The Rooster and His Companions French folktale

Once there was a cock that was so old that the farmer decided to slaughter him. But the cock overheard what the farmer was about to do to him, and headed for the woods. On the way he met a sheep.

"Hello, rooster!"

"Hello, sheep! What are you doing?" said the rooster.

"Nothing."

"Do you want to come with me?"

"Yes."

On the way they met a cat.

"Hello, rooster and sheep!" said the cat.

"Hello, cat, what are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Do you want to come with us?" said the rooster and the sheep.

"Yes."

In the night they saw a house with no lights coming out from the windows. The three companions went closer and found that three wolves lived there, and then they went up on the roof. A wild boar's skin was attached to the top of the chimney there to keep rain out.

The sheep sent the skin to the bottom of the chimney. When the sooted, heavy skin came banging down, the wolves were scared and fled at full speed. The three companions went into the house. The cock settled on a shelf, the sheep found a place next to the door, while the cat jumped into a corner by the fireplace.

But one of the wolves had forgotten his knife, and came back to look for it.

From his shelf the rooster said, "If I make use of my two sickles, I will cut off your head."

The cat said to him from his fireplace corner: "If I go with my awl, I'll tear out his eyes."

Terrified, the wolf started off at full speed for the door. Then the sheep, who stood next to it, butted him in the flanks.

When the wolf found his comrades, he said to them: "There was a reaper who wanted to cut my neck, a shoemaker who wanted to tear out my eyes, and a barrel-maker who rammed me in the back!"