The Pack of Ragamuffins facts for kids
"The Pack of Ragamuffins" is a German fairy tale collected by the famous Brothers Grimm. It's story number 10 in their collection. This tale is also known by many other names, like "The Adventures of Chanticleer and Partlet" or "Riffraff." It's a fun story about animals going on an adventure and outsmarting someone. You might find it similar to another Grimm fairy tale called "The Town Musicians of Bremen" because it also features traveling animals.
What Happens in the Story?
This fairy tale follows a brave cock (a rooster) and a clever hen. They decide to go on a trip to find and eat some tasty nuts.
The Journey Begins
After enjoying their snack, the hen and cock need a way to get home. They come up with a clever idea: they make a small carriage out of nutshells! The hen rides comfortably inside, while the strong cock pulls the tiny carriage.
On their way, a duck tries to bother them for eating nuts. But the cock is quick and defeats the duck! Instead of causing trouble, the duck ends up joining them. The duck is harnessed to the carriage, helping the cock pull it along. Soon, a sharp pin and a needle also decide to join their group, making their traveling party even more unusual.
Tricking the Innkeeper
As evening approaches, the group of travelers needs a place to stay. They find an inn and offer the innkeeper a deal: they will give him the hen's egg and the duck if he lets them stay the night. The innkeeper agrees.
However, the next morning, the travelers play a trick! They eat the hen's egg themselves. Then, the needle hides in the innkeeper's chair, and the pin hides in his towel. The duck also quietly slips away and leaves.
When the innkeeper wakes up, he sits on his chair and gets pricked by the needle! Then, when he tries to dry himself, the pin pricks him from the towel. To make things worse, an eggshell from the hen's eaten egg flies into his eyes! The innkeeper is very annoyed and decides he will never let such a mischievous group of "ragamuffins" stay in his inn again.
