The farm-yard cock and the weather-cock家养公鸡和风信公鸡

THEFARM-YARDCOCKANDTHEWEATHER-COCK

Thereweretwococks-oneonthedung-hill,theotherontheroof.Theywerebotharrogant,butwhichofthetworenderedmostservice?Tellusyouropinion-we’llkeeptooursjustthesamethough.
Thepoultryyardwasdividedbysomeplanksfromanotheryardinwhichtherewasadung-hill,andonthedung-hilllayandgrewalargecucumberwhichwasconsciousofbeingahot-bedplant.
"Oneisborntothat,"saidthecucumbertoitself."Notallcanbeborncucumbers;theremustbeotherthings,too.
Thehens,theducks,andalltheanimalsinthenextyardarecreaturestoo.NowIhaveagreatopinionoftheyardcockontheplank;heiscertainlyofmuchmoreimportancethantheweather-cockwhoisplacedsohighandcan’tevencreak,muchlesscrow.Thelatterhasneitherhensnorchicks,andonlythinksofhimselfandperspiresverdigris.No,theyardcockisreallyacock!Hisstepisadance!Hiscrowingismusic,andwhereverhegoesoneknowswhatatrumpeterislike!Ifhewouldonlycomeinhere!Evenifheatemeupstump,stalk,andall,andIhadtodissolveinhisbody,itwouldbeahappydeath,"saidthecucumber.
Inthenighttherewasaterriblestorm.Thehens,chicks,andeventhecocksoughtshelter;thewindtoredowntheplanksbetweenthetwoyardswithacrash;thetilescametumblingdown,buttheweather-cocksatfirm.Hedidnoteventurnround,forhecouldnot;andyethewasyoungandfreshlycast,butprudentandsedate.Hehadbeenbornold,anddidnotatallresemblethebirdsflyingintheair-thesparrows,andtheswallows;no,hedespisedthem,thesemeanlittlepipingbirds,thesecommonwhistlers.Headmittedthatthepigeons,largeandwhiteandshininglikemother-o’-pearl,lookedlikeakindofweather-cock;buttheywerefatandstupid,andalltheirthoughtsandendeavoursweredirectedtofillingthemselveswithfood,andbesides,theyweretiresomethingstoconversewith.Thebirdsofpassagehadalsopaidtheweather-cockavisitandtoldhimofforeigncountries,ofairycaravansandrobberstoriesthatmadeone’shairstandonend.Allthiswasnewandinteresting;thatis,forthefirsttime,butafterwards,astheweather-cockfoundout,theyrepeatedthemselvesandalwaystoldthesamestories,andthat’sverytedious,andtherewasnoonewithwhomonecouldassociate,foroneandallwerestaleandsmall-minded.
"Theworldisnogood!"hesaid."Everythinginitissostupid."
Theweather-cockwaspuffedup,andthatqualitywouldhavemadehiminterestingintheeyesofthecucumberifithadknownit,butithadeyesonlyfortheyardcock,whowasnowintheyardwithit.
Thewindhadblowntheplanks,butthestormwasover."Whatdoyouthinkofthatcrowing?"saidtheyardcocktothehensandchickens."Itwasalittlerough-itwantedelegance."
Andthehensandchickenscameuponthedung-hill,andthecockstruttedaboutlikealord.
"Gardenplant!"hesaidtothecucumber,andinthatonewordhisdeeplearningshoweditself,anditforgotthathewaspeckingatherandeatingitup."Ahappydeath!"
Thehensandthechickenscame,forwhereonerunstheothersruntoo;theyclucked,andchirped,andlookedatthecock,andwereproudthathewasoftheirkind.
"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"hecrowed,"thechickenswillgrowupintogreathensatonce,ifIcryitoutinthepoultry-yardoftheworld!"
Andhensandchickscluckedandchirped,andthecockannouncedagreatpieceofnews.
"Acockcanlayanegg!Anddoyouknowwhat’sinthategg?Abasilisk.Noonecanstandthesightofsuchathing;peopleknowthat,andnowyouknowittoo-youknowwhatisinme,andwhatachampionofallcocksIam!"
Withthattheyardcockflappedhiswings,madehiscombswellup,andcrowedagain;andtheyallshuddered,thehensandthelittlechicks-buttheywereveryproudthatoneoftheirnumberwassuchachampionofallcocks.Theycluckedandchirpedtilltheweather-cockheard;heheardit;buthedidnotstir.
"Everythingisverystupid,"theweather-cocksaidtohimself."Theyardcocklaysnoeggs,andIamtoolazytodoso;ifIliked,Icouldlayawind-egg.Buttheworldisnotworthevenawind-egg.Everythingissostupid!Idon’twanttosithereanylonger."
Withthattheweather-cockbrokeoff;buthedidnotkilltheyardcock,althoughthehenssaidthathadbeenhisintention.Andwhatisthemoral?"Bettertocrowthantobepuffedupandbreakoff!


