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Grimms' Fairy Tales
The
Pack of Ragamuffins
The cock once said to the hen, "It is
now the time when our nuts are ripe, so let us go to the
hill together and for once eat our fill before the squirrel
takes them all away." "Yes," replied the
hen, "come, we will have some pleasure together."
Then they went away to the hill, and on it was a bright
day they stayed till evening. Now I do not know whether
it was that they had eaten till they were too fat, or whether
they had become proud, but they would not go home on foot,
and the cock had to build a little carriage of nut-shells.
When it was ready, the little hen seated herself in it and
said to the cock, "Thou canst just harness thyself
to it." "I like that!" said the cock, "I
would rather go home on foot than let myself be harnessed
to it; no, that is not our bargain. I do not mind being
coachman and sitting on the box, but drag it myself I will
not."
As they were thus disputing, a duck quacked to them, "You
thieving folks, who bade you go to my nut-hill? Well, you
shall suffer for it!" and ran with open beak at the
cock. But the cock also was not idle, and fell boldly on
the duck, and at last wounded her so with his spurs that
she also begged for mercy, and willingly let herself be
harnessed to the carriage as a punishment. The little cock
now seated himself on the box and was coachman, and thereupon
they went off in a gallop, with "Duck, go as fast as
thou canst." When they had driven a part of the way
they met two foot-passengers, a pin and a needle. They cried,
"Stop! stop!" and said that it would soon be as
dark as pitch, and then they could not go a step further,
and that it was so dirty on the road, and asked if they
could not get into the carriage for a while. They had been
at the tailor's public- house by the gate, and had stayed
too long over the beer. As they were thin people, who did
not take up much room, the cock let them both get in, but
they had to promise him and his little hen not to step on
their feet. Late in the evening they came to an inn, and
as they did not like to go further by night, and as the
duck also was not strong on her feet, and fell from one
side to the other, they went in. The host at first made
many objections, his house was already full, besides he
thought they could not be very distinguished persons; but
at last, as they made pleasant speeches, and told him that
he should have the egg which the little hen has laid on
the way, and should likewise keep the duck, which laid one
every day, he at length said that they might stay the night.
And now they had themselves well served, and feasted and
rioted. Early in the morning, when day was breaking, and
every one was asleep, the cock awoke the hen, brought the
egg, pecked it open, and they ate it together, but they
threw the shell on the hearth. Then they went to the needle
which was still asleep, took it by the head and stuck it
into the cushion of the landlord's chair, and put the pin
in his towel, and at the last without more ado they flew
away over the heath. The duck who liked to sleep in the
open air and had stayed in the yard, heard them going away,
made herself merry and found a stream, down which she swam,
which was a much quicker way of travelling than being harnessed
to a carriage. The host did not get out of bed for two hours
after this; he washed himself and wanted to dry himself,
then the pin went over his face and made a red streak from
one ear to the other. After this he went into the kitchen
and wanted to light a pipe, but when he came to the hearth
the egg-shell darted into his eyes. "This morning everything
attacks my head, " said he, and angrily sat down on
his grandfather's chair, but he quickly started up again
and cried, "Woe is me, " for the needle had pricked
him still worse than the pin, and not in the head. Now he
was thoroughly angry, and suspected the guests who had come
so late the night before, and when he went and looked about
for them, they were gone. Then he made a vow to take no
more ragamuffins into his house, for they consume much,
pay for nothing, and play mischievous tricks into the bargain
by way of gratitude.
From Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Household Tales, trans. Margaret
Hunt (London: George Bell, 1884), 1:35-37. |
