Herr Korbes

Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

　　Once upon a time there were a rooster and a hen who wanted to take a journey together. So the rooster built a handsome carriage with four red wheels, and hitched four mice to it. The hen climbed aboard with the rooster, and they drove away together.

　　Not long afterward they met a cat, who said, "Where are you going?"

　　the rooster answered, "We're on our way to Herr Korbes's house."

　　"Take me with you," said the cat.

　　the rooster answered, "Gladly. Climb on behind, so you won't fall off the front. Be careful not to get my red wheels dirty. Roll, wheels. Whistle, mice. We're on our way to Herr Korbes's house."

　　then a millstone came along, then an egg, then a duck, then a pin, and finally a needle. They all climbed aboard the carriage and rode with them.

　　But when they arrived at Herr Korbes's house, he was not there. The mice pulled the carriage into the barn. The hen and the rooster flew onto a pole. The cat sat down in the fireplace and the duck in the water bucket. The egg rolled itself up in a towel. The pin stuck itself into a chair cushion. The needle jumped onto the bed in the middle of the pillow. The millstone lay down above the door.

　　then Herr Korbes came home. He went to the fireplace, wanting to make a fire, and the cat threw ashes into his face. He ran quickly into the kitchen to wash himself, and the duck splashed water into his face. He wanted to dry himself off with the towel, but the egg rolled against him, broke, and glued his eyes shut. Wanting to rest, he sat down in the chair, and the pin pricked him. He fell into a rage and threw himself onto his bed, but when he laid his head on the pillow, the needle pricked him, causing him to scream and run out of the house. As he ran through the front door the millstone jumped down and struck him dead.

　　Herr Korbes must have been a very wicked man.
從前，有只公雞準備和一只母雞一起出門旅行。公雞做了一輛漂亮的車，裝上四只紅色的輪子，然后套上四只小老鼠拉車。母雞和公雞坐上車出發了，不久，它們遇到一只貓，貓問它們：「你們上哪兒？」公雞回答說：「去海爾家。」「帶上我吧。」貓說。公雞說：「十分愿意。從后面上來吧，可別摔下來，小心別弄髒了小紅輪子。小小車輪快快跑，小老鼠兒吱吱叫，我們朝前奔，快到海爾家。」

　　隨后又來了磨盤、一個雞蛋、一只鴨子、一個發夾，最后來的是一根縫衣針，它們全擠到車上，一起朝海爾家趕去。

　　它們到時海爾不在家。於是小老鼠將車拖進牲口棚。母雞和公雞飛到一根橫桿上歇著了，貓咪蹲伏在灶膛邊，鴨子蹲到了井臺邊，雞蛋用毛巾把自己裹了起來，發夾一頭紮進座墊上，縫衣針則跳到床上，藏到了枕頭中央，磨盤也爬到門頂上。海爾回到家中，走到灶膛邊準備生火。蹲在那里的貓撒了他一臉爐灰；他急忙跑到廚房去洗臉，鴨子又潑了他一臉水；他想用毛巾把水擦乾，雞蛋又滾出來破了，把他的眼睛給粘上了；他想休息一下，於是往坐椅上一坐，發夾扎得他彈了起來；他勃然大怒，一頭倒到床上，可是頭一碰枕頭，縫衣針便把他扎得「嗷嗷」亂叫著往外沖；當他走到門口時，磨盤從門上落了下來，一下把他砸死了。看來海爾﹒柯貝斯準是個大壞蛋！