Explore "The Miraculous Hen" by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
Beyond thrice-nine lands, in the thrice-tenth realm -- it was not in our kingdom -- once an old man and an old woman lived in great need and poverty. They had two sons, who were very young and as yet of no use for field work. So the old man got up himself, and himself did all the work; he went out and looked after the labourers, and for all that he could only earn a few pence.
As he was going home one day he met a sorry drunkard, who had a hen in his hands. "Will you, old man, buy my hen?"