The cat, the rooster and the fox
Russian folk tale
Listen: Once upon a time there was an old man who had a cat and a rooster. The old man went to the forest to work, the cat brought him food, and left the rooster to guard the house. At that time a fox came:
- "Cock-a-doodle-doo, cockerel,
Cock-a-doodle-doo,
Look out of the window,
I'll give you a pea.
So sang the fox, sitting under the window. The rooster put out the window, poked his head out and looked: who's singing here? And the fox took him in his claws and carried him to his hut. The rooster cried out:
- The fox carried me, carried the rooster through dark forests, through dense forests, along steep banks, over high mountains. Cat Kotofeyevich, take me away!
The cat heard the cry and rushed in pursuit, caught up with the fox, wrestled the rooster away and brought it home.
- Look, Petya," said the cat, "don't look out of the window, don't believe the fox: she will eat you and leave no bones.
The old man went to work in the forest again, and the cat brought him some food. When the old man left, he ordered the rooster to keep the house safe and not to look out of the window. But the fox wanted to eat the rooster. She came to the hut and sang:
- "Cock-a-doodle-doo, cockerel,
"Cock-a-doodle-doo,
"Look out of the window,
I'll give you some peas,
I'll give you some peas, I'll give you some grains.
The rooster walks round the hut, silent, not answering. The fox sang the song again and threw a pea through the window. The rooster ate the pea and said:
- No, fox, you can't fool me! You want to eat me. and leave no bones.
- Come on, Pét'a! I'm not going to eat you! I wanted you to stay with me, to see my life, my goods!
And she sang in a sweet voice:
- "Cock-a-doodle-doo, cockerel,
Golden comb,
O butter head,
Look out of the window,
I've given you some peas,
I'll give you some peas.
The rooster looked out of the window, and the fox clawed him. The rooster cried out:
- The fox carried me away, carried the rooster beyond dark forests, beyond dense forests, over steep banks, over high mountains. Cat Kotofeyevich, help me out!
The cat heard the cry, chased after the fox, caught up with the fox and beat the rooster back.
- Didn't I tell you, Petya, don't look out of the window - the fox will eat you and leave no bones! Look, listen to me! We'll go far tomorrow.
So the old man went to work again, and the cat brought him some bread. The fox crept under the window and immediately sang a song. She sang three times, but the rooster remained silent.
- What is it," said the fox, "now Petya is completely dumb!
- No, fox, you can't fool me! I won't look out of the window.
The fox threw some peas and wheat through the window and sang again:
- Cock-a-doodle-doo, cockerel,
"Cock-a-doodle-doo, golden scallop,
Oily head,
Look out of the window,
I've got a big house,
I've got a big house,
In every corner
A measure of wheat in each corner:
I've got plenty to eat!
Then she added:
- Yes, Petya, you should see how many curiosities I've got! Don't believe the cat! If I wanted to eat you, I would have done it long ago. But you see, I love you, I want to show you to people and teach you how to live in the world. Show yourself, Pét'a! I'll go round the corner!
And she lurked behind the wall...
The rooster jumped up on the bench, stuck his head out of the window, and the fox clawed him, and was like that! The rooster shouted at the top of his voice, but the old man and the cat were far away and did not hear his cry.
Long or short, the cat returned home and saw that the cockerel was gone, so he had to rescue him from trouble. The cat immediately dressed up as a guslar, took a club in his paws and went to the fox's hut. He came and began to play the psaltery:
- "Stren-bren, psaltery, golden strings! Whether Lisafya is at home, whether she is at home with her children, one daughter is Chuchelka, the other Podchuchelka, the third Poday-chelnok, the fourth Sweep-shestock, the fifth Close the chimney, the sixth Blow the fire, and the seventh Peki-pirogi!
The fox says:
- Come, Chuchelka, see who is singing such a good song?
Chuchelka went out of the gate, and the guslar knocked her in the pubes - yes in the box and sang the same song again. The fox sends another daughter, and after another - a third, after the third - a fourth, and so on. Whichever one goes out of the gate, the guslar does his job: knock on the pubes - and into the box! He killed all the fox's children one by one.
The fox waits for them and can't wait. "Let me," she thought, "I'll see for myself!"
She went out of the gate, and the cat swung his club, as hit her on the head - out of her and the spirit! The cockerel rejoiced, flew out the window and thanked the cat for his rescue. They returned to the old man and began to live happily ever after.
