Çöltoyuğu və Kirpi – Uşaqlar üçün Azərbaycan nağılı

Grouse and the Hedgehog

The Grouse Family
The Hedgehog’s Offer
The Mother Grouse Falls Ill
The Chick’s Brave Journey
The Trap and the Rescue
Healing and Gratitude
The Moral of the Story

The Grouse Family

Once upon a time, in an endless plain, there lived a Grouse with her three speckled chicks.
Every morning, she left her nest at dawn to search for seeds and herbs for her little ones.
She would return home tired but happy, bringing food for her playful chicks. Together they laughed, chirped, and enjoyed every simple meal.

The Hedgehog’s Offer

One chilly, windy autumn morning, the Grouse met her neighbor — the Hedgehog.
“Where are you going in such bad weather, sister Grouse?” he asked.

“There’s nothing left to eat at home,” sighed the Grouse. “My little ones are hungry and crying. I must find something to cook for them.”
The Hedgehog nodded kindly. “I have a little grain left. Take some to feed your children for today. When the weather clears, you can search again.”

“Thank you, brother Hedgehog,” replied the Grouse warmly. “But your own little ones need food too. I’ll manage somehow.”
The Hedgehog smiled. “At least bundle up tightly — the wind bites today.”
Then they parted, each returning to their own small home.

The Mother Grouse Falls Ill

After the mother left, her chicks began to play restlessly. They chirped, jumped, and chased one another until dusk fell.
When they finally heard knocking at the door, they shouted with joy: “Mother is home!”

But when they opened the door, they saw their mother soaked and trembling.
She placed her gathered food on the ground and said weakly, “I can’t stand anymore… My body is cold, and my head spins.
Cook what I brought and eat, my dears. Prepare a bed for me — I must lie down.”

The chicks panicked and hurried to make her comfortable. One of them ran to call their wise neighbor — the Hedgehog.

The Chick’s Brave Journey

After examining the Grouse, the Hedgehog said: “You’ve caught a bad chill. You need to rest and sweat it out.
You must drink a tea brewed from chak herb seeds — it will heal you.”

The Grouse groaned. “Where can I find such seeds?”

“They grow at the foot of the hill beyond the fields,” said the Hedgehog. “But be careful — a wildcat lives there, and hunters set traps.”
The eldest chick stepped forward. “Don’t worry, Mother. I’m grown now. I’ll bring the seeds.”

The Trap and the Rescue

The brave little chick reached the hill safely and found the reddish chak herb.
But on the way back, he got caught in a hunter’s net! He struggled and cried loudly.
Hearing his cries, an old weasel appeared.

“Why are you crying, little one?” asked the weasel.
“My mother is sick,” sobbed the chick. “I must bring her medicine, or she’ll die. But I’m trapped!”

The weasel called out to his children: “Come quickly, help him!”
The little weasels rushed out and chewed the net apart until the chick was free.
“Thank you, dear friends,” said the chick gratefully. “I will never forget your kindness.”

Healing and Gratitude

The chick hurried home with the seeds. His family welcomed him with relief and joy.
The Hedgehog brewed the herbal tea carefully, giving the Grouse three drops a day.
Within days, the Grouse began to recover, and soon she was standing strong again.

They thanked the Hedgehog and the weasels with all their hearts.
Together they shared food, laughter, and the warmth of friendship.

The Moral of the Story

From that day on, the Grouse never forgot the value of kindness and courage.
She taught her chicks that bravery is not the absence of fear, but the strength to do good despite it.
And in the evenings, when the wind whispered through the plain, the Grouse and her little ones sang songs of gratitude to their wise friend, the Hedgehog.

Word Explanations

Chak Herb — a small red wild herb used as a healing plant in Azerbaijani folk tales.
Weasel — a small, clever forest animal that often helps others in stories.