The Rooster, the Cat, and the Club

Once upon a time, there was a humble cottage at the edge of a dark but lively forest. In it, three brothers lived together with their father, who was a very old and wise man. They were all very happy for many years, exploring the forest and living off of the land.

Then one day, the father died. He’d only left the simple cottage, plus a red rooster, a cat, and an old, weathered club.

After their father’s funeral, the brothers had to divide their inheritance. They all agreed on sharing the cottage, but what of the rest?

The eldest brother took the red rooster, which was more valuable, he thought. The middle one took the cat, which he of course thought was the next valuable. And the youngest had to get by with the old, weathered club. They each had to start thinking about how to use their inherited things.

The eldest went to the large market in a nearby town, wishing to sell the red rooster for a few coins. But nobody wanted to buy it, and so, all upset, he began to return home in the evening. He was just passing through a small village, which was still quite far from the cottage where he and his brothers lived, when night came.

Luckily, there were some nice people in the village who took pity on him. They let him sleep in their barn on the straw stacks with his red rooster. He was happy to lie down and rest, after such a long and disappointing journey. It was still quite dark when he was woken up by the creaking of the gate. He looked around and saw the man of the house heading out.

“But where are you going so late at night…