She fed Kuratko and fed him until sure
enough there came a day when there was nothing left for herself and the
old man.

That was a nice how-do-you-do! Grandmother sat working at her
spinning-wheel trying to forget that she was hungry, and Grandfather sat
on his stool nearby too cross to speak to her.

And then, quite as though nothing were the matter, Kuratko strutted into
the room, flapped his wings, and crowed:

"Cockadoodledo! I'm hungry! Give me something to eat!"

"Not another blessed thing will I ever feed you, you greedy chick!"
Grandfather shouted.

"Cockadoodledo!" Kuratko answered. "Then I'll just eat you!"

With that he made one peck at Grandfather and swallowed him down, stool
and all!

"Oh, Kuratko!" Grandmother cried. "Where's Grandpa?"

"Cockadoodledo!" Kuratko remarked. "I'm still hungry. I think I'll eat
you!"

And with that he made one peck at Grandmother and swallowed her down,
spinning-wheel and all!

Then that terrible chick went strutting down the road, crowing merrily!

He met a washerwoman at work over her wash-tub.

"Good gracious, Kuratko!" the woman cried. "What a great big crop you've
got!"

"Cockadoodledo!" Kuratko said. "I should think my crop was big for
haven't I just eaten Grandmother, spinning-wheel and all, and
Grandfather, stool and all? But I'm still hungry, so now I'm going to
eat you!"

Before the poor woman knew what was happening, Kuratko made one peck at
her and swallowed her down, wash-tub and all!

Then he strutted on down the road, crowing merrily.

Presently he came to a company of soldiers.

"Good gracious, Kuratko!" the soldiers cried. "What a great big crop
you've got!"

"Cockadoodledo!" Kuratko replied. "I should think my crop was big, for
haven't I just eaten a washerwoman, tub and all, Grandmother,
spinning-wheel and all, and Grandfather, stool and all? But I'm still
hungry, so now I'm going to eat you!"

Before the soldiers knew what was happening, Kuratko pecked at them and
swallowed them down, bayonets and all, one after another, like so many
grains of wheat!

Then that terrible chick went on strutting down the road, crowing
merrily.

Soon he met Kotsor, the cat. Kotsor, the cat, blinked his eyes and
worked his whiskers in surprise.

"Good gracious, Kuratko, what a great big crop you've got!"

"Cockadoodledo!" Kuratko said. "I should think my crop was big, for
haven't I just eaten a company of soldiers, bayonets and all; a
washerwo