The Adventures of Chanticleer & Partlet

Part 3 - How Partlet Died

Do you remember?

Chanticleer and Partlet loved to eat nuts. They took every opportunity to eat the fallen nuts before the squirrel could gather them all up and spirit them away.

So one more time they agreed to go up to the mountains to eat nuts; and it was settled that all the nuts which they found should be shared equally between them. And that was only fair.

Now Partlet found a very large nut; but she said nothing about it to Chanticleer, and kept it all to herself: however, it was so big that she could not swallow it, and it stuck in her throat. Then she became really frightened, and cried out to Chanticleer, ‘Bab! run as fast as you can, fetch me some water, or I’ll choke!.’

Chanticleer ran as fast as he could to the river, and said, ‘River, give me some water, for Partlet lies in the mountain, and if we’re not careful she’ll be choked by a great nut.’

The river said, ‘Quick, first run over to my wife, and ask her for a silken cord to draw up the water.’

Chanticleer ran to the river’s wife, and said, ‘Mate, you must give me a silken cord, for then the river will be able to give me water, and I need that water fierce urgent for my Partlet, who lies on the mountain, and is choking on a great nut.’

But the river’s wife said, ‘Quick, quick! Hurry up and bring me my garland that is hanging on a willow in the garden.’

Then Chanticleer sprinted over to the garden, and took the garland from the bough where it hung, and brought it to the wife;

and then the wife gave him the silken cord,

and he took the silken cord to the river,

and the river gave him water,

and he carried the water to Partlet;

but in the meantime she was choked by the great nut, and lay quite dead,

and never moved any more.

Then Chanticleer was very sorry, and cried bitterly; and all the beasts came and wept with him over poor Partlet.

And six mice built a little hearse to carry her to her grave; and when it was ready they harnessed themselves to it, and Chanticleer drove them.

On the way they met the fox. ‘Where are you off, Chanticleer?’ said he. ‘To bury my Partlet,’ said the other. ‘May I go with you?’ said the fox. ‘Yes; but you must get up behind, or my horses will not be able to pull you.’

Then the fox got up behind; and presently the wolf, the bear, the goat, and all the beasts of the wood, came and climbed upon the hearse.

So the poor mice heaved and strained and on they went till they came to a rapid stream.

‘How shall we get over?’ said Chanticleer. Then said a straw, ‘I’ll lay myself across, and you can drive over upon me.’

But as the mice were going over, the straw slipped away and fell into the water, and the six mice all fell in and were swept away and without any hope of salvation, they were drowned.

What was to be done?

Things were just as hopeless now as before, but a piece of hot coal came along and said: “I’m large enough. I’ll lay myself across, and you can drive over me.”

Then the piece of coal also laid itself across the water, but unfortunately it touched the surface, steamed and hissed, and before long it was extinguished and died.

Then a large log of wood came and said, ‘I am big enough, Chanticleer, don’t fret; I’ll lay myself across the stream, and you can pull the hearse over on me.’

So he laid himself down; but the crew managed so clumsily in arranging it, that the log of wood fell in and was carried away by the stream.

Then a stone, who saw what had happened, came up and kindly offered to help poor Chanticleer by laying himself across the stream; and this time he got safely to the other side with the hearse, and managed to get Partlet out of it; but without the weight of her body, the fox and the other mourners, who were sitting behind, were too heavy in the hearse and it fell back down the bank into the water, and were all carried away by the stream and drowned.

And so, Chanticleer was left alone with his dead Partlet; and having dug a grave for her, he laid her in it, and made a little mound over her.

Then he sat down by the grave, and wept and mourned, till at last he died too of his grief; and so, all were dead.