The Pack of Ragamuffins

The rooster once said to the hen, "Now it's time when our nuts are ripe, so let's go to the hill together and eat our fill before the squirrel takes them all away." "Yes," replied the hen, "come, let's have some fun together." So they went to the hill, and on that bright day they stayed until evening.

Now I don't know if they had eaten too much or become proud, but they didn't want to go home on foot, and the rooster had to build a little carriage out of nutshells. When it was ready, the little hen sat in it and said to the rooster, "You can just harness yourself to it." "I like that!" said the rooster.

"I'd rather go home on foot than be harnessed to it. No, that's not our deal. I don't mind being coachman and sitting on the box, but I won't pull it myself."

As they were arguing, a duck quacked at them, "You thieves, who told you to go to my nut-hill? You'll pay for this!" and she ran at the rooster with her beak open. But the rooster was not idle either and boldly attacked the duck, wounding her with his spurs until she begged for mercy. As punishment, she willingly let herself be harnessed to the carriage. The little rooster then sat on the box as coachman, and off they went at a gallop, with "Duck, go as fast as you can."

After they had gone a part of the way, they met two foot-travelers: a pin and a needle. They cried, "Stop! Stop!" and said it would soon be pitch dark and they couldn't go any further, and the road was so dirty. They asked if they could ride in the carriage for a while. They had been at the tailor's inn by the gate and had stayed too long over their beer. Since they were thin and didn't take up much room, the rooster let them both in, but they had to promise not to step on his or the hen's feet.

Late in the evening they came to an inn. Since they didn't want to travel further in the dark, and the duck was not steady on her feet and wobbled from side to side, they went inside.

The innkeeper at first made many objections; his house was already full, and he didn't think they were very important guests. But at last, because they spoke nicely and told him he could have the egg the little hen had laid on the way, and also keep the duck, which laid an egg every day, he finally said they could stay the night.

They were well served, feasted, and made merry.

Early in the morning, when day was breaking and everyone was asleep, the rooster woke the hen, brought the egg, pecked it open, and they ate it together, but threw the shell onto 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. They put the pin into his towel. And then, without further 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 leaving. She made herself merry, found a stream, swam down it, which was much faster than being harnessed to a carriage.

The innkeeper did not get out of bed for two hours after this. He washed himself and wanted to dry himself, but the pin scratched his face and made a red streak from one ear to the other.

Then he went to the kitchen and wanted to light his pipe, but when he came to the hearth, the eggshell jumped into his eyes. "This morning everything attacks my head," he said, and angrily sat down on his grandfather's chair.

But he quickly jumped up again and cried, "Woe is me!" because the needle pricked him even 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.

When he went to look for them, they were gone. Then he vowed never again to take ragamuffins into his house, for they consume much, pay nothing, and play mischievous tricks by way of thanks.