THE MIRACULOUS HEN
Beyond thrice-nine lands, in the thrice-tenth realm—it was not in our kingdom—once an old man and an old woman lived in great need and poverty. They had two sons, who were very young and as yet of no use for field work. So the old man got up himself, and himself did all the work; he went out and looked after the labourers, and for all that he could only earn a few pence.
As he was going home one day he met a sorry drunkard, who had a hen in his hands. "Will you, old man, buy my hen?"
"What do you want for it?"
"Give me fifty kopeks for it."
"No, brother; take these few pence—that will be enough for you; you will get a pint and can drink it out on your way home and go to sleep."
So the drunkard took the pence and gave the old man the hen.
Then the old man returned home. But they were very hungry there; there was not a crust of bread. "Here," he said, as he came in, to his wife, "here is a hen I have bought you."
But his wife turned on him fiercely and scolded him.
"What an old fool you are! You must have gone utterly mad: our children are sitting down at home without any bread, and you buy a hen which you must feed!"
"Hold your tongue, foolish woman; does a hen eat so much? Why, she will lay us an egg and will bring us chicks; we can sell the chicks and then buy bread."
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