.
- Ku-ka-re-ku! - he shouted. - Greetings to the new day! Peek-a-boo, cute chickens? Ku-ka-re-ku! Get up, it's time, it's time to peck the grains.
Just at that time, a hungry jackal ran past along the road. He heard a rooster crow and crept closer.
“It will be a good profit,” the jackal decided when he saw a rooster on the fence.
He bowed politely and asked:
- Dear brother rooster, who are you calling so early? I didn't hear something.
“I’m calling my chickens,” the rooster answered importantly. “I wish they’d wake up soon!” We must hurry to peck the grains. And then the sun is already high.
The jackal bowed even lower and said in a honeyed voice:
“Oh, most respected of respected roosters, would you be so kind as to get off the fence.” Look how much grain is scattered on the road. Let's collect together.
The rooster looked from the high fence at the jackal with one eye and crowed:
- I don’t have time. I need to wake up the lazy chickens. And if you want to find a comrade, he is over there, near the gate, sleeping in the shade. Go and call him.
The jackal was happy. He thought that the rooster had sent him to another rooster, and ran to the gate.
But as soon as the jackal came closer, he saw that a large shaggy dog was sleeping in the shadows. The jackal got scared, turned back and ran away. The dog chased him and grabbed him by the collar.
- Ay, ay! - the jackal shouted. “Let me go, I’m a friend of your neighbor, the rooster!” He sent me to find out how your health is.
“I protect the rooster from rogues like you,” the dog answered and killed the jackal.
From his skin she made herself a soft, warm bedding.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru