lled the garland from the bough and brought it
to the bride, and the bride gave him red silk, and he brought it to the
brook, and the brook gave him water. So then the cock brought the water
to the hen, but alas, it was too late; the hen had choked in the
meanwhile, and lay there dead. And the cock was so grieved that he
cried aloud, and all the beasts came and lamented for the hen; and six
mice built a little waggon, on which to carry the poor hen to her grave,
and when it was ready they harnessed themselves to it, and the cock
drove. On the way they met the fox.

"Halloa, cock," cried he, "where are you off to?"

"To bury my hen," answered the cock.

"Can I come too?" said the fox.

"Yes, if you follow behind," said the cock.

So the fox followed behind and he was soon joined by the wolf, the bear,
the stag, the lion, and all the beasts in the wood. And the procession
went on till they came to a brook.

"How shall we get over?" said the cock. Now in the brook there was a
straw, and he said,

"I will lay myself across, so that you may pass over on me." But when
the six mice had got upon this bridge, the straw slipped and fell into
the water and they all tumbled in and were drowned. So they were as
badly off as ever, when a coal came up and said he would lay himself
across and they might pass over him; but no sooner had he touched the
water than he hissed, went out, and was dead. A stone seeing this was
touched with pity, and, wishing to help the cock, he laid himself across
the stream. And the cock drew the waggon with the dead hen in it safely
to the other side, and then began to draw the others who followed behind
across too, but it was too much for him, the waggon turned over, and all
tumbled into the water one on the top of another, and were drowned.

So the cock was left all alone with the dead hen, and he digged a grave
and laid her in it, and he raised a mound above her, and sat himself
down and lamented so sore that at last he died. And so they were all
dead together.

HANS IN LUCK

HANS had served his master seven years, and at the end of the seventh
year he said,

"Master, my time is up; I want to go home and see my mother, so give me
my wages."

"You have served me truly and faithfully," said the master; "as the
service is, so must the wages be," and he gave him a lump of gold as big
as his head. Hans pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and tied up
the lump of gold in it, hoiste