Once upon a time there was a man who had lived many years in peace and quietness with his wife. At last, however, they fell into a violent quarrel and decided to separate at bed and board and to divide their goods between them.

Short hair is soon brushed, and the division was soon made, for their whole possessions consisted of a Cock and a Hen. And the wife said, “I’ll take the Hen for my share, and you may have the Cock.”

By and by the husband fell ill, and he went to beg his wife to give him just one little egg, for he was very hungry. But she answered him scornfully:

“Hum, hum, where is your Cock? Let him lay you a little egg; if he won’t do it, kill him!”

At this the man returned home quite crestfallen, and said to his Cock, “Come, my fine fellow, this can’t go on any longer! You do nothing but eat and drink, and never bring me so much as a bright penny. Go out into the world and seek your fortune!”

In deep dejection the Cock sighed, “Ah, where shall I find anything?”

However, he sallied forth sturdily, and in the forest he met Isegrim. The Wolf said to him, “Whither away, my fine fellow?”

“Oh, I’m going out into the world to seek my fortune!”

“May I go with you?”

“Not another word; be my comrade.”

So the two travelled up and down the world until Isegrim was too tired to go another step, and the Cock said to him:

“Well, dear uncle, can’t you walk farther than this?”

“Alas, no!” said the Wolf.

“Then slip yourself into me.”

In a trice Isegrim was in the body of the Cock, who went on, quite at his ease.

Shortly after he met Reinecke, and said to him, “Whither away, Master?”

“Whither away? Into the world to seek my fortune.”

“Then join my company,” said the Cock.

So they went up and down the world until Reinecke was quite exhausted and could go no farther.

“What, Master!” said the Cock, “do you give out so soon? Well, just slip yourself into me and I’ll carry you.”

Master Reinecke slipped quickly into the Cock, who bravely went on his way.

After a time he came to a little Brook. “Little Brook, whither away?”

“Oh, through the world!”

“Come with me, then, and be my comrade.”

So they went forward until the little Brook, for very weariness, could go no farther.

“Does your strength give out so soon, my little Brook?” asked the Cock.

“Alas, yes!” replied the little Brook.

“Then slip into me; I’ll carry you,” and in a moment the Brook had slipped into the Cock.

In the course of time the Cock met a swarm of Bees. “Whither away?” he asked.

“Oh, into the wide world to seek a shelter!”

“Then come along; be my comrades.”

They had not gone far before the swarm of Bees grew tired and could go no farther, and the Cock invited them to crawl into his body.

So the Cock, carrying the swarm of Bees, the Brook, the Fox, and the Wolf in his body, arrived at a great city. In this city reigned a King and his wife, the Queen. The Cock flew straight to the roof of the royal palace and spent the night there. At early dawn he began to crow lustily:

This enraged the King terribly, and he commanded his chamberlain to catch this impudent crower and chain him in the royal stables, that he might be trampled to death by the horses’ hoofs. The chamberlain caught the Cock, threw him into the stable, and shut the door well.

Then the Cock told the Wolf to slip out, and during the night Isegrim strangled all the horses and ate up a whole colt. Then he broke a hole through the wall, by which he and the Cock escaped. The Cock perched himself again upon the roof and began his song of yesterday:

In a moment the King sprang out of bed, called his chamberlain, and ordered him to send and see what had happened in the stable, that the Cock was out of doors and crowing. The chamberlain hastened to the stable, saw the strangled horses, and brought the news to the King.

At this the King flew into a still greater rage, and gave command to catch the Cock and throw him among the geese. The chamberlain seized the Cock and locked him in the goose-pen, where there were several hundred geese. Then the Cock said to the Fox, “Come forth, Master, and finish up with all these geese!”

Reinecke was soon at work, and by daybreak every goose was strangled. Then the Fox groped a hole through the pen, and he and the Cock slipped comfortably out. The Cock flew again to the roof and sang as on the former day:

The King was more enraged than ever, and sent to see what had happened to the geese. The servant found them all dead, and brought the news to the King. Then the King commanded that the great bake-oven should be heated and the Cock thrown into it. The servant caught the Cock and threw him into the very middle of the hot oven. Then the Cock sang:

And the little Brook flowed out into the oven and extinguished the whole fire.

The next morning the people came to see if the Cock was dead, when, lo! he was already perched upon the roof, singing:

Now the King was beside himself with rage. He rushed out to catch the Cock himself, and not knowing, in his excitement, what to do with him, he thrust him under his night-clothes. Then the Cock told the swarm of Bees to come out and sting the King. “Buzz, buzz!” out they came, and stung the King till he was all one wound.

At this the King commanded his servants to lock up the Cock in his treasure-chamber, that he might miserably starve to death. The servants seized the Cock and carried him to the treasure-chamber, but they were so frightened that they ran away as fast as their heels could carry them, forgetting to fasten the door. There were great heaps of shining, brand-new ducats in the treasure-chamber, and the Cock made the best of the opportunity by swallowing a number of them and hiding one under each of his feathers. Then he flew away to his old master’s house. He perched upon a tree in the yard and began to crow:

The old man, overjoyed, spread out three plates under the tree. Then the Cock shook himself, and a shower of golden ducats fell and lay upon the plates in three great heaps. The old man was perfectly happy to have so much money, and from this time forward he let the Cock want for nothing.

His former wife soon heard that he had become enormously rich, and she came to see him.

“Ah, come,” said she to him, “give me a few ducats!”

“Not if I know it! Why would not you give me one little egg, eh? Go back and tell your old Hen to bring you ducats.”

The old woman ran back to her home and commanded her Hen, “Go out into the world and seek your fortune, and bring me home some ducats.”

The Hen went sadly forth, betook herself to the refuse heap and began to scratch in the litter. After long scratching she found a copper heller and a needle. She picked them up, and also stuck a little stone under each of her feathers. Then she flew back to the court-yard and began to cackle:

Filled with joy, the old woman hastened to spread out four plates under the tree. Then the Hen shook herself, and let fall on one plate the worn heller, but only little stones on all the others.

“Is that all?” exclaimed the old woman angrily.

“No, here is something more,” clucked the Hen, and she slung the needle into the old woman’s eye.

Upon this the old woman beat the Hen soundly, and went back to her husband’s house, begged his pardon and made it all up with him. Whenever he wanted an egg she gave him one, and he always gave her a ducat in exchange.

Little boy, if you are good you shall get an egg for nothing!

“I am good, grandmother,” said the little boy. “Will you give me an egg?”

The grandmother laughed. “That is only the way the story ends,” she said. “But it is dinner-time, and if your mother will let you take dinner with me I will give you an egg. Run away and ask her.”