The Death of Chanticleer
by Unknown · from Tales of Laughter: A third fairy book
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, there was a happy rooster named Chanticleer the Rooster and a kind hen named Partlet the Hen. They were making something special! Chanticleer the Rooster found some hops. Partlet the Hen found some grain. They wanted to make a big drink. It was for a special day.
Chanticleer the Rooster went to taste it. He flew onto the big pot. He bent down to drink. He fell into the big pot. He could not get out.
Partlet the Hen saw this. She was very, very sad. She cried very loudly. "Oh no!" she said. Her heart felt broken.
The Hand Mill heard Partlet the Hen. It felt sad too. It made a sad grinding sound. It ground and ground. It showed its deep sorrow.
The Chair heard The Hand Mill. It felt sad too. It made a sad creaking sound. It creaked and creaked. It moved back and forth.
The Door heard The Chair. It felt sad too. It made a sad banging sound. It banged and banged. It opened and shut.
The Stove heard The Door. It felt sad too. It made sad smoke and steam. The room filled up. It showed its sadness.
The Ax saw The Stove. It felt sad too. It made sad chopping sounds. It chopped and chopped. It hit the wood.
The Aspen Tree saw The Ax. It felt sad too. It shook its leaves sadly. Its leaves trembled. They moved a lot.
The Birds saw The Aspen Tree. They felt sad too. They shook their feathers off sadly. Feathers flew around. They showed their sorrow.
The Man saw The Birds. He felt sad too. He shook the brooms sadly. He shook them hard. He showed his sadness.
The Goody (Woman) saw The Man. She felt sad too. She splashed porridge sadly. She splashed it on the wall. She showed her sorrow.
Everyone was sad for Chanticleer the Rooster. They all showed their sadness. They cared about him very much. It was a sad day. They were sad together.
Original Story
The Death of Chanticleer
Once on a time there was a cock and a hen, who walked out into the field and scratched, and scraped, and scrabbled. All at once Chanticleer found a burr of hop, and Partlet found a barley-corn; and they said they would make malt and brew Yule ale.
“Oh, I pluck barley, and I malt malt, and I brew ale, and the ale is good,” cackled Dame Partlet.
“Is the wort strong enough?” crew Chanticleer; and as he crowed he flew up on the edge of the cask, and tried to have a taste; but just as he bent over to drink a drop he took to flapping his wings, and so he fell head over heels into the cask and was drowned. When Dame Partlet saw that, she clean lost her wits, and flew up into the chimney-corner, and fell a-screaming and screeching out. “Harm in the house! harm in the house!” she screeched out all in a breath, and there was no stopping her.
“What ails you, Dame Partlet, that you sit there sobbing and sighing?” said the handquern.
“Why not,” said Dame Partlet, “when Goodman Chanticleer has fallen into the cask and drowned himself, and lies dead? That’s why I sigh and sob.”
“Well, if I can do naught else, I will grind and groan,” said the handquern; and so it fell to grinding as fast as it could.
When the chair heard that it said:
“What ails you, handquern, that you grind and groan so fast and oft?”
“Why not, when Goodman Chanticleer has fallen into the cask and drowned himself, and Dame Partlet sits in the ingle and sighs and sobs? That’s why I grind and groan,” said the handquern.
306“If I can do naught else I will crack,” said the chair; and with that he fell to creaking and cracking.
When the door heard that it said:
“What’s the matter? Why do you creak and crack so, Mr. Chair?”
“Why not?” said the chair. “Goodman Chanticleer has fallen into the cask and drowned himself; Dame Partlet sits in the ingle sighing and sobbing, and the handquern grinds and groans. That’s why I creak and crackle, and croak and crack.”
“Well,” said the door, “if I can do naught else, I can rattle and bang, and whistle and slam”; and with that it began to open and shut, and bang and slam; it deaved one to hear, and all one’s teeth chattered.
All this the stove heard, and it opened its mouth and called out:
“Door! door! why all this slamming and banging?”
“Why not,” said the door, “when Goodman Chanticleer has fallen into the cask and drowned himself; Dame Partlet sits in the ingle sighing and sobbing; the handquern grinds and groans, and the chair creaks and cracks. That’s why I bang and slam.”
