“Heaven knows that I’ve got a torment in this monster of a rooster，” said the gentleman. “Driver， rid me of it， toss it into the middle of the herds of cows and oxen； perhaps some bull will stick its horns through it and relieve us.” You ought to have seen the rooster’s delight. It swallowed bulls， oxen， cows， and calves， till it had 4）devoured the whole herd and its stomach had grown as big as a mountain. Then it went to the window again， spread out its wings before the sun so that it darkened the gentleman’s room， and once more began：“Kikeriki， sir， Kikerikak， to me the little purse give back.”
When the gentleman saw this he was ready to burst with rage and did not know what to do to get rid of the rooster. At last an idea entered his head： “I’ll lock it up in the treasurechamber. Perhaps if it tries to swallow the 5）ducats one will stick in its throat， and I shall get rid of the bird.” The rooster swallowed all the money and left the chests empty. Then it escaped from the room， went to the gentleman’s window， and again began： “Kikeriki， sir， Kikerikak， to me the little purse give back.”
As the gentleman saw that there was nothing else to be done he tossed the purse out. The rooster picked it up， went about its own business， and left the gentleman in peace. All the poultry ran after the rooster so that it really looked like a wedding.
When the old man heard the rooster’s voice he ran out joyfully to meet the bird. His rooster had become a terrible object. An elephant beside it would have seemed like a flea； and following behind came countless flocks of birds， each one more beautiful and brilliant than the other. “Master，” said the bird， “spread a sheet here in the middle of the yard.”
The rooster took its stand upon it， spread its wings， and instantly the whole yard was filled with birds and herds of cattle， but it shook out on the sheet a pile of ducats that flashed in the sun till they dazzled the eyes. When the old man beheld this vast treasure， he did not know what to do in his delight. He hugged and kissed the rooster.
But all at once the old woman saw this marvelous spectacle her eyes glittered in her head， and she was ready to burst with wrath.“Dear old friend，” she said， “give me a few ducats.”
“Pine away with longing for them， old woman； when I begged you for some eggs， you know what you answered. Now flog your hen that it may bring you ducats. I beat my rooster， and you see what it has fetched me.”
The old woman went to the hen-coop， shook the hen， took it by the tail， and gave it such a drubbing that it was enough to make one weep for pity. When the poor hen escaped from the old woman’s hands it fled to the highway. While walking along it found a bead， swallowed it， hurried back home as fast as possible， and began to cackle at the gate. The old woman welcomed it joyfully. The old woman hastened to see what the hen had laid. A little glass bead！ When the old woman saw that the hen had fooled her， she began to beat it， and beat till she flogged it to death. So the stupid old soul remained as poor as a 6）church-mouse.