有一次，公鸡对母鸡说：“现在正是核桃成熟的时候，我们要趁着松鼠还没有把核桃全部吃完，赶紧进山去吃个够。”“对呀，”母鸡答道，“走吧，我们可以好好地享受享受。”它们于是就上了山，而且因为天气晴朗，一直在山上呆到天黑。不知道它们究竟是因为吃多了撑着呢，还是因为它们突然变得心高气傲起来，它们竟然不愿意步行回家。公鸡用核桃壳做了一辆小车。车子做好后，小母鸡坐了上去对公鸡说：“你只管在前面拉车吧。”“让我拉车?”公鸡嚷了起来，“我宁愿步行回家也不愿意拉车。不行，我决不答应!要我坐在车上当个车夫还可以，可要我拉车，这根本不可能。”

就在它们这样争论的时候，一只鸭子嘎嘎嘎地叫着对它们说：“你们这两个小偷，是谁同意你们上我的核桃山的?等着，我要让你们吃点苦头!”它说着便张开阔嘴，向公鸡扑过去。但是公鸡并非等闲之辈，毫不示弱地向鸭子反击，对着鸭子猛踢猛蹬，弄得鸭子只好低头求饶，并且愿意接受惩罚，给它们拉车。小公鸡坐在车夫的位子上，高高地叫了一声：“鸭子，尽量给我跑快点!”小车便飞快地向前驶去。

他们走了一程后，遇到了两个赶路的，一个是大头针，一个是缝衣针。“停一停，停一停!”它俩喊道。然后又说，天快要黑了，它们寸步难行，而且路上又脏得要命，所以问能不能搭一会儿车。它俩还说，它们在城门口裁缝们常去的酒店里喝啤酒，结果呆得太晚了。由于它俩都骨瘦如柴，占不了多少位子，公鸡便让它们上了车，条件是要它们保证不踩到它和母鸡的脚。

天黑了很久以后，它们来到了一家旅店前。它们不愿意在黑夜里继续赶路，再加上鸭子的脚力又不行，跑起来已经是左摇右摆，它们便进了店里。店主人起初提出了许多异议，说什么店已经住满了，而且他觉得它们不是什么高贵的客人。可它们说了很多好话，说要把小母鸡在路上生的鸡蛋给他，还把每天能生一只蛋的鸭子留给他，他终于答应让它们在店里过夜。

第二天清早，天刚蒙蒙亮，大家都还在睡梦中，公鸡却叫醒了母鸡，取出那只鸡蛋，把它啄破，和母鸡一起把蛋吃进了肚子，再把蛋壳扔进火炉。然后，它们来到还在沉睡的缝衣针旁，抓住它的脑袋，把它插进店老板椅子的坐垫中，又把大头针插在店老板的毛巾里。做完这些后，公鸡和母鸡便飞快地逃走了。

鸭子因为喜欢睡在露天，所以晚上一直呆在院子里，没有进屋。它听到公鸡和母鸡逃跑了，心里万分高兴。它找到一条小溪，顺着它游了下去——这种旅行的方法当然要比拉车快多了。几个小时之后，店老板才起来。他洗了洗脸，准备用毛巾擦一擦，结果大头针从他的脸上划过，在他的脸上留下了一道直至耳根的长长的血印。他走进厨房，想点燃烟斗，可当他走到火炉旁时，鸡蛋壳从火炉里蹦了出来，碰到了他的眼睛。“今天早晨好像什么都跟我过不去。”他说，同时气呼呼地在他爷爷留给他的椅子上坐了下来。可他立刻又跳了起来，而且叫着：“哎哟!哎哟!”那缝衣针虽然没有扎着他的脸，却比大头针扎得更厉害。他现在真的气坏了，不由得怀疑起昨天很晚才住进店来的那帮客人。他去找它们，结果发现它们早已逃得无影无踪了。他于是发誓说，他的店里今后决不再接待任何二流子，因为这帮家伙吃得多，不付一分钱，而且还忘恩负义地对你做恶作剧。

一群二流子的故事简短诙谐幽默，虽然故事里的公鸡和母鸡很聪明，但我觉得他们太会耍小聪明了，承诺店主人会将小母鸡生的蛋给他，但第二天却违反承诺还将缝衣针、打头阵藏起来让店老板受伤。两个主人翁的做法是不能效仿的。无论是待人待事都要真诚，已经答应别人的事情也要做到，不然会失去很多朋友。

ThePackofScoundrels

Theroostersaidtothehen,"Nowisthetimewhenthenutsaregettingripe.Letusgoupthemountaintogether,andforonceeatourfill,beforethesquirreltakesthemallaway."

"Yes,"answeredthehen."Come,letusgoandhavesomefuntogether.

Togethertheywentupthemountain,andsinceitwasaclearday,theystayeduntilevening.

