夜里有一个可怕的风景，母鸡、小鸡，甚至公鸡都找不到躲避的地方。两个院子中间的那道木栏被吹倒了，发出很大的声音。屋顶上的瓦也落下来，但是风信公鸡却稳稳地站在那里，连转都不转一下。他不中用，然而他年轻，是不久前才铸出来的。而且头脑清醒，遇事不慌。他天生老成，不像那些在天上飞来飞去的诸如麻雀、燕子之类的小鸟，他瞧不起他们。“唧唧喳喳的鸟儿，小不点儿，普普通通。”鸽子倒挺大，闪闪发光，很像珍珠母鸡，看去也颇像某种风信公鸡。但是他们太胖了，笨头笨脑，一门心思只想着啄点东西进肚皮里去，另外，和他们打交道是一件很厌烦的事。秋去春来的候鸟来拜访过，谈到过异国他乡，谈起过天空中鸟儿成群结队地飞行，谈起过猛禽拦路行凶的可怕故事。头一回听，这都很新鲜有趣。可是到后来，风信公鸡明白了，他们老在重复，总是讲同样的事儿，很是令人烦心！他们一切都叫人烦心。没有可交往的，谁都是死板板的，并心胸狭窄。
“The world is no good！” he said. “Everything in it is so stupid.”
“这世界真不行！”他说道，“什么都无聊透顶！”
The weathercock was puffed up，and that quality would have made him interesting in the eyes of the cucumber if it had known it，but it had eyes only for the yard cock，who was now in the yard with it.
风信公鸡像人们所说的那样，对什么都腻味了。黄瓜要是知道的话，她一定会觉得很有趣。但是她的眼中只有那家养的公鸡，现在他已经到了她的院子里来了。
The wind had blown the planksplank n.厚木板，支架vt.铺板，立刻付款vi.睡在板上，but the storm was over.
木栏被吹倒了，可是风暴已经平息。
“What do you think of that crowing？” said the yard cock to the hens and chickens. “It was a little rough—it wanted elegance.”
“你们觉得那一阵子喔喔啼如何？”家养公鸡对鸡婆和鸡仔说道。“有点粗声粗气，一点儿不雅致。”
And the hens and chickens came up on the dunghill，and the cock struttedstrut vi.大摇大摆地走，肿胀vt.支撑，炫耀n.高视阔步，支柱，压杆 about like a lord.
鸡婆带着一群鸡仔闯到垃圾堆上，公鸡像骑士一般迈着大步来了。
“Garden plant！” he said to the cucumber，and in that one word his deep learning showed itself，and it forgot that he was pecking at her and eating it up. “A happy death！”
“花园里才能有这样的植物！”他对黄瓜说。从这么简简单单的一句话里，她体察到了他的高度涵养，却忘了他正在啄她，正在吃她。“幸福的死啊！”
The hens and the chickens came，for where one runs the others run too，they clucked，and chirped，and looked at the cock，and were proud that he was of their kind.
来了一群母鸡和一群小鸡。只要有一只跑动，另一只便会跟着跑起来。他们咯咯地叫，他们唧唧地叫，他们瞅着公鸡，为他感到骄傲，只因他是他们一族。
“Cockadoodledoo！” he crowed，“The chickens will grow up into great hens at once，if I cry it out in the poultryyard of the world！”
“咯咯、勒咯！”他啼了起来，“我在鸡场里这么一叫，小鸡马上便长成了大母鸡。”
And hens and chicks clucked and chirpedchirp v.吱喳而鸣，尖声地说n.喳喳声，唧唧声，and the cock announced a great piece of news.
鸡婆和鸡仔咯咯唧唧地跟着叫了起来。公鸡接着宣讲了一个大大的新消息。
“A cock can lay an egg！ And do you know whats in that egg？ A basilisk. No one can stand the sight of such a thing，people know that，and now you know it too—you know what is in me，and what a championchampion n.冠军，拥护者，战士vt.拥护，支持 of all cocks I am！”
“一只公鸡能生蛋！你们知道吗，蛋里是什么玩意儿？里面是一只爬虫怪！谁见了它都受不了！人类都知道这事，现在连你们都知道了。知道我身体里怀着什么！知道了我是所有鸡场里一个什么样的棒小伙子！”
With that the yard cock flapped his wings，made his comb swell up，and crowed again，and they all shudderedshudder vi. n.战栗，发抖，the hens and the little chicks—but they were very proud that one of their number was such a champion of all cocks. They clucked and chirped till the weathercock heard. He heard it，but he did not stir.
接着家养公鸡拍拍翅膀，挺起自己的冠子，又啼了起来。所有的鸡婆，所有的鸡仔都哆嗦了一下。但是，他们都为自己同类中有一个所有鸡场中最棒的小伙子而骄傲。他们咯咯地叫着，他们唧唧地叫着，好让风信公鸡听见。风信公鸡听到了，不过并没有因此而震惊。
“Everything is very stupid！” the weathercock said to himself. “The yard cock lays no eggs，and I am too lazy to do so，if I liked，I could lay a windegg. But the world is not worth even a windegg. Everything is so stupid！ I dont want to sit here any longer.”
“一派胡言乱语！”风信公鸡自言自语道。“家养的公鸡从来也没有下过蛋。我没有那个兴致，要是我愿意的话，我满可以生一个风蛋！可是这个世界不值得有什么风蛋！全是胡说八道！——现在我觉得坐在这都没意思了。”
With that the weathercock broke off； but he did not kill the yard cock，although the hens said that had been his intention.
于是风信鸡跳下去。不过他没有把家养的公鸡砸死。尽管母鸡说他就是这么打算的！
And what is the moral？ “Better to crow than to be puffed up and break off！”
这篇故事所含的教益又是什么呢。“与其活得腻味折掉，倒不如啼几声为好。”