So the old man made a little nest and he put the hen under the stove. In the morning he looked, and the hen had laid a jewel of absolutely natural colours. So the old man said to his wife, "Now, old lady; amongst other folks the hens lay eggs, but our hen lays jewels: what shall we do?"
"Take it into the city; possibly somebody may buy it."
So the old man went into the city, went into all the inns by turns and showed his precious stone. All the merchants gathered round him and began valuing the stone. They valued it and valued it, and it was at last bought for five hundred roubles.
From that day the old man went on trading in precious stones which his hen laid him, and he very soon became enriched, had himself inscribed into the merchants' guild, put up a shop, hired apprentices, and set up sea-faring ships to carry his wares into foreign lands. One day he was going into foreign parts, and he bade his wife have a great heed to the hen: "Treasure her more than your eyes; should she be lost, you shall forfeit your own head."
As soon as he had gone the old woman began to think evil thoughts. For she was great friends with one of the young apprentices.
"Where do you get these precious stones from?" the apprentice asked her.
"Oh, it is our hen that lays them."
So the apprentice took the hen, looked, and under the right wing he saw written in gold: "Whoever eats this hen's head shall become a king, and whoever eats her liver shall spit out gold."
So he told the wife, "Bake me the hen for supper."
"Oh, my dear friend, how can I? My husband will be coming back and will punish me."
But the apprentice would not listen to any argument. "Bake it," he said—that was all.
