Once upon a time there lived a man who had a Cat and also some Chickens and Geese. Summer came, it was very hot, and the Geese set out to look for water. They walked and they walked and they met a Chicken.

"Where are you going, Geese?" asked the Chicken.

"To look for water. It's so very hot out."

"I'll come with you," the Chicken said, opening wide her beak, for she felt very hot too.

"Go ahead!"

So the Geese and the Chicken went on, they walked and they walked, and they met a Cat.

"Where are you going?" asked the Cat.

"To look for water."

"May I come with you?"

"Go ahead!" So the Geese, the Chicken, and the Cat went on together. They walked and they walked, and by and by they came to a lake. The Geese flapped their wings and flew straight into the water, they swam and played about in it, and they liked it so much that they honked loudly in pleasure.

The Chicken and the Cat stood on the shore and looked on. The sun blazed away in the sky, and they would have liked to take a dip but were afraid to. They looked at the- water, and they saw a Chicken and a Cat just like themselves in it.

 "Those two are not afraid, so why should we be!" they said. They jumped into the water and nearly drowned, and they were only able to climb out onto the shore with the greatest of difficulty. The Cat looked at the lake and felt so bad that he was seized with a fit of shivering. He shook off the water and said:

"I will never be so foolish as to try to swim again. I can wash myself very well sitting on a stove.”

"I'll never be so foolish either," said the Chicken. "I can get myself just as clean by taking a dust bath."

And with that, they set out for home. The Chicken saw some dust on the road and flapped her wings for joy.

"I am going to take a dust bath!” she cried. "It's a hundred times more enjoyable!”

And the Cat whisked into the hut, sprang up onto the stove, and, purring loudly, began licking himself all over. "I'll never trade the stove for a lake," he said. "Who wants to swim!”

And from that day on Geese have always bathed in water, Cats washed themselves sitting on the top of a stove, and Chickens take  dust baths. And he who doesn't believe this can watch them and see for himself!

 

 

Adaptation of the Ukrainian fairy tale:

“Why geese always bathe in water, cats clean themselves with their tongues and chickens take dust baths”,

 that was suggested within the framework of  the eTwinning project: A TRIP TO FAIRY-TALE  2015-2016  from Dolishniy Shepit Educational Complex of Ukraine -teacher Marianna Klymchuk. The adaptation is made from the pupils of the 6b class of Tsikalaria Primary School and their teacher, Eftihia Aligizaki.

 

Once upon a time, there was a farm in the bright green fields of Ukraine, near the lake Brebeneskul. There lived a happy family. On a summer’s really hot midday, all the animals of the farm were suffering from the heat. The geese, which were the boldest animals of the farm, were looking for a way to cool themselves.

• OMG, what heat!
• What a hot summer this is!
• Even if we lived on Crete it wouldn’t be so hot!
• Let’s go to the lake!
• Get loose to go to the lake to cool down, before we die from this heat!
• Yes, yes! Amazing idea!
• Whoever gets there last is a chicken!

They got loose and started running happily to the lake.

• Geeeese! Hey, geeeese! Geese, hold on! Where are you going in such a hurry on this hot day?
• We’re going to the lake to take a bath!
• May I come too?
• But you don’t like water.
• Maybe, but I want to come with you!
• Follow us!
• Great!  Thanks! Let’s go!

After a little while, they met a cat resting on a rock.

• Hey, hey look! Look over there! The cat is sunbathing on the rock!
• Hello, cat. We’re going for a bath. Do you want to come with us?
• Hm, it’s so nice here in the sun, but… anyway… I’ll come!

And so, the whole gang went on their way to the lake, dancing and singing.

• Papapapa, ko ko ko, miaou miaou.
• Pa pa pa pa, time to dive, pa pa pa pa, time to dive.
• Pa pa pa, it’s time to dive!

But the cat and the chicken were hesitating.

• They seem to be having fun. Should we dive in too?
• Should we? Should we not?
•  I’m afraid.
• Me too.
• Hey, look!  A chicken and a cat, identical to us, are swimming before our very eyes!
• Then I am not afraid! Let’s dive too! What are we, chickens? I don’t know about you, but I am not!

They took a dive, but they almost drowned!

• In the name of goddess Bast, daughter of Ra. Why on earth did I do that? I was just fine sitting on my rock. I wouldn’t do this again for all the money in the world. Never, never again! I have been created to clean myself. My tongue is the best sponge and the heat is my friend. What’s the use of water for me? Only to drink.
•    Ko ko ko ko ko, Why on earth did I do that too? I almost drowned! I have been created for bathing in the dust. For dry cleaning, as they say. This is delightful, not long dives that get you to the bottom of the lake! Aaah, delightful!

And from that day on, geese always bathe in water, cats clean  themselves with their tongues and chickens enjoy their baths in dust. And whoever doesn’t believe it, just  take a look at nature around you!

 

 

Hello, from 6b class team-2015/2016 of Tsikalaria Primary School.

Dolishniy Shepit Educational Complex-teacher Marianna Klymchuk of Ukraine, we love your fairy-tale.

 

 

The adaptation of this lovely fairytale is ready. We hope you will enjoy it.

 

 

In this video, you can hear the fairytale in greek language.