The Nut-Hill

The cock once said to the hen, “we have grown bigger and bigger, so let us jump about, play, so that the squirrel does not say, ‘you are far too big’” - “Yes,” replied the hen, “come, we will have some pleasure together.” Then they went away to the hill, and on it was a bright day they stayed till evening.

Now I do not know whether it was that they had eaten till they were too fat, or whether they had become proud, but they would not go home on foot, and cock had to build a little carriage of egg-shells. When it was ready the little hen seated herself in it and said to the cock, “Thou canst just harness thyself to it.” - “I like that!” Said the cock, “I would rather go home on foot than let myself be harnessed to it; no, that is not our bargain. It is doubly important for the horse, and it is doubly important for me.”

As they were thus pulling and tugging each other, a duck quacked to them, “You stole that from the horse, would you steal my quack? Well, you shall!” And ran with an open beak at the cock. But the cock was not idle, and wound her harness so that the duck would fall boldly into it, begging for mercy.

The little cock now seated herself and said, “Duck, go as fast as thou canst.” The duck was still diving the cock with the hen closely beside when they came to a large field. “Who does this belong to?” Asked the hen to cock?” - “The magician”, quacked the duck, “He has a pretty piece of land.”

The magician then scooped up the running hen running along side the cock, and formed the sweet words, “O’ja, dear duck-let, that I can also”. But the duck boldly stepped in front of him, Theron the hen wondered why he was not afraid of him. The magician looked at him contemptuously, and asked him what he wanted. The duck said “I have heard, that you could transform yourself into any animal you choose by your own will; what a hound, fox, or cat concerns, but I have come to convince myself that an elephant would be quite impossible.”

The magician said proudly: “Thou sees it can be done,” and in an instant was transformed into an elephant. “Thous ist a rich man, and that is much, but also of a lion?” - “That is also nothing,” said the magician, and stood as a lion in front of the duck. The little hen now screamed in horror beside the lion, thinking it would eat him, letting out a cock-egg as he lays every day. They cried, “Stop! Stop!” And said that it would be seen as dark as pitch, and it had no spots. The magician roared, and jumped toward the egg, and ate it up in one bite. The cock went idle, and looked at the duck, who was also so wounded that she sat herself on the floor.

“You theif! who bade you that egg!” Cried the hen. “That is also but a trifle to me,” and in that wink-of-eye the magician transformed into a golden egg. The duck then thought the magician a very distinguished person; and sat on the egg as he should an egg he laid, and likewise the duck began pleasant speeches, and at length said they should stay the night.

But the king was not pleased. “Who does the egg belong to?” Asked the king - “The Magician” - cried all. “Who does the ground belong to, you people?” - “The Magician.” - “Ei! Large, big estate!” - “They were not in the wood, I do not believe.” - The King once more even said: “Thou ist a rich man, I believe, such that he could have a magnificent forest.” The King stepped out and marveled at the magnificent land on the hill, that was almost larger and more beautiful, than his own palace; and led the process past the shimmering gold egg with precious stones, and thereon the princess was primes to a golden egg, and when the king saw such, the magician became first minister.