Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History

Book

Open Original Text

spring in the Beech-wood! Fetch me a drop quickly, while
the dew is in it; for that is the true remedy."

But Cock-alu was so busy crowing against a neighbor that he took no
notice.

"Oh, Cock-alu, do run and fetch me the water from the silver-spring, or
I shall die; for the bean sticks in my throat, and nothing but water
with dew in it can cure me! Oh, Cock-alu, dear, run quickly!"

Cock-alu heard her this time, and set off, crowing as he went. He had
not gone far before he met the snail.

"Where are you going, snails?" says he.

"I'm going to the cow-cabbage," says the snail; "and what urgent
business may it be that takes you out thus early, Cock-alu?" says the
snail.

"I'm going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to fetch a drop of
water for my wife, Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat," says
Cock-alu.

"Oh," says the snail, "run along quickly, and get the water while the
dew is in it; for nothing else will get a bean out of the throat. Don't
stop by the way, for the bull is coming down to the silver-spring to
drink, and he'll trouble the water. Gather up my silver-trail, however,
and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she'll soon be better!"

Cock-alu hastily gathered up the silver-trail which the snail left.
"This will make Hen-alie a pair of stockings!" said he, and went on his
way.

He had not gone far before he met the wood-pigeon. "Good morning,
pigeon," says he; "and which way are you going?"

"I am going to the pea-field," says the pigeon, "to get peas for my
young ones; and what may your business be this morning, Cock-alu!"

"I'm going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to fetch a drop of
water for my wife, Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat."

"I'm sorry to hear that," says the pigeon; "but don't let me detain you,
for water with the dew in it is the best thing to get a bean out of the
throat; and let me advise you to make haste, for the bloodhound is going
to lap at the spring, and he'll trouble the water. So run along, and
here, take with you my blue velvet neck-ribbon, and give it to Hen-alie
with my love, and I hope she'll soon be better."

"Oh, what a nice pair of garters this will make for Hen-alie!" exclaimed
Cock-alu, and went on his way.

He had not gone far before he met the wild-cat. "Good morning, friend,"
says Cock-alu, "and where may you be going this morning?"

"I'm going to get a young wood-pigeon for my breakfast, while the mother
is gone to the pea-field," says the wild-cat; "and where may you be
traveling to this morning, Cock-alu?"

"I'm going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood," replied Cock-alu,
"to get a drop of water for my little wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean
in her throat."

"That's a bad business," says the wild-cat, "but a drop of water with
the dew in it is the right remedy; so don't let me keep you; and you had
better make haste, for the woodman is on his way to fell a tree by the
spring, and if a branch falls into it, the water will be troubled; so
off with you! But carry with you a flash of green fire from my right
eye, and give it to Hen-alie with my love, and I hope she'll soon be
better."

"Oh, what a beautiful green light, like the green on my best
tail-feathers! I'll keep it for myself; it's fitter for me than for
Hen-alie!" said Cock-alu.

So he hung the green light on his tail-feathers, which made them very
handsome, and he went on his way.

He had not gone far before he met with the sheep-dog. "Good morning,
sheep-dog," says Cock-alu; "where are you going?"

"I'm going to hunt up a stray lamb for my master," says the sheep-dog,
"and what brings you abroad?"

"I'm going to the silver-spring in the Beech-wood, to get a drop of
water for my little wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat,"
says Cock-alu.

"Then why do you stop talking to me?" says the sheep-dog, in his short
way; "your wife's bad enough, I'll warrant me; and a drop of water with
the dew in it is the thing to do her good. Be off with you! The farmer
is coming to lay the spring dry this morning. I left him sharpening his
mattock when I set out. You'll be too late, if you don't mind!" and with
that the sheep-dog went his way.

"An unmannerly fellow," says Cock-alu, and stood looking after him;
"I'll not go at his bidding, not I!" So he clapped his wings and crowed
in the wood, just to show that he set light by his advice. "And never to
give me anything for poor Hen-alie, that lies sick at home with a bean
in her throat! The ill-natured churl!" cried Cock-alu to himself, and
then he stood and crowed again with all his might.

After that he marched on, and before long reached the Beech-wood, but as
the silver-spring lay yet a good way off, he had not gone far in the
wood before he met the squirrel.

"Good morning, squirrel," says he; "what brings you abroad so early?"

"Early do you call it, Cock-alu?" says the squirrel; "why, I've been up
these four hours; I just stopped to give the young ones their
breakfasts, and then set off to silver-spring for a drop of water while
the dew was in it; I've got it here in a cherry-leaf. And pray you, what
business may take you abroad, Cock-alu?"

"The same as yours," replied Cock-alu; "I'm going for water, too, for my
wife Hen-alie, who has got a bean in her throat."

"Ah, well-a-day!" says the squirrel, "that's a bad thing! But run along
with you; for the old sow is coming down with her nine little pigs, and
if they trouble the water it will be all too late for poor little
Hen-alie!"

And with that the squirrel leaped up into the oak-tree above where
Cock-alu stood, for that was her way home, and left him without further
ceremony.

"Humph!" said Cock-alu; "she might have given me some of the water out
of her cherry-leaf for my poor little Hen-alie!" And so saying, he
walked on through the Beech-wood, and as he met no more creatures he
soon reached the silver-spring.

But it was now noon-day, and there was not a drop of dew in the water,
and the bull had been down and drunk, and the bloodhound had lapped, and
the old sow and her nine little pigs had wallowed in it, so the water
was troubled, and besides that the woodman had felled the tree which now
lay across the spring, and the farmer was digging the new watercourse,
so the spring was getting lower every minute. Cock-alu had come quite
too late; there was not a drop left for poor little Hen-alie.

When Cock-alu saw this he was very much disconcerted; he did not know
what to do, he stood a little while considering, and then he set off as
hard as he could go to the squirrel's house to beg a drop of water from
her. But the squirrel lived a long way off in the wood, and thus it was
a considerable time before he got there.

When he reached the squirrel's house, however, nobody was at home. He
knocked and knocked for a long time, and at last he walked in, but they
were all gone out; he peeped therefore into the pantry to see if he
could find the water; there was plenty of hazel-nuts and beech-nuts,
heaps and heaps of them al

Previous Next