Stranica 90 [90]
“THE -VAGABONDS "
HE cock said to the hen,
“Tt is nutting time, let us go to¬
gether to the mountains and have a
good feast for once, before the squirrels
come and carry all away.”
“ Yes,’ answered the hen, “ come
along ; we will have a jolly time
together."
Then they set off together to the
mountains, and as it was a fine day they stayed there till the
evening. Now whether it was that they had eaten so much, or
because of their pride and haughtiness, I do not know, but
they would not go home on foct; so the cock set to work
to make a little carriage out of nutshells. When it was ready,
the hen seated herself in it, and said to the cock,
‘‘ Now you can harness yourself to it.”
“'That’s all very fine,” said the cock, "I would sooner go
‘home on foot than do such a thing : and I never agreed to it.
I don’t mind being coachman, and sitting on the box; but as
to drawing it myself, it’s quite out of the question.”
As they were wrangling, a duck came quacking,
“You thieving vagabonds, who told you you might go to
my mountain? Look out, or it will be the worse for you!"
and flew at the cock with bill wide open. But the cock was
not backward, and he gave the duck a good dig in the body, .
and hacked at her with his spurs so valiantly that she begged ©
for mercy, and willingly allowed herself to be harnessed to the