“Well,” said the stove, “if I can do naught else, I can smolder and smoke”; and so it fell a-smoking and steaming till the room was all in a cloud.
The ax saw this as it stood outside, and peeped with its shaft through the window.
“What’s all this smoke about, Mrs. Stove?” said the ax in a sharp voice.
“Why not,” said the stove, “when Goodman Chanticleer has fallen into the cask and drowned himself; Dame Partlet sits in the ingle sighing and sobbing; the handquern grinds and groans; the chair creaks and cracks, and the door bangs and slams. That’s why I smoke and steam.”
“Well, if I can do naught else, I can rive and rend,” said the ax; and with that it fell to riving and rending all around about.
307This the aspen stood by and saw.
“Why do you rive and rend everything so, Mr. Ax?” said the aspen.
“Goodman Chanticleer has fallen into the ale-cask and drowned himself,” said the ax; “Dame Partlet sits in the ingle sighing and sobbing; the handquern grinds and groans; the chair creaks and cracks; the door slams and bangs, and the stove smokes and steams. That’s why I rive and rend all about.”
“Well, if I can do naught else,” said the aspen, “I can quiver and quake in all my leaves”; so it grew all of a quake.
The birds saw this, and twittered out:
“Why do you quiver and quake, Miss Aspen?”
“Goodman Chanticleer has fallen into the ale-cask and drowned himself,” said the aspen, with a trembling voice; “Dame Partlet sits in the ingle sighing and sobbing; the handquern grinds and groans; the chair creaks and cracks; the door slams and bangs; the stove steams and smokes, and the ax rives and rends. That’s why I quiver and quake.”
“Well, if we can do naught else, we will pluck off all our feathers,” said the birds; and with that they fell a-pilling and plucking themselves till the room was full of feathers.
This the master stood by and saw; and, when the feathers flew about like fun, he asked the birds:
“Why do you pluck off all your feathers, you birds?”
“Oh, Goodman Chanticleer has fallen into the ale-cask and drowned himself,” twittered out the birds; “Dame Partlet sits sighing and sobbing in the ingle; the handquern grinds and groans; the chair creaks and cracks; the door slams and bangs; the stove smokes and steams; the ax rives and rends, and the aspen quivers and quakes. That’s why we are pilling and plucking all our feathers off.”
“Well, if I can do nothing else, I can tear the brooms asunder,” said the man; and with that he fell tearing and tossing the brooms till the birch-twigs flew about east and west.
308The goody stood cooking porridge for supper, and saw all this.
“Why, man!” she called out, “what are you tearing the brooms to bits for?”
“Oh,” said the man, “Goodman Chanticleer has fallen into the ale-vat and drowned himself; Dame Partlet sits sighing and sobbing in the ingle; the handquern grinds and groans; the chair cracks and creaks; the door slams and bangs; the stove smokes and steams; the ax rives and rends; the aspen quivers and quakes; the birds are pilling and plucking all their feathers off, and that’s why I am tearing the besoms to bits.”
“So, so!” said the goody; “then I’ll dash the porridge over all the walls,” and she did it; for she took one spoonful after the other, and dashed it against the walls, so that no one could see what they were made of for very porridge.
That was how they drank the burial ale after Goodman Chanticleer, who fell into the brewing-vat and was drowned; and, if you don’t believe it, you may set off thither and have a taste both of the ale and the porridge.
Story DNA
Plot Summary
Chanticleer the cock accidentally drowns in a cask of ale he was helping to brew. His mate, Dame Partlet, is overcome with grief, which triggers a chain reaction of sympathetic distress among the household objects and natural elements: the handquern grinds, the chair creaks, the door slams, the stove smokes, the ax rends, the aspen quivers, and the birds pluck their feathers. Finally, the man tears brooms, and his wife, the goody, dashes porridge against the walls, culminating in a chaotic expression of collective mourning for Chanticleer.
Themes
Emotional Arc
grief to collective chaos
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This tale reflects a pre-industrial rural setting where household objects and nature are personified and deeply connected to human emotions and events. The concept of 'burial ale' is an old custom.
