A Piece of Liver
When a stork snatches the liver she is washing, a little girl runs after an ear of wheat, rain, a censer, a boot and a hide to get it back.
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Once there was, once there wasn't, an old granny. The granny had a craving for a piece of liver. She gave the neighbour's little girl a few coins: "My child, go to the market and buy me a piece of liver. Wash it well in the pond and bring it to me."
The girl went to the market, bought the liver and came to the edge of the pond to wash it. Just as she was washing it, a stork swooped down, snatched the liver from her hand and flew away. The girl cried out: "Stork, stork, give me back my liver! Let me take it to my granny, so my granny won't be cross with me!"
The stork said, "If you bring me an ear of wheat, I'll give you your liver."
The girl went to the wheat stalk: "Wheat stalk, wheat stalk, give me an ear! I'll give the ear to the stork, the stork will give me my liver, and I'll take the liver to my granny." The wheat stalk said, "If you bring me rain, I'll give you an ear."
The girl began to pray for rain: "Dear God, give me rain; I'll give the rain to the wheat stalk, the wheat stalk will give me an ear, I'll give the ear to the stork, the stork will give me my liver, and I'll take the liver to my granny." But just as she was praying, a man passing by said, "My child, your prayer won't reach the sky unless you burn a censer. Ask the shopkeeper in the market for one."
The girl ran to the shopkeeper: "Shopkeeper, shopkeeper, give me a censer! I'll burn the censer, God will give rain, I'll give the rain to the wheat stalk, the wheat stalk will give me an ear, I'll give the ear to the stork, the stork will give me my liver, and I'll take the liver to my granny." The shopkeeper said, "If you bring me a boot from the cobbler, I'll give you a censer."
The girl ran to the cobbler: "Cobbler, cobbler, give me a boot! I'll give the boot to the shopkeeper, the shopkeeper will give me a censer, I'll burn the censer, God will give rain, I'll give the rain to the wheat stalk, the wheat stalk will give me an ear, I'll give the ear to the stork, the stork will give me my liver, and I'll take the liver to my granny." The cobbler said, "If you bring me leather, I'll sew you a boot."
The girl ran to the tanner: "Tanner, tanner, give me some leather!" and she recited all her words from beginning to end. The tanner said, "If you bring me a hide from the ox, I'll give you leather for a boot." The girl ran to the ox: "Ox, ox, give me your hide!" The ox laughed: "I can't give you my own hide, but I'll give you my old worn-out coat. If you bring me straw."
The girl ran to the farmer: "Farmer, farmer, give me straw! I'll give the straw to the ox, the ox will give me a hide, I'll give the hide to the tanner, the tanner will give me leather, I'll give the leather to the cobbler, the cobbler will give me a boot, I'll give the boot to the shopkeeper, the shopkeeper will give me a censer, I'll burn the censer, God will give rain, I'll give the rain to the wheat stalk, the wheat stalk will give me an ear, I'll give the ear to the stork, the stork will give me my liver, and I'll take the liver to my granny!"
When the farmer heard this long speech he said with a smiling face: "If you sing me a nice song, I'll give you the straw." The girl was a little shy, but she thought: "What's a song? Shall I give up all this way for the sake of a song?" And she sang her favourite song. The farmer was so pleased that he gave the girl an armful of straw.
The girl took the straw to the ox, and the ox gave her his worn-out hide. She took the hide to the tanner, and the tanner gave her leather for a boot. She took the leather to the cobbler, and the cobbler sewed a boot. She took the boot to the shopkeeper, and the shopkeeper gave her a censer. The girl burned the censer and prayed: "Dear God, give me rain!"
Pitter-patter, rain began to fall from the sky. The girl gave the rain to the wheat stalk, and the wheat stalk gave her an ear of wheat. She took the ear to the stork, and the stork gave the liver back. The girl took the liver to her granny. Her granny cooked the liver, ate half of it herself, and gave the other half to the little girl who had walked all that way.
And that is how this tale came to an end. If you want something, you must go after it patiently, step by step, without hurting anyone. Three apples fell from the sky: one for the one who told the tale, one for the one who listened, and one for the little girl who went all round the village for a piece of liver.
The tale ends here. Sleep well.
A Piece of Liver is a children's tale from Anatolian folk tale, suitable for ages 3-8 and about 4 minutes long. Read it free on Masal Merkezi, play a lullaby or nature sound in the background, tap any word to see its Turkish meaning and save it to your favorites. For similar tales browse the Turkish Folk Tales category.
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