格林童话选 英文版 Grimms' Fairy Tales
格林兄弟 Brüder Grimm
THE ADVENTURES OF CHANTICLEER AND PARTLET
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 somany nuts that they could not walk, or whether they were lazy andwould not, I do not know: however, they took it into their heads thatit did not become them to go home on foot. So Chanticleer began tobuild a little carriage of nutshells: and when it was finished,Partlet jumped into it and sat down, and bid Chanticleer harnesshimself to it and draw her home. 'That's a good joke!' saidChanticleer; '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 came quacking up and cried out, 'Youthieving vagabonds, what business have you in my grounds? I'll give ityou well for your insolence!' and upon that she fell upon Chanticleermost lustily. But Chanticleer was no coward, and returned the duck'sblows with his sharp spurs so fiercely that she soon began to cry outfor mercy; which was only granted her upon condition that she woulddraw the carriage home for them. This she agreed to do; andChanticleer got upon the box, and drove, crying, 'Now, duck, get on asfast as you can.' And away they went at a pretty good pace.
After they had travelled along a little way, they met a needle and apin walking 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 such dirty walking they could not get on at all: he told them thathe and his friend, the pin, had been at a public-house a few milesoff, and had sat drinking till they had forgotten how late it was; hebegged therefore that the travellers would be so kind as to give thema lift in their carriage. Chanticleer observing that they were butthin fellows, and not likely to take up much room, told them theymight ride, but made them promise not to dirty the wheels of thecarriage in getting in, nor to tread 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 intothe fireplace: they then went to the pin and needle, who were fastasleep, and seizing them by the heads, stuck one into the landlord'seasy chair and the other into his handkerchief; and, having done this,they crept away as softly as possible. However, the duck, who slept inthe open air in the yard, heard them coming, and jumping into thebrook which ran close by the inn, soon swam out of their reach.
An hour or two afterwards the landlord got up, and took hishandkerchief to wipe his face, but the pin ran into him and prickedhim: then he walked into the kitchen to light his pipe at the fire,but when he stirred it up the eggshells flew into his eyes, and almostblinded him. 'Bless me!' said he, 'all the world seems to have adesign against my head this morning': and so saying, he threw himselfsulkily into his easy chair; but, oh dear! the needle ran into him;and this time the pain was not in his head. He now flew into a verygreat passion, and, suspecting the company who had come in the nightbefore, he went to look after them, but they were all off; so he sworethat he never again would take in such a troop of vagabonds, who ate agreat deal, paid no reckoning, and gave him nothing for his troublebut their apish tricks.
2. HOW CHANTICLEER AND PARTLET WENT TO VIST MR KORBES
Another day, Chanticleer and Partlet wished to ride out together; soChanticleer built a handsome carriage with four red wheels, andharnessed six mice to it; and then he and Partlet got into thecarriage, and away they drove. Soon afterwards a cat met them, andsaid, 'Where are you going?' And Chanticleer replied,
'All on our wayA visit to payTo 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 payTo 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 themice drew the carriage into the coach-house, Chanticleer and Partletflew upon 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;and when he tried to wipe himself, the egg broke to pieces in thetowel all over his face and eyes. Then he was very angry, and wentwithout his supper to bed; but when he laid his head on the pillow,the pin ran into his cheek: at this he became quite furious, and,jumping up, would have run out of the house; but when he came to thedoor, the millstone fell down 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 themountains to eat nuts; and it was settled that all the nuts which theyfound should be shared equally between them. Now Partlet found a verylarge nut; but she said nothing about it to Chanticleer, and kept itall to herself: however, it was so big that she could not swallow it,and it stuck in her throat. Then she was in a great fright, and criedout to Chanticleer, 'Pray run as fast as you can, and fetch me somewater, or I shall be choked.' Chanticleer ran as fast as he could tothe river, and said, 'River, give me some water, for Partlet lies inthe mountain, and will be choked by a great nut.' The river said, 'Runfirst to the bride, and ask her for a silken cord to draw up thewater.' Chanticleer ran to the bride, and said, 'Bride, you must giveme a silken cord, for then the river will give me water, and the waterI will carry to Partlet, who lies on the mountain, and will be chokedby a great nut.' But the bride said, 'Run first, and bring me mygarland that is hanging on a willow in the garden.' Then Chanticleerran to the garden, and took the garland from the bough where it hung,and brought it to the bride; and then the bride gave him the silkencord, and he took the silken cord to the river, and the river gave himwater, and he carried the water to Partlet; but in the meantime shewas choked by the great nut, and lay quite dead, and never moved anymore.
Then Chanticleer was very sorry, and cried bitterly; and all thebeasts came and wept with him over poor Partlet. And six mice built alittle hearse to carry her to her grave; and when it was ready theyharnessed themselves before it, and Chanticleer drove them. On the waythey met the fox. 'Where are you going, Chanticleer?' said he. 'Tobury my Partlet,' said the other. 'May I go with you?' said the fox.'Yes; but you must get up behind, or my horses will not be able todraw you.' Then the fox got up behind; and presently the wolf, thebear, the goat, and all the beasts of the wood, came and climbed uponthe 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 fellin and were drowned. What was to be done? Then a large log of woodcame and said, 'I am big enough; I will lay myself across the stream,and you shall pass over upon me.' So he laid himself down; but theymanaged so clumsily, that the log of wood fell in and was carried awayby the stream. Then a stone, who saw what had happened, came up andkindly offered to help poor Chanticleer by laying himself across thestream; and this time he got safely to the other side with the hearse,and managed to get Partlet out of it; but the fox and the othermourners, who were sitting behind, were too heavy, and fell back intothe water and 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 overher. Then he sat down by the grave, and wept and mourned, till at lasthe died too; and so all were dead.