Plot Beats (13)
- Chanticleer and Partlet find ingredients to brew Yule ale.
- Chanticleer, attempting to taste the ale, falls into the cask and drowns.
- Partlet is overcome with grief, screaming and sobbing.
- The handquern, witnessing Partlet's sorrow, begins to grind and groan in sympathy.
- The chair, hearing the handquern, starts to creak and crack.
- The door, disturbed by the chair, begins to slam and bang.
- The stove, hearing the door, starts to smoke and steam.
- The ax, seeing the stove, begins to rive and rend.
- The aspen, seeing the ax, quivers and quakes.
- The birds, seeing the aspen, pluck off all their feathers.
- The man, seeing the birds, tears the brooms asunder.
- The goody, seeing the man, dashes porridge all over the walls.
- The story concludes by explaining this was their way of mourning Chanticleer.
Characters
Chanticleer
A robust, proud rooster with a strong, muscular build typical of a farmyard fowl. His feathers are likely a mix of iridescent reds, oranges, and golds, with a prominent, upright posture.
Attire: Natural plumage of a rooster, likely vibrant and well-maintained, with a glossy sheen.
Wants: To enjoy the Yule ale he helped prepare, driven by a simple desire for pleasure and perhaps a touch of vanity.
Flaw: Overconfidence and a lack of caution, leading to his accidental drowning.
His arc is tragic and swift; he begins as a lively participant and ends as a drowned victim, serving as the catalyst for the widespread mourning.
Curious, confident, perhaps a little overzealous, and ultimately clumsy. He is eager to participate and enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Dame Partlet
A plump, domestic hen with soft, brown or speckled feathers, a more rounded and less flamboyant build than Chanticleer. She appears well-fed and matronly.
Attire: Natural plumage of a hen, likely soft browns, grays, or speckled patterns, well-kept.
Wants: Initially, to brew Yule ale. After Chanticleer's death, her motivation is purely to express her profound sorrow.
Flaw: Overwhelming grief and a tendency to lose her wits in distress.
She begins as a cheerful participant in brewing and transforms into a figure of inconsolable grief, initiating the chain reaction of mourning.
Industrious, domestic, and deeply emotional. She is quick to express her grief and distress, becoming inconsolable.
The Handquern
A sturdy, ancient hand mill, likely made of rough-hewn stone or wood, with a turning handle. It would show signs of long use, perhaps with worn surfaces and a patina of age.
Attire: Not applicable, as it is an object.
Wants: To express solidarity and sorrow for Chanticleer's death, by performing its function in a mournful way.
Flaw: Limited to expressing emotion through its mechanical function.
It remains a functional object but takes on an emotional role, demonstrating empathy through its actions.
Empathetic and industrious. It expresses sympathy through its function, taking on the burden of grief by grinding and groaning.
The Chair
A simple, rustic wooden chair, perhaps with a high back and sturdy legs, showing signs of age and use. It might be made of oak or pine, with a smooth, worn finish.
Attire: Not applicable.
Wants: To join the collective mourning for Chanticleer, by creaking and cracking in sympathy.
Flaw: Limited to expressing emotion through its physical sounds.
It remains a functional object but takes on an emotional role, demonstrating empathy through its sounds.
Observant and responsive. It reacts to the handquern's sorrow by expressing its own form of distress.
The Door
A heavy, wooden door, perhaps made of thick planks with iron hinges, typical of an old farmhouse. It might have a latch or handle, and show signs of weathering.
Attire: Not applicable.
Wants: To join the collective mourning for Chanticleer, by slamming and banging in sympathy.
Flaw: Limited to expressing emotion through its physical movements and sounds.
It remains a functional object but takes on an emotional role, demonstrating empathy through its dramatic actions.
Boisterous and expressive. It responds to the chair's distress with a dramatic display of its own sorrow.
The Stove
A large, cast-iron stove, likely black and heavy, with a firebox door and a chimney pipe. It would appear robust and functional, perhaps with some soot stains.
Attire: Not applicable.
Wants: To join the collective mourning for Chanticleer, by smoking and steaming in sympathy.
