The Hazelbush tried to choke him, and gave him no sun. But the Oakling spread upwards and grew stronger in the shade of the Hazelbush. A hundred years passed. The Hazelbush had long ago dried up, but the Oak from that acorn towered to the sky and spread his tent in all directions.
THE HEN AND THE CHICKS
A Hen hatched some Chicks, but did not know how to take care of them. So she said to them:
"Creep back into your shells! When you are inside your shells, I will sit on you as before, and will take care of you."
The Chicks did as they were ordered and tried to creep into their shells, but were unable to do so, and only crushed their wings. Then one of the Chicks said to his mother:
"If we are to stay all the time in our shells, you ought never to have hatched us."
THE CORN-CRAKE AND HIS MATE
A Corn-crake had made a nest in the meadow late in the year, and at mowing time his Mate was still sitting on her eggs. Early in the morning the peasants came to the meadow, took off the coats, whetted their scythes, and started one after another to mow down the grass and to put it down in rows. The Corn-crake flew up to see what the mowers were doing. When he saw a peasant swing his scythe and cut a snake in two, he rejoiced and flew back to his Mate and said:
"Don't fear the peasants! They have come to cut the snakes to pieces; they have given us no rest for quite awhile."