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The Death of Kikos
nce upon a time there lived a poor peasant and his
wife, with three daughters.
One day, as the father was working in his field, he felt very
thirsty, and sent his eldest daughter to the spring for water.
She took a jug and went. Next to the spring grew a large
tree.
When she came to the spring, the daughter looked at the
tree pensively, and thought:
“One day I’ll get married, and have a son whom I’ll call
Kikos. Kikos will grow up, and one day he’ll climb this tree.
He’ll fall from it, and hit his head on a stone, and be killed...
Oh, alas, alas, poor little Kikos!”
She sat down beneath the tree and began to wail, chanting:
“Some day I’ll marry and have a son
With hair of chestnut brown.
One day, I know, he’ll climb this tree
And he’ll come tumbling down.
Alas, alas, Kikos dear!
Alas, dear Kikos is dead!”
O