1. How They Went to the Mountains
One day, Chanticleer the rooster said to his wife Partlet, "The nuts are ripe. Let’s go to the mountains and eat them before the squirrels take them all."
They spent the whole day eating. By evening, they were too lazy to walk home. Chanticleer built a tiny carriage out of nutshells. Partlet sat inside and told Chanticleer to pull it.
"No way!" said Chanticleer. "I will be the driver, but I won't pull it."
While they were arguing, a duck ran up. "This is my land! Why are you here?" she shouted. She attacked Chanticleer, but he fought back with his sharp heels. The duck gave up and agreed to pull the carriage home for them.
On the road, they met a needle and a pin. "It’s too dark to walk!" the needle cried. "Can we have a lift?" Chanticleer let them in, as long as they didn't step on Partlet’s toes.
Late at night, they reached an inn. The landlord didn't want to let them in, but they promised him an egg that Partlet had laid. They had a great supper and stayed the night.
Very early the next morning, Chanticleer and Partlet woke up. They ate the egg, threw the shells into the fireplace, and stuck the pin in the landlord’s towel and the needle in his chair. Then, they flew away. The duck, who had slept outside, swam away down a stream.
When the landlord got up, the pin pricked his face and the eggshells flew into his eyes. When he sat down to rest, the needle pricked him! He was furious and swore he would never let such travelers into his inn again.
2. The Visit to Mr. Korbes
Another day, Chanticleer and Partlet went to visit Mr. Korbes. They had a carriage with four red wheels and six mice to pull it. On the way, they picked up a cat, a millstone, an egg, a duck, and a pin.
When they arrived at Mr. Korbes’s house, he wasn't home. Each guest hid in a different place: the cat in the fireplace, the duck in the water bowl, the pin in the pillow, and the egg in the towel. The millstone hid above the door.
When Mr. Korbes came home and tried to light a fire, the cat threw ash in his eyes. He ran to wash his face, but the duck splashed water on him. He grabbed the towel, and the egg broke all over his face. Angry and tired, he went to bed, but the pin pricked his cheek. He tried to run out of the house, but the millstone fell on his head and killed him.
3. The Death of Partlet
One final time, Chanticleer and Partlet went to find nuts. They promised to share everything. However, Partlet found a huge nut and tried to eat it alone. It got stuck in her throat.
"Quick! Get water!" she cried.
Chanticleer ran to the river, but the river asked for a silk cord from a bride. The bride asked for a flower crown from the garden. By the time Chanticleer brought the water, poor Partlet had died.
Chanticleer was heartbroken. All the animals came to the funeral. Six mice pulled a small carriage with Partlet’s body, and Chanticleer drove. On the way, many animals like the fox and the wolf jumped on the back.
When they reached a stream, they tried to cross on a log, but it fell in. Everyone on the back of the carriage fell into the water and drowned. Only Chanticleer was left. He buried Partlet and sat by her grave, feeling very lonely. He stayed there until he died of sadness, and that was the end of them all.