1. HOW THEY WENT TO THE MOUNTAINS TO EAT NUTS

'The nuts are quite ripe now,' said Chanticleer to his wife Partlet,'suppose we go together to the mountains, and eat as many as we can,before the squirrel takes them all away.' 'With all my heart,' saidPartlet, 'let us go and make a holiday of it together.'

So they went to the mountains; and as it was a lovely day, they stayedthere till the evening. Now, whether it was that they had eaten so manynuts that they could not walk, or whether they were lazy and would not,I do not know: however, they took it into their heads that it did notbecome them to go home on foot. So Chanticleer began to build a littlecarriage of nutshells: and when it was finished, Partlet jumped intoit and sat down, and bid Chanticleer harness himself to it and draw herhome. 'That's a good joke!' said Chanticleer; 'no, that will never do;I had rather by half walk home; I'll sit on the box and be coachman,if you like, but I'll not draw.' While this was passing, a duck camequacking up and cried out, 'You thieving vagabonds, what business haveyou in my grounds? I'll give it you well for your insolence!' and uponthat she fell upon Chanticleer most lustily. But Chanticleer was nocoward, and returned the duck's blows with his sharp spurs so fiercelythat she soon began to cry out for mercy; which was only granted herupon condition that she would draw the carriage home for them. This sheagreed to do; and Chanticleer got upon the box, and drove, crying, 'Now,duck, get on as fast as you can.' And away they went at a pretty goodpace.

After they had travelled along a little way, they met a needle and a pinwalking together along the road: and the needle cried out, 'Stop, stop!'and said it was so dark that they could hardly find their way, and suchdirty walking they could not get on at all: he told them that he and hisfriend, the pin, had been at a public-house a few miles off, and had satdrinking till they had forgotten how late it was; he begged thereforethat the travellers would be so kind as to give them a lift in theircarriage. Chanticleer observing that they were but thin fellows, and notlikely to take up much room, told them they might ride, but made thempromise not to dirty the wheels of the carriage in getting in, nor totread on Partlet's toes.

Late at night they arrived at an inn; and as it was bad travelling inthe dark, and the duck seemed much tired, and waddled about a gooddeal from one side to the other, they made up their minds to fix theirquarters there: but the landlord at first was unwilling, and said hishouse was full, thinking they might not be very respectable company:however, they spoke civilly to him, and gave him the egg which Partlethad laid by the way, and said they would give him the duck, who was inthe habit of laying one every day: so at last he let them come in, andthey bespoke a handsome supper, and spent the evening very jollily.

Early in the morning, before it was quite light, and when nobody wasstirring in the inn, Chanticleer awakened his wife, and, fetching theegg, they pecked a hole in it, ate it up, and threw the shells into thefireplace: they then went to the pin and needle, who were fast asleep,and seizing them by the heads, stuck one into the landlord's easy chairand the other into his handkerchief; and, having done this, they creptaway as softly as possible. However, the duck, who slept in the openair in the yard, heard them coming, and jumping into the brook which ranclose by the inn, soon swam out of their reach.

An hour or two afterwards the landlord got up, and took his handkerchiefto wipe his face, but the pin ran into him and pricked him: then hewalked into the kitchen to light his pipe at the fire, but when hestirred it up the eggshells flew into his eyes, and almost blinded him.'Bless me!' said he, 'all the world seems to have a design against myhead this morning': and so saying, he threw himself sulkily into hiseasy chair; but, oh dear! the needle ran into him; and this time thepain was not in his head. He now flew into a very great passion, and,suspecting the company who had come in the night before, he went to lookafter them, but they were all off; so he swore that he never againwould take in such a troop of vagabonds, who ate a great deal, paid noreckoning, and gave him nothing for his trouble but their apish tricks.

2. HOW CHANTICLEER AND PARTLET WENT TO VISIT MR KORBES

Another day, Chanticleer and Partlet wished to ride out together;so Chanticleer built a handsome carriage with four red wheels, andharnessed six mice to it; and then he and Partlet got into the carriage,and away they drove. Soon afterwards a cat met them, and said, 'Whereare you going?' And Chanticleer replied,

'All on our way A visit to pay To Mr Korbes, the fox, today.'

