The Death of the Little Hen



A chicken dies; the chicken wants to bury it, then the whole wedding procession has an accident and the chicken dies too.

At one time the chicken and the chicken went into the nut mountain, and they agreed with each other that whoever found a nut kernel should share it with the other. Now the chicken found a large nut, but said nothing about it and wanted to eat the kernel alone. But the kernel was so thick that he could not swallow it, and it got stuck in his throat, so that he was afraid he would choke. So the chicken cried out, "Chicken, I beg you, run as fast as you can and get me some water, or I will choke. The chicken ran as far as it could to the well, and said 'Born, you shall give me water, the chicken is lying on the nut mountain, has swallowed a large nut kernel and wants to suffocate'. The well replied 'run to the bride first, and have red silk given to you'. The chicken ran to the bride, 'Bride you shall give me red silk: red silk I will give to the well, the well shall give me water, the water I will bring to the chicken, which lies on the nut mountain, has swallowed a large nut kernel and wants to choke on it.' The bride replied, "Run first and fetch me my little wreath, which got stuck in a willow tree. So the chicken ran to the willow and pulled the wreath from the branch and brought it to the bride, and the bride gave him red silk for it, which she brought to the well, which gave him water for it. Then the chicken brought the water to the chicken, but when it got there, the chicken was suffocated and lay there dead and did not move. Then the chicken was so sad that it cried out loudly, and all the animals came and mourned the chicken; and six mice built a small wagon to drive the chicken to the grave in; and when the wagon was ready, they harnessed themselves to it, and the chicken drove. But on the way the fox came, 'Where are you going, chicken?' 'I want to bury my chicken.' 'May I go with you?
'Yes, but sit in the back of the car.'
my little horses can't stand it in the front'.
Then the fox sat down behind, then the wolf, the bear, the deer, the lion and all the animals in the forest. So the journey went on, and they came to a brook. How shall we get across?" said the chicken. There was a straw lying by the brook, which said, 'I will lay myself across it, so you can go over me. But when the six mice came to the bridge, the straw slipped and fell into the water, and the six mice all fell in and were drowned. Then the trouble started again, and a coal came and said 'I am big enough, I will lie down over it and you shall drive over me'. The coal also laid itself on the water, but unfortunately it touched it a little, then it hissed, went out and was dead. When a stone saw this, it took pity on itself and wanted to help the chicken, and laid itself over the water. The chicken pulled the wagon itself, as it soon had it over there, and was with the dead chicken on the land and wanted to pull the others, who were sitting on the back, too, but there were too many of them, and the wagon fell back, and everything fell with each other into the water and drowned. Then the chicken was still alone with the dead chicken, and dug a grave for it and laid it in it, and made a mound over it, on which it sat down and mourned until it also died; and then everything was dead.