The cock once said to the hen, "It is now the time when our nuts are ripe, so let us go to the hill together and for once eat our fill before the squirrel takes them all away." - "Yes," replied the hen, "come, we will have some pleasure together." Then they went away to the hill, and on it was a bright day they stayed till evening. Now I do not know whether it was that they had eaten till they were too fat, or whether they had become proud, but they would not go home on foot, and the cock had to build a little carriage of nut-shells. When it was ready, the little hen seated herself in it and said to the cock, "Thou canst just harness thyself to it." - "I like that!" said the cock, "I would rather go home on foot than let myself be harnessed to it; no, that is not our bargain. I do not mind being coachman and sitting on the box, but drag it myself I will not."
Hanen sagde en dag til hønen: "Nu er nødderne modne. Skal vi ikke gå sammen ud på bjerget og spise os rigtig mætte, før egernet tager dem allesammen. "Lad os det," sagde hønen, "det kan jo blive en rigtig morsom tur." De gik så derud; det var højlys dag, og de blev der lige til om aftenen. Om de nu havde spist for meget eller var blevet vigtige, ved jeg ikke; nok er det, de ville ikke gå hjem på deres ben, og hanen lavede så en lille vogn af nøddeskaller. Da den var færdig, satte hønen sig i den og sagde til hanen: "Kan du så spænde dig for vognen." - "Det manglede bare," svarede hanen, "så ville jeg da hellere gå hjem. Det var rigtignok ikke meningen. Jeg vil nok være kusk og sidde på bukken, men trække dig, nej tak."
As they were thus disputing, a duck quacked to them, "You thieving folks, who bade you go to my nut-hill? Well, you shall suffer for it!" and ran with open beak at the cock. But the cock also was not idle, and fell boldly on the duck, and at last wounded her so with his spurs that she also begged for mercy, and willingly let herself be harnessed to the carriage as a punishment. The little cock now seated himself on the box and was coachman, and thereupon they went off in a gallop, with "Duck, go as fast as thou canst." When they had driven a part of the way they met two foot-passengers, a pin and a needle. They cried, "Stop! stop!" and said that it would soon be as dark as pitch, and then they could not go a step further, and that it was so dirty on the road, and asked if they could not get into the carriage for a while. They had been at the tailor's public- house by the gate, and had stayed too long over the beer. As they were thin people, who did not take up much room, the cock let them both get in, but they had to promise him and his little hen not to step on their feet. Late in the evening they came to an inn, and as they did not like to go further by night, and as the duck also was not strong on her feet, and fell from one side to the other, they went in. The host at first made many objections, his house was already full, besides he thought they could not be very distinguished persons; but at last, as they made pleasant speeches, and told him that he should have the egg which the little hen has laid on the way, and should likewise keep the duck, which laid one every day, he at length said that they might stay the night. And now they had themselves well served, and feasted and rioted. Early in the morning, when day was breaking, and every one was asleep, the cock awoke the hen, brought the egg, pecked it open, and they ate it together, but they threw the shell on 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, and put the pin in his towel, and at the last without more 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 going away, made herself merry and found a stream, down which she swam, which was a much quicker way of travelling than being harnessed to a carriage. The host did not get out of bed for two hours after this; he washed himself and wanted to dry himself, then the pin went over his face and made a red streak from one ear to the other. After this he went into the kitchen and wanted to light a pipe, but when he came to the hearth the egg-shell darted into his eyes. "This morning everything attacks my head, " said he, and angrily sat down on his grandfather's chair, but he quickly started up again and cried, "Woe is me, " for the needle had pricked him still 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, and when he went and looked about for them, they were gone. Then he made a vow to take no more ragamuffins into his house, for they consume much, pay for nothing, and play mischievous tricks into the bargain by way of gratitude.
Mens de stod der og skændtes, kom en and vraltende: "I tyveknægte," sagde den, "hvem har givet jer lov til at spise af mine nødder? Derpå gik den løs på hanen. Men hanen var ikke tabt bag af en vogn, den for ind på anden og hakkede sådan løs på den med sporerne, at den bad om nåde og til straf lod sig spænde forvognen. Hanen satte sig på bukken og var kusk, og anden måtte løbe så hurtigt den bare kunne. Da de havde kørt i nogen tid, mødte de to fodgængere, en knappenål og en synål. De bad om de måtte få lov til at køre med, for det blev snart bælgmørkt og der var så ækelt snavset på gaden. De var blevet noget forsinkede i en kro, hvor de havde drukket øl. Da de var så tynde og ikke kunne tage megen plads op, fik de lov til at sætte sig op i vognen, når de ville love, ikke at træde hanen eller hønen over tæerne. Sent om aftenen kom de til en kro, og der tog de ind, da de ikke holdt af at køre om natten, og anden desuden var så træt, at den ikke kunne stå på benene. Værten gjorde først indvendin¬ger og sagde, at han ikke havde plads, og tænkte også nok, at der ikke var noget videre at tjene ved dem. Men da de blev ved at overtale ham og lovede ham det æg, hønen havde lagt undervejs, og sagde, at han måtte beholde anden, som lagde æg hver eneste dag, gav han dem til sidst lov til at blive. Så svirede de sammen til langt ud på natten. Ganske tidlig næste morgen, da hele huset sov, vækkede hanen hønen og hentede ægget, som de spiste. Skallerne kastede de ud på skorstenen. Så tog de synålen, som sov endnu, og stak den ned i værtens stol, knappenålen satte de i hans håndklæde, og så fløj de uden videre over heden. Anden, der plejede at sove i fri luft, og var blevet ude i gården, hørte dem baske af sted, og kom nu også på benene. Den fandt en bæk lige i nærheden og svømmede af sted, og det gik jo rigtignok hurtigere end med vognen. Et par timer efter kom værten ud af fjerene, vaskede sig og tog håndklædet for at tørre sig. Så fik han knappenålen op i ansigtet, og den rev en lang rød stribe fra det ene øre til det andet. Han gik nu ud i køkkenet for at tænde sin pibe ved skorstenen, så fløj æggeskallerne ham op i ansigtet. "Jeg skal da også hele tiden komme galt af sted med mit hovede i dag," tænkte han, og ærgerlig smed han sig på en stol. Men han kom op igen i en fart, for synålen havde stukket ham endnu værre, og det var ikke i hovedet. Han var ude af sig selv af vrede og begyndte at fatte mistanke til de gæster, der var kommet så sent i går aftes, og da han skulle se efter dem, var de jo væk for længe siden. Så bandede han på aldrig mere at modtage sådan noget pak, som æder og drikker uden at betale og ovenikøbet laver skarnsstykker til tak.