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Grimms' Fairy Tales
The
Death of the Little Hen
Once upon a time the little hen went with
the little cock to the nut-hill, and they agreed together
that whichsoever of them found a kernel of a nut should
share it with the other. Then the hen found a large, large
nut, but said nothing about it, intending to eat the kernel
herself. The kernel, however, was so large that she could
not swallow it, and it remained sticking in her throat,
so that she was alarmed lest she should be choked. Then
she cried, "Cock, I entreat thee to run as fast thou
canst, and fetch me some water, or I shall choke."
The little cock did run as fast as he could to the spring,
and said, "Stream, thou art to give me some water;
the little hen is lying on the nut- hill, and she has swallowed
a large nut, and is choking." The well answered, "First
run to the bride, and get her to give thee some red silk."
The little cock ran to the bride and said, "Bride,
you are to give me some red silk; I want to give red silk
to the well, the well is to give me some water, I am to
take the water to the little hen who is lying on the nut-hill
and has swallowed a great nut-kernel, and is choking with
it." The bride answered, "First run and bring
me my little wreath which is hanging to a willow."
So the little cock ran to the willow, and drew the wreath
from the branch and took it to the bride, and the bride
gave him some water for it. Then the little cock took the
water to the hen, but when he got there the hen had choked
in the meantime, and lay there dead and motionless. Then
the cock was so distressed that he cried aloud, and every
animal came to lament the little hen, and six mice built
a little carriage to carry her to her grave, and when the
carriage was ready they harnessed themselves to it, and
the cock drove. On the way, however, they met the fox, who
said, "Where art thou going, little cock?" "I
am going to bury my little hen." "May I drive
with thee?" "Yes, but seat thyself at the back
of the carriage, for in the front my little horses could
not drag thee." Then the fox seated himself at the
back, and after that the wolf, the bear, the stag, the lion,
and all the beasts of the forest did the same. Then the
procession went onwards, and they reached the stream. "How
are we to get over?" said the little cock. A straw
was lying by the stream, and it said, "I will lay myself
across, and you shall drive over me." But when the
six mice came to the bridge, the straw slipped and fell
into the water, and the six mice all fell in and were drowned.
Then they were again in difficulty, and a coal came and
said, "I am large enough, I will lay myself across
and you shall drive over me." So the coal also laid
itself across the water, but unhappily just touched it,
on which the coal hissed, was extinguished and died. When
a stone saw that, it took pity on the little cock, wished
to help him, and laid itself over the water. Then the cock
drew the carriage himself, but when he got it over and reached
the other shore with the dead hen, and was about to draw
over the others who were sitting behind as well, there were
too many of them, the carriage ran back, and they all fell
into the water together, and were drowned. Then the little
cock was left alone with the dead hen, and dug a grave for
her and laid her in it, and made a mound above it, on which
he sat down and fretted until he died too, and then every
one was dead.
From Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, trans. Margaret
Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884), 1:311-312. |
