The Three Sons of Fortune

A father once called his three sons before him. He gave the first a rooster, the second a scythe, and the third a cat. “I am old,” he said, “and soon I will die. I wanted to think of you before my end. I have no money, so what I give you may seem like little, but it all depends on how wisely you use it. Find a country where these things are still unknown, and you will be rich.”

After the father died, the eldest son went away with his rooster. But wherever he went, the rooster was already known. In towns he saw roosters far off, sitting on church towers and turning with the wind. In villages he heard many roosters crowing. No one thought the rooster was special, so it seemed he would never get rich from it.

At last he came to an island where the people knew nothing about roosters and did not even know how to tell time. They knew when it was morning or evening, but at night, if they woke up, they had no way to know the hour.

“Look!” he said. “What a proud creature! It has a ruby-red crown on its head and spurs like a knight. It calls you three times during the night at set hours. When it calls the last time, the sun will soon rise. But if it crows during the day, expect a change in weather.”

The people were delighted. They stayed awake all night and listened with joy as the rooster crowed loudly at two, four, and six o’clock. They asked if the creature was for sale and how much he wanted. “About as much gold as a donkey can carry,” he answered. “A ridiculously small price for such a precious creature!” they cried and gladly gave him what he asked.

When he came home with his wealth, his brothers were amazed. The second son said, “Well, I will go and see if I can sell my scythe as well.” But it did not look good. Everywhere farmers met him, each with a scythe on his shoulder.

At last he came to an island where the people knew nothing about scythes. When the grain was ripe, they took cannons to the fields and shot it down. This was a clumsy business. Many shots went over the grain, others hit only the ears instead of the stalks, wasting much, and it made a terrible noise. So the man set to work and mowed so quietly and quickly that the people were amazed. They agreed to give him whatever he wanted for the scythe, and he received a horse loaded with as much gold as it could carry.

Now the third son wanted to take his cat to the right place. He fared like his brothers. As long as he stayed on the mainland, there was nothing to do. Every place had cats, so many that newborn kittens were often drowned in ponds.

At last he sailed to an island where no cat had ever been seen, and the mice had taken over so much that they danced on tables and benches whether the owner was home or not. The people complained bitterly about the plague. Even the King in his palace did not know how to protect himself from them. Mice squeaked in every corner and gnawed whatever they could reach with their teeth.

But the cat began her hunt and soon cleared a couple of rooms. The people begged the King to buy the wonderful beast for the country. The King gladly gave what was asked—a mule loaded with gold—and the third son came home with the greatest treasure of all.

The cat made herself merry chasing mice in the royal palace and killed so many they could not be counted. At last she grew warm from the work and thirsty, so she stood still, lifted her head, and cried, “Mew!

Mew!” When they heard this strange cry, the King and all his people were frightened and ran out of the palace in terror. Then the King took counsel about what to do. Finally they decided to send a herald to the cat and demand that she leave the palace, or else force would be used against her.

The councillors said, “We would rather let ourselves be plagued with the mice, for we are used to that, than give up our lives to such a monster.” So a noble youth was sent to ask the cat if she would peacefully leave the castle.

But the cat, whose thirst had become even greater, only answered, “Mew! Mew!” The young man understood her to say, “Certainly not! Certainly not!” and took this answer to the King. “Then,” said the councillors, “she shall yield to force.” Cannons were brought out, and the palace was soon in flames.

When the fire reached the room where the cat was sitting, she jumped safely out of the window. But the besiegers did not stop until the whole palace was shot down to the ground.