" 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 .
the stone was touched with pity and wanted to help the cock .
why did the stone lay himself across the stream ?
why did the stone lay himself across the stream ?