the story of Lordly cock and lowly ant

       There was once a Lordly Cock, a proud and mighty hero. One sunny morning he was strutting about the farmyard in his fine feather trousers, pecking at seeds and insects, when he came upon a Lowly Ant struggling with a seed much bigger than herself.
      And Lordly Cock exclaimed:
      “Oho, Lowly Ant! Now I can eat your seed and you as well!“ 
Now proud and mighty hero though Lordly Cock was, Lowly Ant was not the least bit afraid of him, but answered calmly:
       “Do not eat my seed, mighty hero, for the ant–hill babies need it. The ant-hill babies need me, too, so do not eat me either. Help me instead to carry the seed to them, for it is rather big for me to manage by myself.“
      This amused Lordly Cock, and he asked:
       “Why should I, a mighty hero, carry the seed for you, a Lowly Ant?“
      And Lowly Ant replied, as calmly as before:
       “Because one beast should help another.“
      At this, Lordly Cock crowed with laughter, and picked up the seed in his beak, and carried it to the ant-hill for Lowly Ant. And when she thanked him, he gave her a proud and mighty bow, then went on strutting about the farmyard in his fine feather trousers.
     Now just outside the farmyard gate, Wiley Fox lay hidden in the long grass, watching Lordly Cock. And presently Lordly Cock heard a coaxing voice murmuring out of nowhere:
      “Won’t you grow us the time of the day, mighty hero? Perhaps from the farmyard gate, where we can all admire you?“
      At this, Lordly Cock felt very proud and mighty; and he flew up onto the farmyard gate, and flap his wings, and lifted up his voice in a proud and mighty:
       “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
      Then the coaxing voice murmured again out of nowhere:
       “Beau-ti-ful! But didn’t you know, mighty hero, that the proudest and most mighty heroes crow with their eyes shut?“
      So Lordly Cock flapped his wings and closed his eyes and lifted up his voice again in an even prouder and mightier:
       “Cock-a-doodle-doo!”
      And while his eyes were closed, Wylie Fox pounced on him, tearing his fine feather trousers; and with Lordly Cock held fast between his teeth, away he went like the wind towards his distant den.
     Now from her ant-hill Lowly Ant had seen this happen. So now she went toiling as quickly as she could to Lordly Cock‘s favorite hen and told her:
       “Favorite Hen, Wiley Fox has caught our Lordly Cock, our proud and mighty hero, and torn his feather trousers, and carried him off to eat him!“
      Then Favorite Hen called out to Duck:
      “Duck, Lowly Ant says Wiley fox has caught our lordly cock, our proud and mighty hero, and torn his feather trousers, and carried him off to eat him!“
      Then duck called out to Goose:
       “Goose, Favorite Hen says Lowly Ant says Wiley Fox has caught our Lordly Cock, our proud and mighty hero, and torn his feather trousers, and carried him off to eat him!“
      Then Goose called out to Dog:
      “Dog, Duck says Favorite Hen says Lowly Ant says Wiley Fox has caught our Lordly Cock, our proud and mighty hero and torn his feather trousers and carried him off to eat him!”
      Then Dog called out to Sheep:
      “Sheep, Goose says Duck says Favorite Hen says Lowly Ant says Wiley Fox has caught our Lordly Cock, our proud and mighty hero, and torn his feather trousers, and carried him off to eat him!“
      Then sheep called out to Horse:
       “Horse, Dog says Goose says Duck says Favorite Hen says Lowly Ant says Wiley Fox has caught our Lordly Cock, our proud and mighty hero, and torn his feather trousers, and carried him off to eat him!“
      Then Horse called out to Cow:
       “Cow, sheep says Dog says Goose says Duck says Favorite Hen says Lowly Ant says Wiley Fox has caught our Lordly Cock, our proud and mighty hero, and torn his feather trousers, and carried him off to eat him!“
      Then Cow called out to Milk-Maid:
       “Milk-Maid, Horse says Sheep says Dog says Goose says Duck says Favorite Hen says Lowly Ant says Wiley Fox has caught our Lordly Cock, our proud and mighty hero, and torn his feather trousers, and carried him off to eat him!”
