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. 11 Little Brother and Little Sister

Little brother took his little sister by the hand and said, “Since our
mother died we have had no happiness; our step-mother beats us every
day, and if we come near her she kicks us away with her foot. Our meals
are the hard crusts of bread that are left over; and the little dog
under the table is better off, for she often throws it a nice bit. May
Heaven pity us. If our mother only knew! Come, we will go forth
together into the wide world.”

They walked the whole day over meadows, fields, and stony places; and
when it rained the little sister said, “Heaven and our hearts are
weeping together.” In the evening they came to a large forest, and they
were so weary with sorrow and hunger and the long walk, that they lay
down in a hollow tree and fell asleep. The next day when they awoke, the sun was already high in the sky, and
shone down hot into the tree. Then the brother said, “Sister, I am
thirsty; if I knew of a little brook I would go and just take a drink;
I think I hear one running.” The brother got up and took the little
sister by the hand, and they set off to find the brook. But the wicked step-mother was a witch, and had seen how the two
children had gone away, and had crept after them privily, as witches do
creep, and had bewitched all the brooks in the forest. Now when they found a little brook leaping brightly over the stones,
the brother was going to drink out of it, but the sister heard how it
said as it ran, “Who drinks of me will be a tiger; who drinks of me
will be a tiger.” Then the sister cried, “Pray, dear brother, do not
drink, or you will become a wild beast, and tear me to pieces.” The
brother did not drink, although he was so thirsty, but said, “I will
wait for the next spring.”

When they came to the next brook the sister heard this also say, “Who
drinks of me will be a wolf; who drinks of me will be a wolf.” Then the
sister cried out, “Pray, dear brother, do not drink, or you will become
a wolf, and devour me.” The brother did not drink, and said, “I will
wait until we come to the next spring, but then I must drink, say what
you like; for my thirst is too great.”

And when they came to the third brook the sister heard how it said as
it ran, “Who drinks of me will be a roebuck; who drinks of me will be a
roebuck.” The sister said, “Oh, I pray you, dear brother, do not drink,
or you will become a roebuck, and run away from me.” But the brother
had knelt down at once by the brook, and had bent down and drunk some
of the water, and as soon as the first drops touched his lips he lay
there a young roebuck. And now the sister wept over her poor bewitched brother, and the little
roe wept also, and sat sorrowfully near to her. But at last the girl
said, “Be quiet, dear little roe, I will never, never leave you.”

Then she untied her golden garter and put it round the roebuck’s neck,
and she plucked rushes and wove them into a soft cord. With this she
tied the little beast and led it on, and she walked deeper and deeper
into the forest.