Inter-cool-tural stories- Italy

CRYSTAL COCK

Once upon a time there was a cock that went around the world.
He found a letter on the road, he picked it up with his beak and read it. It said:
“Crystal cock, crystalline hen, countess goose, abbess duck, little goldfinch bird, let’s go to Pollicino’s wedding!”
The cock decided to go and along the way he met the hen and she asked him: “Where are you going, Mr. Cock?”
“I’m going to Pollicino’s wedding”, he answered.
“Can I come with you?”, she asked.
“Yes, if you are mentioned in the letter”, he said.
He checked : “Crystal Cock, crystalline hen, …. So he exclaimed: “You are here! Then, let’s go!”

So they set off again. After a short time they met the Goose.
“Where are you going, Miss Hen and Mr. Cock?”, she asked.
“We’re going to Pollicino’s wedding!”, they answered.
“Can I come with you?”, she asked.
“Yes, if you are mentioned in the letter”, he said.
He opened the letter again and read: “Crystal Cock, crystalline Hen, countess Goose …. So he exclaimed: “You are here! Then, let’s go!”
They walked and walked and after they met the Duck.
“Where are you going, Miss Goose, Miss Hen and Mr. Cock?”, she asked.
“We’re going to Pollicino’s wedding”, they answered.
“Can I come with you?” she asked.
“Yes, if you are mentioned in the letter!”, he said.
He read the letter: “Crystal Cock, crystalline Hen, countess Goose, abbess Duck, …. So he exclaimed: “You are here! So you can come too!”
After some time they met the little goldfinch bird.
“Where are you going, Miss Duck, Miss Goose, Miss Hen and Mr. Cock?”, he asked.
“We’re going to Pollicino’s wedding”, they answered.
“Can I come with you?” she asked.
“Yes, if you are mentioned in the letter!”, he said.
He read the letter: “Crystal Cock, crystalline Hen, countess Goose, abbess Duck, little goldfinch Bird, …!
“You are here too!”, and all five set off again.
At a certain point they met a wolf that asked them as well where they were going.
“We’re going to Pollicino’s wedding”, the Cock answered.
“Can I come with you?” the wolf asked.
“Yes, if you are mentioned in the letter!”, and the Cock read the letter again, but the wolf wasn’t there.
“But I want to come too!” exclaimed the wolf.
And because they were afraid they agreed: “Let’s go!”
After a while, suddenly the wolf said,
“I’m hungry!”
“I haven’t got anything for you to eat!”, the Cock answered.
“So, I’lll eat you!” and the wolf opened his mouth wide and swallowed him whole.
Further along the way the wolf said again:
“I’m hungry!”
the Hen answered him like the cock and the wolf swallowed her too.
He did the same with the Goose.
He did the same with the Duck.
Only the wolf and the little bird were left. The wolf said, “Little bird, I’m hungry!”
“I don’t know what to give you to eat!, the little bird said.
“So, I’ll eat you!!!”, and the wolf opened his mouth wide” … and the little bird flew onto the wolf’s head. The wolf tried to catch him, but the little bird flew about here and there, he jumped from branch to branch, then he came back onto the wolf’s head then onto his tail and he drew him mad.
When the wolf was tired out, the little bird saw a woman coming from a long way off with a basket on her head. She was taking the reapers something to eat. The little bird called the Wolf and said,
“If you spare me, I’ll get you to eat the pasta and meat the woman is taking the reapers. Because when she sees me, she’ll want to catch me, but I’ll fly away and jump about from branch to branch, So she’ll put the basket on the ground and you can eat everything.
And it happened in this way!
“Help! Help!”, shouted the woman.
The reapers arrived: Some, with their scythes, and some, with sticks, jumped onto the olf and killed him.
Crystal Cock, crystalline Hen, countess Goose, abbess Duck jumped out of the wolf’s tummy safe and sound and they went to Pollicino’s wedding with the little goldfinch bird.