# Italian Version explained — Zuni Folktales

> Chapter companion for Zuni Folktales by Frank Hamilton Cushing.

## What happens

A cock and a mouse go to eat nuts. The mouse climbs the tree easily, but the cock cannot reach the nuts. The mouse throws a nut that hits the cock on the head, injuring him. The cock then seeks help from an old woman, a dog, a baker, a forest, and a fountain in a chain of exchanges, finally obtaining rags to cure his head.

## Themes in this chapter

### Sacrifice and Consequence

The cock's injury leads to a chain of reciprocal exchanges, each requiring a sacrifice to obtain the next item.

## Character check-ins

### The Cock

Injured by a nut thrown by the mouse; seeks help through a chain of exchanges.

### Friend Mouse

Climbs the tree and accidentally injures the cock by throwing a nut.

### The Old Grandmother

Provides rags in exchange for hairs.

## Key lines

> Once upon a time there were a cock and a mouse. One day the mouse said to the cock: 'Friend Cock, shall we go and eat some nuts on yonder tree?' 'As you like.' So they both went under the tree and the mouse climbed up at once and began to eat.

A cock and a mouse decide to gather nuts from a tree; the mouse quickly climbs and starts eating.

_Opening of the story establishing the two characters and their goal._

> The poor cock began to fly, and flew and flew, but could not come where the mouse was. When it saw that there was no hope of getting there, it said: 'Friend Mouse, do you know what I want you to do? Throw me a nut.' The mouse went and threw one and hit the cock on the head.

Unable to reach the nuts, the cock asks the mouse to throw one down, but the mouse accidentally hits the cock on the head.

_The incident that causes the cock's injury and sets the chain of events in motion._

> The cock went away to a fountain. 'Fountain, give me water; water I will carry to the forest; forest will give wood; wood I will carry to the baker; baker will give bread; bread I will give dog; dog will give hairs; hairs I will give old woman; old woman will give rags to cure my head.'

The cock asks the fountain for water, explaining the entire chain of exchanges that will lead to rags for his head.

_Illustrates the cumulative, chain-like structure of the cock's requests._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters/italian-version
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- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/zuni_folktales_se/chapters