Christmas was approaching. Mr. Smith had no money to buy presents for his children. His wife was ill, and he had spent much on her medicine. With a poor harvest, his family faced hunger the coming spring. He was deeply worried.
"We only have a rooster," Mrs. Smith suggested one day. "You should take it to town, sell it, and buy some cakes and sweets for the children."
"That's a good idea!" Mr. Smith agreed. The next morning, he caught the rooster and placed it in a box. The road, covered in thick snow, was difficult to walk. After two hours, tired, he set the box down to rest.
"The air in this box must be stale," he thought to himself. "I'd better let the rooster out for a while, or it might die."
He released the rooster. When he tried to continue his journey, he could no longer catch it.
"How foolish you are!" Mr. Smith shouted angrily. "You can herald the break of day at night, but you cannot find your way to town in the daytime!"