Then, he went to the nearby town and sold half of the wood to those who could not go to gather for themselves. From the market, he bought some bread and when he went back home, he gave the hardest parts of it to his donkey. The hen got the crumbs and every day gave him a large egg in exchange.
One day, the poor man went to the forest and chose an old tree to cut. He lifted his axe and was just about to strike the tree when a bird flew over his head and started to talk to him in a human voice.
« Please, don't cut my tree ! »
« Why not ? » asked the man.
« Up there, I have a nest and in it, I have three eggs. If you cut the tree, they will fall and will lose my babies ! Leave me my tree and I will offer you a gift in exchange ! »
« What gift can you offer me ? You are only a small bird... »
« It doen't matter if I'm a small bird ! I am small, it's true, but I have long feathers. And three of them are magic ! You can take one of the feathers. Tonight, before going to sleep, put the feather under your hen. In the morning, you'll have your reward. »
The poor man decided to do as the bird had said.
The bird gave him a feather in exchange. Then, the poor man gathered some dry wood and went back home. In the evening, he put the feather under the hen and went to bed. In the mornng, he went to see what had happened and what was his amazement to discover that on the place of the usual egg, there stood a massive golden egg !
« Wow ! » the poor man was so happy that decided to take it to the town. There, he knew a jeweller who exchanged golden objects in his shop.
« Look what I have ! » cried the man out and approached the counter.
« Where have you stolen it from ? » asked him the mean jeweller.
« I haven't stolen it ! » retorted the man indignantly, « It's my hen ! I have a white hen who started laying golden eggs ! »
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