The speckled hen and the little chicken were scratching under an apple tree in the garden, and an apple fell off the tree and it hit the little chicken on the head. And says he to the speckled hen:

‘Let us go to Rome, for the world has fallen.’

‘Who said that to you, little chicken?’ said the speckled hen.

‘It fell on my head, Smereree!’

Then the speckled hen and the little chicken went their ways until they met the cock.

‘Where are you going, speckled hen?’ said the cock.

‘Going to Rome, for the world has fallen,’ said the speckled hen.

‘Who said that to you, speckled hen?’

‘The little chicken said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, little chicken?’

‘It fell on my head, Smereree!’

So they went their ways together until they met a gander.

‘Where are you going, cock?’ said the gander.

‘Going to Rome, for the world has fallen.’

‘Who said that to you, cock?’ said the gander.

‘The speckled hen said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, speckled hen?’

‘The little chicken said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, little chicken?’

‘It fell on my head, Smereree!’

So they went all together until they met a bull.

‘Where are you going, gander?’ said the bull.

‘Going to Rome, for the world has fallen.’

‘Who said that to you, gander?’

‘The cock said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, cock?’

‘The speckled hen said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, speckled hen?’

‘The little chicken said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, little chicken?’

‘It fell on my head, Smereree!’

So they went all together until they met a goat.

‘Where are you going, bull?’ said the goat.

‘Going to Rome, for the world has fallen,’ said the bull.

‘Who said that to you, bull?’ said the goat.

‘The gander said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, gander?’

‘The cock said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, cock?’

‘The speckled hen said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, speckled hen?’

‘The little chicken said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, little chicken?’

‘It fell on my head, Smereree!’

So they all went together until they met a horse.

‘Where are you going, goat?’ said the horse.

‘Going to Rome, for the world has fallen.’

‘Who said that to you, goat?’

‘The bull said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, bull?’

‘The gander said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, gander?’

‘The cock said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, cock?’

‘The speckled hen said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, speckled hen?’

‘The little chicken said it to me.’

‘Who said that to you, little chicken?’

‘It fell on my head, Smereree!’

So they all went travelling together until they came to the house of the giant; they went in the house and the giant was from home. So the horse went under the big table, and the bull went under the dresser, and the goat went on the stairs, and all the rest in the corners.

When the giant came home, they all went at him at once, and there was heavy war between them.

‘Calk! Calk! If I come down to you,’ said the cock.

He came down at last and picked the giant’s eyes out, and they killed him, and they all lived in his house together.

And if they are not dead, they are living there yet.