Once upon a time, there lived a rooster and a hen who had long wished to take a journey together. The rooster built a beautiful little carriage with four red wheels. He hitched four little mice to it and prepared for their adventure.

“Will you come with me on a trip today?” the rooster asked the hen one fine morning, puffing out his chest with pride at his carriage.

The hen, who had been growing bored with their daily routine of scratching about the farmyard, clucked with excitement. “Indeed I will! What a splendid idea. Where shall we go?”

The rooster thought for a moment, his bright comb glowing in the morning sun. “Let us visit Herr Korbes. We promised him a visit some time ago, and today is the perfect day for it.”

Now, Herr Korbes was known throughout the countryside as a rather disagreeable fellow. He was grumpy and rude, often chasing children from his yard and shouting at passing travelers. But a promise was a promise, so the hen agreed.

As they were about to depart, the hen suggested, “Should we invite others to join us? The journey would be merrier with company.”

“An excellent thought!” replied the rooster. And so they invited several companions: a cat, a millstone, an egg, a duck, a pin, and a needle. All gladly accepted the invitation, hoping for an adventure away from their usual duties.

The little carriage could not hold everyone, of course, so most of their friends followed behind. The mice pulled the carriage along the winding country road, and the rooster and hen sat proudly in their seats, enjoying the warm sunshine and gentle breeze.

“What shall we do when we arrive at Herr Korbes’ house?” asked the hen as they journeyed.

The rooster shrugged his wings. “We shall simply pay him a friendly visit. Perhaps he will offer us refreshments, and we can share news from our farm.”

The hen nodded, though she harbored doubts about how welcoming Herr Korbes would be. She had heard stories of how he had once chased away a group of singing birds with a broom, and how he never returned greetings when met on the road.

As they traveled, each of their companions shared stories about Herr Korbes’ unkindness. The cat had been shooed away with a bucket of water when she’d merely walked across his garden. The duck had been threatened with a stew pot for swimming in the pond near his house. Even the millstone, who had served faithfully in Herr Korbes’ mill for years, had been discarded without thanks when he’d become slightly worn.

“It seems Herr Korbes may not deserve our visit after all,” said the rooster, his enthusiasm dampening.

“Perhaps,” replied the hen thoughtfully, “but we have made a promise, and we shall keep it. However, I believe our friends might wish to prepare a special welcome for him.”

And so a plan was hatched. As they approached Herr Korbes’ house, they saw that he was not at home. This was perfect for their scheme.

“Quickly, everyone to your places,” instructed the rooster.

The cat nimbly climbed onto the hearth in the kitchen. The millstone positioned himself above the door. The egg wrapped itself in a towel and settled into the bed. The duck splashed into the water basin in the washroom. The pin nestled into the cushion of a chair, while the needle slipped into the towel on the washstand. The rooster flew up to the roof, and the hen perched herself on the beam across the ceiling.

As dusk approached, they heard heavy footsteps coming up the path. Herr Korbes returned home, looking as grumpy as ever, muttering complaints about the weather, his neighbors, and the hardships of his day.

When he entered his house and approached the hearth to light a fire, the cat threw ashes into his face. Sputtering and angry, Herr Korbes ran to the washroom to clean himself. As he dipped his hands into the water basin, the duck splashed water all over him.

“What is the meaning of this?” he shouted, reaching for a towel to dry himself. But as he grabbed the towel, the needle pricked his fingers sharply.

Howling with pain and indignation, Herr Korbes rushed to sit down on his favorite chair to collect himself. But the pin stabbed him as he sat, causing him to leap up with a yelp. Now thoroughly distressed, he decided the best escape was to go to bed and deal with these strange occurrences in the morning.

But when he laid his head upon the pillow, the egg broke, spilling its contents all over his face. Half-blinded and wholly outraged, Herr Korbes stumbled toward the door to escape his own home. Just as he reached the doorway, the millstone dropped from above, landing with a heavy thud right beside him, missing him by mere inches but sending a clear message.

Terrified, Herr Korbes ran outside, where the rooster on the roof crowed loudly, “Cock-a-doodle-doo! Herr Korbes, see what your unkindness brings you!”

And the hen on the beam clucked, “Cluck, cluck! Remember this night when next you think to be cruel!”

Herr Korbes spent the night in his shed, shivering and reflecting on the strange events. By morning, he had convinced himself it had all been a terrible dream—until he returned to his house and found feathers, eggshells, and tiny paw prints.

From that day forward, Herr Korbes became a changed man. He greeted neighbors politely, allowed children to play near his garden, and even left out scraps for passing cats and birds. He never knew exactly what had happened that night, but the lesson had been learned nonetheless.

As for the rooster and hen, they returned home with their friends, satisfied with their adventure. “Perhaps we shall visit someone more deserving next time,” said the rooster as they traveled.

“Indeed,” agreed the hen, “though I do believe our visit to Herr Korbes was exactly what was needed.”

And they all nodded in agreement as the mice pulled their carriage homeward, the sun setting golden behind them on a day of justice well served.