Страшные сказки / Scary stories

Then she cried,

“Cock, please run fast and fetch me some water, or I shall choke!”

The little cock ran as fast as he could to the spring, and said,

“Stream, give me some water; the little hen is on the nut-hill. She will choke!”

The well answered,

“First run to the bride, and ask her to give you some red silk”.

The little cock ran to the bride and said,

“Bride, give me some red silk! I want to give red silk to the well, the well will give me some water.

I’ll take the water to the little hen who is on the nut-hill. She will choke!”

The bride answered,

“First run and bring me my little wreath which hangs on a willow”.

So the little cock ran to the willow, and drew the wreath from the branch and took it to the bride. The bride gave him some water for it. Then the little cock took the water to the hen. But the hen choked in the meantime, and lay there dead and motionless. Then the cock was so distressed that he cried aloud.

Every animal came to lament the little hen. Six mice built a little carriage to carry her to her grave. When the carriage was ready they harnessed themselves to it, and the cock drove. On the way, however, they met the fox, who said,

“Where do you go, little cock?”

“I go to bury my little hen”.

“May I drive with you?”

“Yes, but seat thyself at the back of the carriage, for in the front my little horses could not drag you”.

Then the fox seated himself at the back, and after that the wolf, the bear, the stag, the lion, and all the beasts of the forest did the same. Then the procession went onwards, and they reached the stream.

“How will we get over?” said the little cock.

A straw was by the stream, and it said,

“I will lay myself across, and you will drive over me”.

But when the six mice came to the bridge, the straw slipped and fell into the water.

The six mice all fell in and were drowned.

Then they were again in difficulty, and a coal came and said,

“I am large enough. I will lay myself across and you will drive over me”.

So the coal also laid itself across the water, but unhappily just touched it, on which the coal hissed, was extinguished and died.

When a stone saw that, it took pity on the little cock, wished to help him, and laid itself over the water.