Then the cat said, 'Take me with you,' Chanticleer said, 'With all myheart: get up behind, and be sure you do not fall off.'

'Take care of this handsome coach of mine, Nor dirty my pretty red wheels so fine! Now, mice, be ready, And, wheels, run steady! For we are going a visit to pay To Mr Korbes, the fox, today.'

Soon after came up a millstone, an egg, a duck, and a pin; andChanticleer gave them all leave to get into the carriage and go withthem.

When they arrived at Mr Korbes's house, he was not at home; so the micedrew the carriage into the coach-house, Chanticleer and Partlet flewupon a beam, the cat sat down in the fireplace, the duck got intothe washing cistern, the pin stuck himself into the bed pillow, themillstone laid himself over the house door, and the egg rolled himselfup in the towel.

When Mr Korbes came home, he went to the fireplace to make a fire; butthe cat threw all the ashes in his eyes: so he ran to the kitchen towash himself; but there the duck splashed all the water in his face; andwhen he tried to wipe himself, the egg broke to pieces in the towel allover his face and eyes. Then he was very angry, and went without hissupper to bed; but when he laid his head on the pillow, the pin ran intohis cheek: at this he became quite furious, and, jumping up, would haverun out of the house; but when he came to the door, the millstone felldown on his head, and killed him on the spot.

3. HOW PARTLET DIED AND WAS BURIED, AND HOW CHANTICLEER DIED OF GRIEF

Another day Chanticleer and Partlet agreed to go again to the mountainsto eat nuts; and it was settled that all the nuts which they foundshould be shared equally between them. Now Partlet found a very largenut; but she said nothing about it to Chanticleer, and kept it all toherself: however, it was so big that she could not swallow it, and itstuck in her throat. Then she was in a great fright, and cried out toChanticleer, 'Pray run as fast as you can, and fetch me some water, or Ishall be choked.' Chanticleer ran as fast as he could to the river, andsaid, 'River, give me some water, for Partlet lies in the mountain, andwill be choked by a great nut.' The river said, 'Run first to the bride,and ask her for a silken cord to draw up the water.' Chanticleer ran tothe bride, and said, 'Bride, you must give me a silken cord, for thenthe river will give me water, and the water I will carry to Partlet, wholies on the mountain, and will be choked by a great nut.' But the bridesaid, 'Run first, and bring me my garland that is hanging on a willowin the garden.' Then Chanticleer ran to the garden, and took the garlandfrom the bough where it hung, and brought it to the bride; and thenthe bride gave him the silken cord, and he took the silken cord tothe river, and the river gave him water, and he carried the water toPartlet; but in the meantime she was choked by the great nut, and layquite dead, and never moved any more.

Then Chanticleer was very sorry, and cried bitterly; and all the beastscame and wept with him over poor Partlet. And six mice built a littlehearse to carry her to her grave; and when it was ready they harnessedthemselves before it, and Chanticleer drove them. On the way theymet the fox. 'Where are you going, Chanticleer?' said he. 'To bury myPartlet,' said the other. 'May I go with you?' said the fox. 'Yes; butyou must get up behind, or my horses will not be able to draw you.' Thenthe fox got up behind; and presently the wolf, the bear, the goat, andall the beasts of the wood, came and climbed upon the hearse.

So on they went till they came to a rapid stream. 'How shall we getover?' said Chanticleer. Then said a straw, 'I will lay myself across,and you may pass over upon me.' But as the mice were going over, thestraw slipped away and fell into the water, and the six mice all fell inand were drowned. What was to be done? Then a large log of wood cameand said, 'I am big enough; I will lay myself across the stream, and youshall pass over upon me.' So he laid himself down; but they managedso clumsily, that the log of wood fell in and was carried away by thestream. Then a stone, who saw what had happened, came up and kindlyoffered to help poor Chanticleer by laying himself across the stream;and this time he got safely to the other side with the hearse, andmanaged to get Partlet out of it; but the fox and the other mourners,who were sitting behind, were too heavy, and fell back into the waterand were all carried away by the stream and drowned.

Thus Chanticleer was left alone with his dead Partlet; and having duga grave for her, he laid her in it, and made a little hillock over her.Then he sat down by the grave, and wept and mourned, till at last hedied too; and so all were dead.