Herr Korbes

There were once a cock and a hen who wanted to take a journey together.
So the cock built a beautiful carriage, which had four red wheels, and
harnessed four mice to it. The hen seated herself in it with the cock,
and they drove away together. Not long afterwards they met a cat who
said, "Where are you going?" The cock replied, "We are going to the
house of Herr Korbes." "Take me with you," said the cat. The cock
answered, "Most willingly, get up behind, lest you fall off in front.
Take great care not to dirty my little red wheels. And you little
wheels, roll on, and you little mice pipe out, as we go forth on our
way to the house of Herr Korbes."

After this came a millstone, then an egg, then a duck, then a pin, and
at last a needle, who all seated themselves in the carriage, and drove
with them. When, however, they reached the house of Herr Korbes, Herr
Korbes was not there. The mice drew the carriage into the barn, the hen
flew with the cock upon a perch. The cat sat down by the hearth, the
duck on the well-pole. The egg rolled itself into a towel, the pin
stuck itself into the chair-cushion, the needle jumped on to the bed in
the middle of the pillow, and the millstone laid itself over the door.
Then Herr Korbes came home, went to the hearth, and was about to light
the fire, when the cat threw a quantity of ashes in his face. He ran
into the kitchen in a great hurry to wash it off, and the duck splashed
some water in his face. He wanted to dry it with the towel, but the egg
rolled up against him, broke, and glued up his eyes. He wanted to rest,
and sat down in the chair, and then the pin pricked him. He fell in a
passion, and threw himself on his bed, but as soon as he laid his head
on the pillow, the needle pricked him, so that he screamed aloud, and
was just going to run out into the wide world in his rage, but when he
came to the house-door, the millstone leapt down and struck him dead.
Herr Korbes must have been a very wicked man!
