In a village, in a little house near a flowing river, two roosters lived in the yard. Every day in the chicken coop, where laying hens and little chicks also lived, it was very noisy because these two roosters were constantly picking fights and quarreling with each other.
And they quarreled and fought every time over trifles and insignificant little things: one looked sideways and unfriendly, the other crowed and made a racket at the wrong time.
Well, why are you always picking on each other? Such a beautiful sunny day, and you're at it again...
Asked the piglet, sticking his snout out of the puddle where he had been lounging since morning.
Not far away in the barn stood a cow, peacefully chewing her grass.
She slowly raised her head and, drawing out her words, slowly said:
Moo-oo-oo, Moo-oo-oo! What troublemakers, what rascals! And why can't they live quietly and peacefully?
And she continued to chew her grass evenly.
One day the roosters quarreled so loudly and for so long that all the inhabitants of the yard were forced to gather at the sound.
Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Everyone come, please judge between us. We can't settle this ourselves!
The roosters shouted with all their might.
And so, the important geese gathered, the restless hens, the portly pigs also left their favorite mud puddles and came to the center of the yard. All the animals left their business and surrounded the spirited roosters.
The rivals stopped for a moment, moved slightly apart from each other, put their wings on their hips and asked their yard neighbors:
Judge us! Which of us is the most handsome and the most distinguished? Tell us, only tell the truth, hiding nothing and embellishing nothing. Who has the brightest feathers? Who has the longest and fluffiest tail? Who has the most melodious voice?
The animals and birds fell silent, thinking about how to properly answer the roosters' questions, how to judge them. Both fine fellows were very handsome, both sang merrily and melodiously... One more beautiful than the other, yes indeed—hard to choose. The animals thought for a long time, conferred, argued and, in the end, sent a negotiator to the quarreling roosters.
A cat stepped out into the middle of the farmyard.
The purring fellow fluffed up his tail, smoothed his whiskers, which he was secretly very proud of, meowed softly and spoke:
We thought and thought here, and here's what we decided... You are both, roosters, handsome as a picture. Everyone around knows that better than our roosters, you won't find any in any yard in the whole village, even in the entire district.
How can that be?! Does it mean that my feathers are just as bright, long and beautiful as my rival's?
One of the roosters ruffled up.
Then the second bully-braggart jingled his spurs, scratched the ground with his claws and said:
And does he really sing as loudly, melodiously and beautifully as I do? Well then, watch out!!
And both roosters started fighting again. Dust rose in a column, beautiful feathers flew in all directions, the yard was full of screaming.
And when the huge cloud of dust settled, fell to the ground, all the inhabitants of the poultry yard rubbed their eyes, shook off the thick layer of dust and dirt that appeared after the roosters' battle, and saw a pitiful sight.
Both rivals stood dirty, with debris in their wings, with plucked feathers, disheveled tails. Torn combs hung to one side, legs scratched bloody, the fighters' breathing couldn't recover.
From exhaustion both roosters plopped into a puddle, exhausted they couldn't even talk, let alone shout and sort out their rights. Their voices were hoarse from loud screaming, only painful hissing came from their beaks.
Then an important goose stepped forward and said:
What have you done, you unsuccessful fighters? Oh you troublemakers, show-offs, braggarts... Now each of you look at yourself, and then at each other. And which of you is better now, more handsome, brighter and more melodious?
The quarrelsome roosters couldn't say anything in their defense.
Since then, in the poultry yard, and indeed in the whole village, it became quieter and calmer. The roosters no longer quarreled, no longer boasted to each other, but lived together in friendship and peace.
And in the mornings, taking turns, they cleaned their bright feathers and sang out their melodious and loud:
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
