Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm | Page 6

might have had
something to eat." And he called out to him to stop, but the guest made
as if he did not hear him; then he ran after him, the knife still in his
hand, crying out, "Only one! only one!" meaning that the guest should
let him have one of the fowls and not take both, but the guest thought
he meant to have only one of his ears, and he ran so much the faster
that he might get home with both of them safe.

The DEATH of the HEN
ONCE on a time the cock and the hen went to the nut mountain, and
they agreed beforehand that whichever of them should find a nut was to
divide it with the other. Now the hen found a great big nut, but said
nothing about it, and was going to eat it all alone, but the kernel was
such a fat one that she could not swallow it down, and it stuck in her
throat, so that she was afraid she should choke.
"Cock!" cried she, "run as fast as you can and fetch me some water, or I
shall choke!"

So the cock ran as fast as he could to the brook, and said, "Brook, give
me some water, the hen is up yonder choking with a big nut stuck in
her throat." But the brook answered, "First run to the bride and ask her
for some red silk."
So the cock ran to the bride and said,
"Bride, give me some red silk; the brook wants me to give him some
red silk; I want him to give me some water, for the hen lies yonder
choking with a big nut stuck in her throat."
But the bride answered,
"First go and fetch me my garland that hangs on a willow." And the
cock ran to the willow and pulled the garland from the bough and
brought it to the bride, and the bride gave him red silk, and he brought
it to the brook, and the brook gave him water. So then the cock brought
the water to the hen, but alas, it was too late; the hen had choked in the
meanwhile, and lay there dead. And the cock was so grieved that he
cried aloud, and all the beasts came and lamented for the hen; and six
mice built a little waggon, on which to carry the poor hen to her grave,
and when it was ready they harnessed themselves to it, and the cock
drove. On the way they met the fox.
"Halloa, cock," cried he, "where are you off to?"
"To bury my hen," answered the cock.
"Can I come too?" said the fox.
"Yes, if you follow behind," said the cock.
So the fox followed behind and he was soon joined by the wolf, the
bear, the stag, the lion, and all the beasts in the wood. And the
procession went on till they came to a brook.
"How shall we get over?" said the cock. Now in the brook there was a
straw, and he said,

"I will lay myself across, so that you may pass over on me." But when
the six mice had got upon this bridge, the straw slipped and fell into the
water and they all tumbled in and were drowned. So they were as badly
off as ever, when a coal came up and said he would lay himself across
and they might pass over him; but no sooner had he touched the water
than he hissed, went out, and was dead. A stone seeing this was
touched with pity, and, wishing to help the cock, he laid himself across
the stream. And the cock drew the waggon with the dead hen in it
safely to the other side, and then began to draw the others who
followed behind across too, but it was too much for him, the waggon
turned over, and all tumbled into the water one on the top of another,
and were drowned.
So the cock was left all alone with the dead hen, and he digged a grave
and laid her in it, and he raised a mound above her, and sat himself
down and lamented so sore that at last he died. And so they were all
dead together.

HANS IN LUCK
HANS had served his master seven years, and at the end of the seventh
year he said,
"Master, my time is up; I want to go home and see my mother, so give
me my wages."
"You have served me truly and faithfully," said the master; "as the
service is, so must the wages be," and he gave him a lump of gold as
big as his head. Hans pulled his handkerchief out of his