VI
THE ROOSTER, THE CAT, AND THE
REAP-HOOK
The Story of the Rooster
Once on a time there were three brothers, who were orphans. The oldest was called Jack, the second was called John, and the youngest was known as Jack-John. Their father was a poor laborer, who was compelled to get up in the morning when the roosters crew for daylight, and he worked all day, and until very late in the night. He found it a hard matter to earn his daily bread, and it was only with a great deal of toil and trouble that he could provide for his little children. When the mother was alive they could manage to make both ends meet, but after she died it seemed that everything was changed. The ground was less fertile, and the rains were less frequent, and the crops were smaller than they had been. In short, matters were in such a condition that the family had fallen into the most abject want; and to add to all this, during a very cold winter, their father died, leaving them alone. As may be supposed, the children cried and mourned a long time, but, at last, as is natural with children, they ceased to grieve. After a while, when all had ceased to mourn, the oldest said:
"The land has been a curse to us. Let us divide the inheritance of our father and go abroad. Perhaps we can make our fortunes elsewhere."
"What inheritance do you speak of? What riches have we?" inquired Jack-John.
"I know not, my dear brother," said the eldest. "Let us make an inventory and then we will see."
The inventory was made without any trouble, and, after paying a few just debts there was nothing left but a cat, a rooster, and a reap-hook. The brothers thereupon, in order to be perfectly fair, had to draw lots. The short straw gave the rooster to Jack, the cat to John, and the reap-hook to Jack-John.
Then the three brothers embraced each other affectionately, and promised to meet at the old homestead as soon as they had made their fortune; and each took a different road.
After travelling a long time in the plains and on the mountains, always keeping ahead, Jack, the eldest, reached a great kingdom belonging to Prince Calamor. Jack's journey had been a long one, and the sun was disappearing little by little, and the night coming on rapidly.