Читать книгу Страшные сказки / Scary stories - Братья Гримм, Оскар Уайльд - Страница 5

Once upon a time the little hen went with the little cock to the nut-hill[17]. They made an agreement. Which of them finds a kernel of a nut will share it with the other.

Then the hen found a large, large nut, but said nothing about it. She intended to eat the kernel herself. The kernel, however, was so large that she could not swallow it. So it remained sticking[18] in her throat. The hen was alarmed. Then she cried,

“Cock, please run fast and fetch me some water, or I shall choke!”

The little cock ran as fast as he could to the spring, and said,

“Stream, give me some water; the little hen is on the nut-hill. She will choke!”

The well answered,

“First run to the bride, and ask her to give you some red silk”.

The little cock ran to the bride and said,

“Bride, give me some red silk! I want to give red silk to the well, the well will give me some water. I’ll take the water to the little hen who is on the nut-hill. She will choke!”

The bride answered,

“First run and bring me my little wreath which hangs on a willow”.

So the little cock ran to the willow, and drew the wreath from the branch and took it to the bride. The bride gave him some water for it. Then the little cock took the water to the hen. But the hen choked in the meantime, and lay there dead and motionless. Then the cock was so distressed that he cried aloud. Every animal came to lament the little hen. Six mice built a little carriage to carry her to her grave. 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 do you go, little cock?”

“I go to bury my little hen”.

“May I drive with you?”

“Yes, but seat thyself at the back of the carriage, for in the front my little horses could not drag you”.

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 will we get over?” said the little cock.

A straw was by the stream, and it said,

“I will lay myself across, and you will drive over me”.

But when the six mice came to the bridge, the straw slipped and fell into the water. 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 will 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, 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. He made a mound above it, on which he sat down and fretted until he died too, and then every one was dead.