NowIdon'tknowwhetheritwasbecausetheyhadovereaten,ortheywerejustinhighspirits,but——tomakealongstoryshort——theydidnotwanttogobackhomeonfoot,sotheroosterhadtomakealittlecarriageoutofnutshells.

Whenitwasfinished,thehensatdowninitandsaidtotherooster,"Youcanhitchyourselftoit."

"Youaredreaming!"saidtherooster."Iwouldrathergohomeonfootthanhavemyselfhitchedup.Thatwasnotouragreement.Iwanttobethecoachmanandsitinthedriver'sseat.Iamnotgoingtopullit."

Whiletheywerequarrelingaboutthis,aduckcamequackingby."Youthieves,whoinvitedyoutomynutmountain?Wait!You'llbesorry!"Andwithanopenbeaksheattackedtherooster.

Theroosterdidnottakethislyingdown.Jumpingfuriouslyontotheduck,hehackedathersofiercelywithoneofhisspursthatshebeggedformercy,andaspunishmentshehadtoacceptbeinghitchedtothecarriage.

Sotheroostersatinthedriver'sseatandwasthecoachman,andawaytheysped.

"Run,duck!Runasfastasyoucan!"

Aftertheyhadtraveledalittlewaytheymettwopeopleonfoot,apinandaneedle.

"Stop!Stop!"shoutedthepinandtheneedle,sayingthatsoonitwouldbepitchdark,andtheywouldnotbeabletowalkanotherstep.Moreover,theroadwasverydirty.Theyaskediftheywouldnotbeabletoclimbinsideforalittleway,explainingthattheyhadbeenatthetailor'stavernjustoutsidethetowngate,andthattheyhadsattheretoolongovertheirbeer.

Seeingthattheywerethinpeopleandwouldnottakeupmuchroom,theroosterletthembothclimbin,althoughtheydidhavetopromisethattheywouldnotsteponhisoronthehen'sfeet.

Latethateveningtheycametoaninn,wheretheyturnedin,notwantingtodriveanyfurtherintothenight.Furthermore,theduck'sfeetwerenotdoingwell,andshewaswaddlingfromonesidetotheother.

Atfirsttheinnkeeperdidnotwanttoreceivethem.Hesaidthathisinnwasalreadyfull,buthewasalsothinkingthatthesewerenotveryrespectablepeople.Theybeggedhimwiththeirkindestwords,offeringtogivehimtheeggthatthehenhadlaidontheway,andtellinghimthathecouldkeeptheduck,wholaidaneggeveryday.Finallyhesaidthattheycouldspendthenightthere.

Theyorderedfoodanddrink,andhadahightime.

Earlythenextmorning,justasitwasgettinglight,andeveryonewasstillasleep,theroosterwokeupthehen.Theygottheegg,peckeditopen,andateittogether,throwingtheshellsintothefireplace.Thentheywenttotheneedle,whowasstillasleep,grabbeditbythehead,andstuckitintotheinnkeeper'sseatcushion.Theystuckthepinintohistowel,andthenwithoutfurtheradotheyfledacrosstheheath.

Theduck,whopreferredtosleepundertheopensky,hadspentthenightinthecourtyard,andsheheardthemsneakingaway.Sheforcedherselftowakeup,foundabrook,andswamawaydownstream,muchfasterthanshehadtraveledinfrontofthecarriage.

Afewhourslatertheinnkeeperclimbedoutofthefeathers,washedhimself,andstartedtodryoffonthetowelwhenthepinwentacrosshisface,leavingaredstreakfromoneeartotheother.Thenhewentintothekitchen.Hewantedtolighthispipe,butasheapproachedthefireplace,theeggshellssprangintohiseyes.

"Everythingisaftermyheadtoday,"hesaid,sittingdowncrosslyinthegrandfatherchair,buthejumpedupimmediately,shouting,"Ouch!"Theneedlehadstuckhimevenworse,andnotinthehead.

Nowhewastotallyangry.Suspectingtheguestswhohadarrivedsolateyesterdayevening,hewenttolookforthem,buttheyweregone.

Hethenvowedneveragaintotakeinsuchapackofscoundrelswhoeatanddrinkalot,paynothing,andforthanksplaymeantricks.

格林兄弟：雅科布·格林、威廉·格林，他们都是德国民间文学搜集整编者。出身官员家庭，均曾在马尔堡大学学法律，又同在卡塞尔图书馆工作和任格延根大学教授，1841年同时成为格林科学院院士。他俩共同编成《儿童与家庭童话集》(1857年出最后一版，共216篇故事)。其中的《灰姑娘》、《白雪公主》、《小红帽》、《勇敢的小裁缝》……等名篇，已成为世界各国儿童喜爱的杰作。此外，格林兄弟从1808年起，开始搜集德国民间传说，出版《德国传说》两卷，共585篇。他们还编写了《德语语法》(1819～1837)、《德国语言史》(1848)及《德语大辞典》(1852)前4卷等学术著作，为日尔曼语言学的发展做出了贡献。