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The Rooster and the Sultan

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By Staff Middle Land

May 20, 2024
6:10 pm
Los Angeles, CA

A Hungarian Fairy Tale ONCE there lived in Hungary, a very poor old woman who had nothing at all in the world except one Little Small Rooster. This Rooster was scratching the ground one day, looking for something to eat, when suddenly what should he find but a shiny diamond penny!. Now it chanced at just that moment that the big, fat Turkish Sultan, who had con- quered the people of Hungary, came strutting along up the highway wearing Jiis best silk turban, his red shoes with upturned toes, and his big baggy pantaloons. Well, the Sultan noticed the penny glittering there in the dust and he said to the Little Small Rooster, “Rooster, give me that penny! But the Little Small Rooster said, ‘ No! I will give

A Hungarian Fairy Tale

ONCE there lived in Hungary, a very poor old woman who had nothing at all in the world except one Little Small Rooster. This Rooster was scratching the ground one day, looking for something to eat, when suddenly what should he find but a shiny diamond penny!. Now it chanced at just that moment that the big, fat Turkish Sultan, who had con- quered the people of Hungary, came strutting along up the highway wearing Jiis best silk turban, his red shoes with upturned toes, and his big baggy pantaloons. Well, the Sultan noticed the penny glittering there in the dust and he said to the Little Small Rooster, “Rooster, give me that penny!

But the Little Small Rooster said, ‘ No! I will give my mistress this penny, for she is poor and she needs it.” Then the Sultan snatched the penny away from the Little Small Rooster. He stuck up his nose in the air and he marched off home with the penny. The Rooster was ready to cry, but he gave himself a good shake. He ruffled up his feathers as if getting ready to fight. He lifted his head up
high, and he hurried after the Sultan. He ran into the Sultan’s garden, and hopped up on the fence. “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” he cried, “give me back my penny!”
What a noise! The Sultan clapped his hands to his ears. He ran as fast as he could to the most distant room in his great big, enormous palace. But the Little Small Rooster followed him and perched on his window sill.

“Cock-a-doodle-doo! he cried. “Give me back my penn, The Sultan got angrier and angrier. He called a slave and said, “Get that Rooster, slave, and throw him in the well!”
So the slave went and caught the Rooster and, bang! he plopped him in the well. But the Rooster kept his wits about him and began to say a charm:

“Suck, my throat, the water!
Suck the water, all the water. Suck the water up!”

So the Little Small Rooster’s throat sucked up all the water and he was safe on dry ground. Then he flew to the Sultan’s window. And once again he cried, “Cock-a-doodle-doo! Give me back my penny!” Well, the Sultan was in a rage. He called a slave and said, “Go slave, get that Rooster and throw him in the fire!” So the slave caught the Little Small Rooster and threw him in a roaring fire. But the Little Small Rooster cried:

“Pour out, my throat, the water.
All the water, pour it! Put this big fire out!”

Instantly his throat poured all the water from the well into the leaping flames. The fire died down with a hiss. And the Rooster was safe again. Then he flew to the Sultan’s window and cried as he had before, “Cock- a-doodle-doo! Give me back my penny!”

Well, the Sultan was now so angry he couldn’t think what to do next. But he called a slave and said, “Go slave, get that Rooster and throw him in a bee-hive. The bees will sting him well! They’ll end his terrible crowing!” So the slave caught the Rooster again and threw him in a bee-hive. But the Rooster started singing:

“Suck the bees, my throat!
Suck the bees all up! Suck the bees all up!

Then his throat sucked up the bees and the Little Rooster again rushed to the Sultan’s window “Cock-a-doodle-doo!” he cried.
“Give me back my penny!” The Sultan was beside himself! He just went raving mad. “Bring that Rooster to me!” he thundered. So the slave went and caught the Rooster and brought him before the Sultan. And the Sultan, at sight of the Rooster, lost all the wits he had. He seized the Little Small Rooster and stuffed him into the pocket of his big, baggy pantaloons. “Now I have you, I’ll keep you,” he shrieked, “so you don’t get out again!”
But the Little Small Rooster sang:

“Pour out, my throat, the bees!
Pour the bees all out! Pour the bees all out!”

And his throat poured the bees all out in the Sultan’s pantaloons. The bees began to sting the Sultan. They stung him and stuna him and stung him. The Sultan screeched and he screeched! He slapped at his pantaloons! He danced on one foot! But he could not stop that stinging. So at last he yelled to a slave, “Give this Rooster back his penny and let him go from the palace! I must have peace again!”

So the slaves cut a great big slit in the Sultan’s pantaloons. Out flew the Little Small Rooster and the swarm of angry bees. Then the Sultan heaved a sigh of relief. The slaves gave the Rooster his penny and let him go from the palace. And the Little Small Rooster flew home and gave the poor Woman the penny. The Old Woman bought all she needed to make herself cozy and comfortable and she and the Little Small Rooster lived happily ever after.