A hardworking widow had young servant girls whom she woke at night, at cockcrow, to set them to work. Constantly worn out with fatigue, they decided to kill the household cock; for in their eyes it was he who caused their misery by waking their mistress before daybreak. But when they had carried out this plan, it turned out that they had made their lot worse; for the mistress, no longer told the hour by the cock, made them get up even earlier to set them to work.
For many people it is their own decisions that cause their misfortunes.
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