养公鸡和风信公鸡的故事

有两只公鸡，一只在垃圾堆上，一只在屋顶上，两只都很自高自大.可是谁更有能耐呢？请告诉我们你的意见……然而，我们保留着我们的意见.

　　鸡场那边有一道木栅栏，与另一个院子隔开.那个院子里有一个垃圾堆，垃圾堆上长了一条很大的黄瓜.她自己很明白，她是发酵土里长出来的东西.“这是生就的！”她内心这样说着.“并不是甚么东西都可以生成黄瓜的，世上也应该有别的有生命的物种！鸡、鸭，还有邻舍院子里那一群，也都是生灵.我这会儿看见木栏上有公鸡，和高高在上连咯咯叫都不会更不用说喔喔啼的风信公鸡比，他的确另有一番意义！那风信公鸡既没有母鸡，也没有小鸡.他只想着自己，满身铜绿！不行，家养的公鸡，那才算得上是公鸡！瞧他迈步的那个样子，那是跳舞！听他打鸣，那是音乐！他所到之处，人们就明白甚么是小号手！若是他跑到这里来，若是他把我连叶带桿一起吃掉，若是我进了他的身子里，那真是幸福的死！”黄瓜这么说道.

　　夜里天气坏得可怕极了，母鸡、小鸡，连带公鸡都找不到躲避的地方.两个院子中间的那道木栏被吹倒了，发出很大的声音.屋顶上的瓦也落下来，但是风信公鸡却稳稳地站在那里，连转都不转一下.他不中用，然而他年轻，是不久前才铸出来的.而且头脑清醒，遇事不慌.他天生老成，不像那些在天上飞来飞去的诸如麻雀、燕子之类的小鸟，他瞧不起他们.“唧唧喳喳的鸟儿，小不点儿，普普通通.”鸽子倒挺大，闪闪发光，很像珍珠母鸡，看去也颇像某种风信公鸡.但是他们太胖了，笨头笨脑，一门心思只想着啄点东西进肚皮里去，风信公鸡这么说道，交往之中他们还总是令人厌烦.秋去春来的候鸟来拜访过，谈到过异国他乡，谈起过天空中鸟儿成群结队地飞行，谈起过猛禽拦路行凶的可怕故事.头一回听，这都很新鲜有趣.可是到后来，风信公鸡明白了，他们老在重複，总是讲同样的事儿，很是令人烦心！他们一切都叫人烦心.没有可交往的，谁都是死板板的，毫无趣味.“这世界真不行！”他说道，“甚么都无聊透顶！”风信公鸡像人们所说的那样，对甚么都腻味了.黄瓜要是知道的话，她一定会觉得很有趣.但是她的眼中只有那家养的公鸡，现在他已经到了她的院子里来了.

　　木栏被吹倒了，可是雷电已经平息.“你们觉得那一阵子喔喔啼如何？”家养公鸡对鸡婆和鸡仔说道.“有点粗声粗气，一点儿不雅致.”

　　鸡婆带着一群鸡仔闯到垃圾堆上，公鸡像骑士一般迈着大步来了.“菜园子里长出来的！”他对黄瓜说.从这么简简单单的一句话里，她体察到了他的高度涵养，却忘了他正在啄她，正在吃她.“幸福地死啊！”

　　来了一群母鸡，来了一群小鸡.只要有一只跑动，另一只便会跟着跑起来.他们咯咯地叫，他们唧唧地叫，他们瞅着公鸡，为他感到骄傲，他是他们一族.“咯咯、勒咯！”他啼了起来，“我在世界的鸡场里这么一叫，小鸡马上便长成了大母鸡.”

　　鸡婆和鸡仔咯咯唧唧地跟着叫了起来.

　　接着家养公鸡拍拍翅膀，挺起自己的冠子，又啼了起来.所有的鸡婆，所有的鸡仔都哆嗦了一下.但是，他们都为自己同类中有一个所有鸡场中最棒的小伙子而骄傲.他们咯咯地叫着，他们唧唧地叫着，好让风信公鸡听见.他听到了，不过并没有因此而动上一动.“一派胡言乱语！”风信公鸡内心这样说道.“家养的公鸡从来也没有下过蛋.我没有那个兴致，要是我愿意的话，我满可以生一个风蛋！可是这个世界不值得有甚么风蛋！全是胡说八道！——现在我连这么立着都不高兴了.”

　　於是风信鸡折了.不过他没有把家养的公鸡砸死.“当然他是这么打算的！”母鸡说道.这篇故事所含的教益又是怎么说呢.“与其活得腻味折掉，倒还是啼啼叫叫的好.”

　　丹麦有这样的迷信，说有个怪物，鸡头蛇身.它一眨眼便能吓死人.