Королёк

It was very much-very for a long time. Has taken in head to select to birds to itself the king that it corrected them. Birds wished to discuss this important issue properly. They were flied from all ends, from all woods and fields. Here there was also an eagle, and зяблик, both an owl, and a raven, both a lark, and a sparrow... Yes unless all you will re-read? The tiniest bird at whom even the name was not has arrived also. Also have decided birds, that the king will be the one who can fly up above all. Have decided to begin competition directly since early morning that then nobody spoke: “I would rise still above, but became very dark, and consequently I could not”.

And here all birds have departed. Have begun to clap, have rustled with wings. Over a field the whole clubs of a dust have risen, and became so darkly as if the black cloud has flown.

Small birdies have soon become exhausted and got on the earth. The big birds have sustained longer. But any of them could not be made even to an eagle: it has flied up so highly, that could even to the sun of an eye выклевать. The eagle has seen, that all birds remained far below, and has thought: “What for to me to fly still above? I and so will be the king”. And it began to go down. And all birds unanimously shouted to it from below:

- You are our king! You have flied up above all!

- Except me! - the small anonymous bird who has hidden in feathers on a breast of an eagle has peeped.

It has taken off therefrom and began to rise all above and above. And as all time while the eagle flied, she had a rest, has risen now above the eagle. And has then combined wings, has gone down a stone downwards and has shouted:

- The king I! The King I!

- You are our king?! - all birds have angrily cried on it. - well is not present! You have achieved a victory only trickery and cunning.

And they have laid down a new condition: the king will be the one who will manage most deeply to leave under the earth.

What the alarm here has begun! Широкогрудый the goose hastened to get out more soon of a pond on the earth. The cock very much hurried up to dig out a pole. To a duck has got most. It has jumped off in a ditch, yes has broken to itself a pad and has hobbled back to a pond. And on road all grunted:

- Кря, кря, кря! All in vain, in vain, in vain! And the anonymous bird has found a mouse mink, has whisked in it and shouts therefrom a thin voice:

- The king I! The King I!

- You are our king?! - birds have cried on it. - in vain you think, that your cunning will help you!

And they have decided to punish a birdie and not to let out it from a mouse mink. “Let, - think, - she will die there with hunger”. And to guard a mink have put an owl.

As there has already come evening, and birds have very much got tired of competitions all of them have scattered on the nests. Only one owl remained with a mouse mink and did not reduce from it eyes. But she too is very tired and consequently has thought: “I Will close e one eye, and another I will watch. The villain and so will not escape me”. It has closed one eye, and another has steadfastly stared at a mink. Only was the bird has put out a head from a mink and the owl here as here wished to slip away already, and. It was necessary to a birdie to hide back.

Then the owl has closed that eye which has been opened till now, and has opened another. So she also wished to do all night long.

But here happens, that the owl has closed one eye, and another has forgotten to open. And as soon as the owl has closed both eyes, and has fallen asleep.

The captive now has noticed it and has more soon flown away.

Since only will catch sight birds of an owl, and snatch on it. The owl also is afraid to be shown to that in broad daylight, and takes off only at night.

And the small artful bird too not especially is willingly shown on eyes to birds. She is afraid, as though they have not curtailed to it a head and consequently always tries to slip more close to fences where the nettle grows.

And when she feels in full safety sometimes shouts:

- I the king! I the king!

And for it birds have derisively nicknamed it корольком and крапивником.