Flaw: Limited to expressing emotion through its functional outputs.
It remains a functional object but takes on an emotional role, demonstrating empathy through its actions.
Powerful and impactful. It responds to the door's commotion by creating a visible and pervasive expression of sorrow.
The Ax
A heavy, sharp-bladed ax with a sturdy wooden handle, perhaps made of ash or hickory. It would appear well-used, with a polished blade and a worn grip.
Attire: Not applicable.
Wants: To join the collective mourning for Chanticleer, by riving and rending in sympathy.
Flaw: Limited to expressing emotion through its destructive function.
It remains a functional object but takes on an emotional role, demonstrating empathy through its destructive actions.
Sharp and destructive. It responds to the stove's smoke by engaging in its own form of violent mourning.
The Aspen
A tall, slender aspen tree with smooth, pale bark, distinctive for its leaves that tremble in the slightest breeze. Its leaves would be a vibrant green, turning golden in autumn.
Attire: Not applicable, as it is a tree.
Wants: To join the collective mourning for Chanticleer, by trembling in all its leaves.
Flaw: Its inherent sensitivity, making it easily affected by external events.
It remains a natural element but takes on an emotional role, demonstrating empathy through its characteristic movement.
Sensitive and easily moved. It responds to the ax's destruction by quivering and quaking in sympathy.
The Birds
A flock of small, common birds, perhaps sparrows or finches, with varied plumage of browns, grays, and subtle colors. They are light and agile.
Attire: Natural plumage of small birds.
Wants: To join the collective mourning for Chanticleer, by plucking off all their feathers.
Flaw: Their extreme reaction to grief, leading to self-harm.
They begin as observers and become active participants in the mourning, demonstrating a dramatic form of grief.
Observant and prone to extreme, self-destructive expressions of grief.
The Man
A sturdy, working-class man, likely a farmer or householder, with a practical build. His hands would be calloused from labor. He might have a weathered complexion.
Attire: Simple, durable peasant clothing of the era, such as a coarse linen tunic or shirt, wool breeches, and sturdy leather boots. Colors would be muted, like browns, grays, or undyed linen.
Wants: To join the collective mourning for Chanticleer, by tearing brooms asunder.
Flaw: Expresses grief through destructive behavior.
He begins as an observer and becomes an active participant in the mourning, demonstrating a destructive form of grief.
Observant, practical, and prone to expressing grief through destructive physical action.
The Goody
A stout, practical woman, likely a housewife, with a robust build from years of domestic work. Her hands would be capable and strong. Her face might be rosy from cooking.
Attire: Simple, durable peasant clothing of the era, such as a long-sleeved linen shift, a wool overdress or apron, and sturdy shoes. Colors would be muted, like earthy browns, greens, or blues.
Wants: To join the collective mourning for Chanticleer, by dashing porridge over all the walls.
Flaw: Expresses grief through destructive and messy behavior.
She begins as a domestic figure and becomes the final, most dramatic participant in the collective mourning, concluding the chain of grief.
Practical, observant, and prone to expressing grief through dramatic, messy actions.
Locations
The Field
An open agricultural area where a cock and hen scratch and forage. The ground is likely soft earth, possibly with some weeds or burrs.
Mood: Peaceful, mundane, initial setting for discovery.
Chanticleer and Partlet find ingredients for Yule ale, setting the initial plot.
The Farmhouse Kitchen/Ingle
A rustic, cozy kitchen within a traditional Northern European farmhouse. It features a large brewing cask, a handquern for grinding, a wooden chair, a sturdy door, and a central stove. Dame Partlet sits in the chimney-corner, an 'ingle' or hearth nook.
Mood: Initially domestic and industrious, quickly turns to chaos and grief, then absurdity.
Chanticleer drowns in the ale cask. All the household objects react in escalating grief, leading to the master and goody's destructive actions.
Outside the Farmhouse Window
The immediate exterior of the farmhouse, viewed through a window. An ax is propped nearby, and an aspen tree stands close enough to witness the indoor commotion.
Mood: Observational, then drawn into the escalating chaos.
The ax and the aspen tree observe the indoor chaos and join the chain of grieving reactions.