By and by the husband fell ill, and he went to beg his wife to give him just one little egg, for he was very hungry. But she answered him scornfully: "Hum, hum, where is your Cock? Let him lay you a little egg; if he won't do it, kill him!" At this the man returned home quite crestfallen, and said to his Cock, "Come, my fine fellow, this can't go on any longer! You do nothing but eat and drink, and never bring me so much as a bright penny. Go out into the world and seek your fortune!" In deep dejection the Cock sighed, "Ah, where shall I find anything?" However, he sallied forth sturdily, and in the forest he met Isegrim. The Wolf said to him, "Whither away, my fine fellow?" "Oh, I'm going out into the world to seek my fortune!" "May I go with you?" "Not another word; be my comrade." So the two travelled up and down the world until Isegrim was too tired to go another step, and the Cock said to him: "Well, dear uncle, can't you walk farther than this?" "Alas, no!" said the Wolf. "Then slip yourself into me." In a trice Isegrim was in the body of the Cock, who went on, quite at his ease. Shortly after he met Reinecke, and said to him, "Whither away, Master?" "Whither away? Into the world to seek my fortune." "Then join my company," said the Cock. So they went up and down the world until Reinecke was quite exhausted and could go no farther. "What, Master!" said the Cock, "do you give out so soon? Well, just slip yourself into me and I'll carry you." Master Reinecke slipped quickly into the Cock, who bravely went on his way. After a time he came to a little Brook. "Little Brook, whither away?" "Oh, through the world!" "Come with me, then, and be my comrade." So they went forward until the little Brook, for very weariness, could go no farther. "Does your strength give out so soon, my little Brook?" asked the Cock. "Alas, yes!" replied the little Brook. "Then slip into me; I'll carry you," and in a moment the Brook had slipped into the Cock. In the course of time the Cock met a swarm of Bees. "Whither away?" he asked. "Oh, into the wide world to seek a shelter!" "Then come along; be my comrades." They had not gone far before the swarm of Bees grew tired and could go no farther, and the Cock invited them to crawl into his body. So the Cock, carrying the swarm of Bees, the Brook, the Fox, and the Wolf in his body, arrived at a great city. In this city reigned a King and his wife, the Queen. The Cock flew straight to the roof of the royal palace and spent the night there. At early dawn he began to crow lustily: Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo! One kick for the King, for the Queen two! This enraged the King terribly, and he commanded his chamberlain to catch this impudent crower and chain him in the royal stables, that he might be trampled to death by the horses' hoofs. The chamberlain caught the Cock, threw him into the stable, and shut the door well.