As soon as the peasant's house caught fire, all the animals, young and old, ran away from the yard.
Frightened chickens, geese, pigeons, turkeys, rabbits, sheep, pigs, horses, cows, along with a yard dog and cat, watched the fire from afar.
Fiery tongues of flame, fanned by the wind, greedily devoured old dry logs. The roof had already collapsed and a column of sparks rose above the fire.
Suddenly a salamander crawled out from behind the bushes. She stood for a while on her short legs, looked around and immediately darted into the thick of it.
In surprise, everyone watching the fire screamed in horror and retreated back.
- Don't worry! - the rooster reassured them. — Fire is the salamander’s native element, and it does not feel any pain from burns.
- But, poor thing, it will burn! - the goose wailed in fear.
“In the fire she changes her skin,” answered the rooster. “And this is only given to her.” The flame makes her skin stronger and thinner, and the salamander emerges from the fire rejuvenated and renewed.
The rooster paused and, sighing sadly, added:
- And we turn out to be roasted on fire.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru