Page:The disobedient kids and other Czecho-Slovak fairy tales.pdf/15

 The shoe maker was pegging away on a pair of shoes, when all at once he saw a little hen on his knees. "My, my", he said in great surprise, "what do you want of me?"

"Please Mr. Shoemaker, I want a pair of your beautiful shoes for the Queen of Saba. lf I can take them to her, she will give me a bit of silk for the peasant woman; she will let me have a kerchief for the linden tree; the linden tree will give me a leaf for the spring; the spring will give me a drop of water for the little cock."

He hesitated, but seeing such a wistful little hen, decided that he would help her. Then he said, "Yes. I will give you a beautiful pair of shoes, but you must get me a bristle from the pig".

Away she flew to the pig to ask him for a bristle. The pig was stubborn. Why should he give a bristle for nothing? "Yes, there is one condition on which I will give you a bristle, and that is, in exchange for some corn from the harvesters." Then to the harvesters who listened to the little hen. "Yes, they will let her have some corn, but she must get them some real cream from the farmer's wife." Many people would have been discouraged after all these delays and conditions, but the little hen was unselfish and a persevering little body, so off she flew to the farmer's wife. "Dear, dear Mrs. farmer. won't you please give me some cream for the harvesters?"