A long time ago, when the camel was a barker, and the flea was a barber, so long ago that I don’t even remember whether it was in a sieve or in straw, when I took my uncle’s cradle - creaking, creaking! - she rocked, and this is where the fairy tale begins.
Once upon a time there lived a pockmarked cockerel. What worries does the rooster have? Whether red-haired, pock-marked, sleek, or thin - it’s all the same: keep silent once, shout twice, and the rest of the time stick out with your tail up in a garbage heap. Swarm around and take a look - that’s all the rooster’s business.
The speckled cockerel lived like this - sometimes he sang, sometimes he was silent, and most of the time he stuck out in the trash. One day he was digging, as always, in the pile and found a gold coin. I found it and was overwhelmed with joy:
- What should I do with this gold? Maybe take it to Beyoğlu? Let him keep it for himself, and when I need it, I’ll take it.
[Beyoğlu is Turkish for "son of the bey"]
The cockerel comes to Beyoglu and says:
- Here, Beyoglu, I found a gold coin and brought it to you. Did I do good or bad?
“Of course, good,” Beyoglu answers.
—Will you take the coin for safekeeping? Will you give it back when the time comes and I need it?
“I’ll give it back,” Beyoglu said. “I’m the bey’s son.” I do everything according to my honor and conscience, I keep my word.
- Don’t talk about yourself, better tell me, can I rely on your word?
“You can,” Beyoglu nodded.
“Then here’s my gold one for you.” And the pockmarked cockerel gave his coin to Beyoglu. Time flows like water. The day came when the pockmarked cockerel needed his money. “I’ll go,” he thinks, “to Beyoglu, pick up my gold, change it and spend it.”
The cockerel set off. He walked and walked and met a fox along the way.
- Cockerel, cockerel, where are you going? - asks the fox.
- I’m going to Beyoglu, he keeps my gold, I need to pick it up.
- Take me with you, let's go together.
“The road is long, you’ll get tired,” says the pockmarked cockerel.
“I’ll walk as far as I can, but if I get tired, I’ll fall behind.”
- If so, then let's go.
They were now two friends, and they set off on the road talking. Not even half of the way had passed when the fox began to choke, her tongue began to tangle.
“I’m tired, brother cockerel, my pussy is gone!”
- What did I tell you?
- He spoke correctly. I didn’t think, so I lost my strength. What should I do now?
The pockmarked cockerel looked at her, thought and said:
- No problem! Get into my stomach, I'll carry you away. The fox climbed into his stomach, found a place for itself, and settled down.
The cockerel moves on. This time he meets a wolf.
-Where are you going, pockmarked cockerel?
— I have one gold one, kept by Beyoglu. I'm going to pick him up.
- Take me with you, let's go together.
- The road is long, you will get tired.
“I’ll walk as far as I can, but if I get tired, I’ll fall behind.”
- Well, if that’s the case, let’s go together.
They set off on their way. They walk side by side and talk. The road has not yet come close to the city, but the wolf has no strength left, his legs are giving way, his tongue is tangled.
“I’m tired, brother cockerel, my pussy is gone!”
- What did I tell you when you asked to come with me?
“I said that the road is long and I’ll get tired.”
- It turns out that what I said was correct?
- That’s how it is, but let’s not talk about it now. Better tell me, what should we do now? The pockmarked cockerel took pity on the wolf:
- Get into my stomach, I’ll carry you too. The wolf climbed into the cockerel's stomach, found a place for himself, and settled down.
And the cockerel walked and walked and came to the river. The river is noisy and seething, covered with white foam. She saw a pockmarked cockerel and called out to him:
-Where are you going, cockerel?
- To the city, where else?
- What's going on in your city?
“Beyoglu keeps my gold one, I’m going to pick it up.”
- Ahah! - the river sighed. “I’ve been here for so many years, and I’ve never managed to turn aside and visit the city.” Since you're going there, will you take me with you?
“I would take it, but the road is long, you’ll get tired.”
- As soon as I get tired, I’ll fall behind, flow and stop. Just take me with you, and then it’s not your concern.
“Okay,” said the pockmarked cockerel and took the river with him. They walk, walk and talk; they haven’t even gone half way when the river begins to groan: its water either brightens or becomes cloudy.
- What's happened?
- My little pussy is gone, you little pockmarked cockerel! — the river could not stand it. “I’m completely exhausted.” Apparently, this is the end of my path.
- But I warned you.
- That's right, I warned you.
- What should I do with you?
“If you want, leave me and go your own way.” If you want, take me into your belly and carry me to the city. Someday he will repay you with kindness for your kindness.
“I don’t need any retribution.” Get into my stomach and let's go, let's not waste time talking.
Now the river has climbed into the belly of the speckled cockerel, found a place for itself, and settled down.
Finally the pockmarked cockerel reached the city, came to Beyoğlu and said:
- Here I come, Beyoglu.
- Welcome.
- I needed my gold one. Give it back.
- What kind of gold? I don't have any gold. I am the son of the great bey. Am I really going to stoop to take gold from pockmarked roosters like you?
The pockmarked cockerel began to admonish the deceiver:
- Don't do that, Beyoglu. It’s better to kindly give back my gold. Otherwise, I will have strength against you. Then Beyoğlu shouts:
- Oh, you, so and so! You dare talk here! Come on, servants, throw him into the gully and let him come to his senses!
They grabbed the speckled cockerel and threw it into the goose coop. The geese stretched out their necks, hissed, attacked the cockerel - now they will peck and tear it to shreds. Suddenly a fox jumps out of the cockerel’s belly - instantly putting an end to the entire goose tribe!
The speckled cockerel got out of the goose coop and again came to Beyoglu:
- Give me the gold, Beyoglu! I won't give up on mine. Otherwise, I will have strength against you.
- Well, grab him quickly and throw him into the pen with the mules and let them beat him to death with their hooves! - Beyoglu orders the servants.
They grabbed the pockmarked cockerel by the wings and threw him to the mules. How the mules began to kick! Almost killed the poor thing! Then a wolf crawled out of his stomach, bared his teeth and howled:
- Stand still, don't move!
He pounced on the mules and destroyed their entire race. The pockmarked cockerel got out of the pen and again goes to Beyoğlu.
- Listen to me, Beyoglu! Don't do what is inappropriate. Act worthy of your name. Give me back my gold.
Beyoglu became completely furious:
- What kind of rooster is this persistent? When will I finally get rid of it? Throw it into the oven,” he orders the servants, “let it fry well, I’ll eat the rooster for dinner!”
They grabbed the speckled cockerel and threw it straight into the oven. Then a river burst out of his belly and extinguished the fire. There was no smoke or flame left in the oven.
The pockmarked cockerel got out of this trouble and came to Beyoglu again.
“Give me the gold,” he says. Beyoglu saw that there was no salvation for him from the pockmarked cockerel, and ordered the servants:
- Take the rooster to my treasury. Let him take his gold one.
They took the cockerel to the Beyoglu treasury, the cockerel went through all the gold coins that were there, found his own, laughed and went home. Then he exchanged gold and bought barley and wheat. They lived comfortably with chickens and chickens, and they had no shortage of food and drink until the end of their days.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru