A wealthy hunter killed a crane and sent it to his cook to have it roasted. The bird was no plump and appetising that Chichibio, the cook, could not resist the temptation to cut off a leg and eat it.
When the roast came to be served at the duke's table. the duke noticed that the crane had only one leg and, in a severe voice, demanded an explanation from the cook.
'All cranes,' Chichibio had the nerve to say, 'have only one leg.'
'Really?' said his master. 'Then tomorrow we shall go together to the pond to see. If it turns out that you have tried to deceive me, you will be very sorry indeed.'
The next morning, the cranes in the pond, like all of their kind, were sleeping balanced on one leg only.
'What did I tell you?' said the cook with a sly mile.
The duke clapped his hands and the frightened cranes immediately dropped their other legs to the ground in order to flee.
'That's not fair!' protested Chichibio. 'You didn't clap your hands last night. If you had done that, then even the roast crane would have pulled out its other leg!'
When the roast came to be served at the duke's table. the duke noticed that the crane had only one leg and, in a severe voice, demanded an explanation from the cook.
'All cranes,' Chichibio had the nerve to say, 'have only one leg.'
'Really?' said his master. 'Then tomorrow we shall go together to the pond to see. If it turns out that you have tried to deceive me, you will be very sorry indeed.'
The next morning, the cranes in the pond, like all of their kind, were sleeping balanced on one leg only.
'What did I tell you?' said the cook with a sly mile.
The duke clapped his hands and the frightened cranes immediately dropped their other legs to the ground in order to flee.
'That's not fair!' protested Chichibio. 'You didn't clap your hands last night. If you had done that, then even the roast crane would have pulled out its other leg!'
0 comments:
Post a Comment