      Then Milk-Maid called out to Farmer:
      “Farmer, Cow says Horse says Sheep says Dog says Goose says Duck says Favorite Hen says Lowly Ant says Wiley Fox has caught our Lordly Cock, our proud and mighty hero, and torn his feather trousers, and carried him off to eat him!”
       And as soon as Farmer heard this, he opened the farmyard gate, and ran after Wiley Fox; and the Milk-Maid ran after the Farmer; and the Cow ran after the Milk-Maid; and the Horse ran after the Cow; and the Sheep ran after the Horse; and the Dog ran after the Goose; and Favorite Hen ran after Duck; and Lowly Ant came toiling after them all.
     And Farmer shouted; and Milk-Maid screamed; And Cow moo-ed; and Horse neighed; and Sheep bleated; and Dog barked; and Goose cackled; and Duck quacked; and Favorite Hen clucked; and Lowly Ant was silent, for she needed all her breath to come toiling after them all.
     Then Lordly Cock said to Wiley Fox, as he hung between his jaws:
     “You will never reach your den with me, Wylie Fox! Can’t you hear that Farmer and Milk-Maid and Cow and Horse and Sheep and Dog and Goose and Duck and Favorite Hen are close behind while Lowly Ant is toiling after them all?“
      And Wiley Fox replied:
      “Bah! I can easily out run Farmer, Milk-Maid, Cows, Horse, Sheep, Dog, Goose, Duck, Favorite Hen, and Lowly Ant who is toiling after them all!”
      And while Wiley Fox’s mouth was open saying this, Lordly Cock slipped from between his teeth and flew into a tree and flapped his wings, And lifted up his voice in the proudest and mightiest and most triumphant “Cock-a-doodle-doo!“ you ever heard.
      Then up came Farmer and Milk-Maid and Cow and Horse and Sheep and Dog and Goose and Duck and Favorite Hen; and Lowly Ant came toiling after them all.
And Wiley Fox slunk home to his den empty–handed.
      Then Wordly cock flew down from the tree and bowed his thanks to Farmer. And farmer said: 
       “Don’t thank me, Lordly Cock. Thank Milk-Maid. She told me.“
       Then Nordlie cock bowed his thanks to Milk-Maid. But Milk-Maid said:
       “Don’t thank me, Lordly Cock. Thank Cow. She told me.“
      Then Lordly cock bowed his thanks to Cow. But Cow said:
       “Don’t thank me, Lordly Cock. Thank Horse. He told me. “
      Then Lordly Cock bowed his thanks to Horse. But Horse said:
       “Don’t thank me, Lordly Cock. Thanks sheep. He told me.“
      Then lordly cock about his thanks to sheep. But sheep said: 
       “Don’t thank me, Lordly Cock. Thank Dog. He told me.“
      Then Lordly Cock bowed his thanks to Dog. But Dog said:
      “Don’t thank me, Lordly Cock. Thank Goose. She told me.”
      Then Lordly Cock bowed his thanks to Goose. But Goose said:
       “Don’t thank me, Lordly Cock. Thank Duck. She told me.“
      Then Lordly Cock bowed his thanks to Duck. But Duck said: 
       “Don’t thank me Lordly Cock. Thank Favorite Hen. She told me.“
      Then Lordly Cock bowed his thanks to Favorite Hen. But Favorite Hen said:
       “Don’t thank me, Lordly Cock. Thank Lowly Ant. She told me.“
      Then Lordly Cock bowed his head to Lowly Ant. And Lowly Ant waved her front legs politely, and said:
       “Don’t mention it, Lordly Cock. One beast should help another.“
      Then Favorite Hen said to Lordly Cock:
       “And now, mighty hero, come home, my love, and let me mend those trousers!“