The Small Purse with Two Pence

   

Once upon a time there was an old woman and an old man. The old woman had a hen, which was laying eggs twice a day, and she was not starving, but the old man had only a rooster. The old woman suggested the old man that he should beat his rooster as she had beaten her hen and therefore it was laying a lot of eggs. The old man beat his rooster and sent it away. The rooster took to its heels and on his way it found a small purse with two pence.  

He picked it up and wanted to go back to his old man’s farm. He saw a carriage in which a nobleman was travelling. He told the coachman to take the purse from the rooster and give it to him. The rooster did not give up and began to crow behind the carriage:

                             Cock doodle doo, great noblemen

                            Give me back the purse with two pence!  

The nobleman got angry and ordered the coachman to throw the rooster into a well. The rooster drank the whole water from the well, flew out of the well and followed the carriage crowing:

                             Cock doodle doo great noblemen

                            Give me back the purse with two pence! 

The nobleman caught the rooster and threw him in a hot oven. The rooster poured out the well water he had swallowed and put the fire out. Then, the nobleman threw him into the herd of cattle, thinking that one of the oxen would kill him, but the rooster started swallowing the oxen and the cows until nothing was left. Desperately, the nobleman threw him into the place where he kept his fortune, thinking the rooster would choke after swallowing a coin.. The rooster greedily began to swallow the coins until nothing was left. He crowed for his money again at the nobleman’s window. Desperate that he could not get rid of the rooster, the nobleman gave the purse back to the rooster. The rooster took it triumphantly and went high and mighty towards the old man’s farm. All the poultry from the nobleman’s farm followed the rooster. When the rooster arrived, he deposited in the front of the old man all he had gathered: oxen, cows, birds and coins. 

Eventually, the old woman beat her hen until it died. The rooster was treated honorably ever after.  

Illiustrated by the students from grade 5A, teacher: Olimpia Mois

Translated by prof. Nicoleta Onea