Once upon a time, across seven and seven countries, there was a magpie and his six sons. This magpie wanted to have his sons baptized, but he could not find a priest to baptize them. One day, as he was sitting on the top of a tree, very sad, the fox came and called to him:
- Why are you moping, magpie?
- How can I grieve when I have six sons and can't find a priest to baptize them.
- "If that's all that's the matter with you," said the fox, "don't be sorry, just throw up your sons one by one, and I'll baptize them.
The magpie was about to drop a son.
- "One," counted the fox, "and at that moment he ate the magpie boy.
The old magpie didn't see this, and he told the fox after him:
- One!
Then he dropped the second one.
The fox cried out:
- Two - and he got the magpie.
And the magpie has also swooped down:
- Two!
So the magpie vomited on all six of his sons, and the fox ate all six.
When he has thrown the sixth one, he calls down to the fox:
- Have you baptised him?
- And me! I ate all six.
- "Oh, you wicked one," the magpie hissed, "stop! I'll cut out both your eyes.
He jumped down from the tree, but the fox wasn't waiting for him either, he ran through the bushes and ditches. The magpie flew everywhere above him, but when he hit the ground, the fox kept jumping further and further, so he couldn't catch him.
As the poor magpie flies, he meets a copter and says to him:
- You cop! Won't you join me as a hired hand?
- "I'll go in, with a good heart," says the cop, "if you keep me in meat.
- "Come with me," says the magpie, "the butcher has just killed a bull, you can eat there.
They go into the village, the magpie climbs on top of the butcher's house and starts to tussle, but so hard that the butcher has no peace. The butcher went out, his wife and children went out, too, and they pushed and threw the magpie, but it kept on buzzing, and did not fly off the roof of the house until the herdman crept into the house, and there he was well fed with meat. Then it flew away, and the hound ran after it.
- Have you been well? - asks the magpie.
- I have done well, my soul, my master, but now I shall be thirsty.
- No problem, just follow me! Over there, in that stable, a woman is milking the cows, and you can drink all the milk you can drink.
They go up there, the magpie flies up to the roof of the house, starts to chirp. The woman runs out in a rage, throws it, throws it away.
- Get lost, magpie, get lost! Show me no guest, that I may live myself.
Meanwhile, the hound went into the stable and drank the milk down to a dribble.
- "Well, my sock," asks the magpie, "have you had enough to drink?
- I have eaten and drunk enough, my soul, my master, we can now go after the fox.
The magpie flew, and the hound ran under him, and as he flew over a field of wheat, he saw the fox lying among the wheat.
- 'This way, my word, this way,' he shouted to the hound, 'here's the fox!
The fox jumps up, the hound after him, they get out of the wheat field and onto the highway. Just then a man with three horses and a cart passed by.
On the cart was a large barrel of wine.
Suddenly, the man grabs the axe, throws it at the fox, but instead of the fox he finds the hound, and the poor hound dies on the spot.
Oh, my God, the magpies are attacking the man:
- Hey, myafi! Why did you hit my sock?!
Says the man:
- I wanted the fox, I couldn't help it if I found the hound.
- 'Now, whether you wanted the fox or not,' said the magpie, 'I'm going to cut your horse's eyes out.
- You should try it! - said the man.
The magpie didn't think twice, he flew up to the horse's head to gouge its eyes out, but the man didn't think twice either, he swung his axe at the magpie in a great rage. But instead of the magpie he struck the horse's head, and he struck it so hard that the horse turned over and let out a roar.
- 'That's not enough,' says the magpie, 'I'll gouge out the eyes of your other two horses.
- Just try it! - said the man.
- "I'll give it a try," said the magpie, and mounted the head of the horse in the middle. A man picks up his axe and aims at the magpie, but whether he aimed at him or not, it is enough that he has now hit his horse on the head.
The horse turned upside down, gave off his steam, and so did the third one: the horse with a slack (a horse that is tied to the carriage or to the horses, but not pulling - ed.).
Says the magpie now:
- That wasn't enough: I'm also releasing your wine.
He climbs on top of the barrel, starts scraping the cork, the man angrily strikes with the axe, but he strikes so hard that the barrel is torn to shreds: the wine has spilled out. The man was carried away, the magpie was carried away, even the axe was carried away, and the wine still carries them away, if they are not stuck somewhere...
