“THAT is a terrible affair！”said a Hen；and she said it in a quarter of the town where the occurrence had not happened．“That is a terrible affair in the poultry－house．I cannot sleep alone tonight！It is quite fortunate that there are many of us on the roost together！”And she told a tale at which the feathers of the other birds stood on end，and the cock's comb fell down flat．It's quite true！
But we will begin at the beginning；and that was in a poultry-house in another part of the town．The sun went down，and the fowls jumped up on their perch to roost．There was a Hen，with white feathers and short legs，who laid her right number of eggs，and was a respectable hen in every way；as she flew up on to the roost she pecked herself with her beak，and a little feather fell out．
“There it goes！”said she；“the more I peck myself the handsomer I grow！”And she said it quite merrily，for she was a joker among the hens，though，as I have said，she was very respectable；and then she went to sleep．
It was dark all around；hen sat by hen，but the one that sat next to the merry Hen did not sleep：she heard and she didn't hear，as one should do in this world if one wishes to live in quiet；but she could not refrain from telling it to her next neighbour．
“Did you hear what was said here just now？I name no names；but here is a hen who wants to peck her feathers out to look well．If I were a cock I should despise her．”
And just above the Hens sat the Owl，with her husband and her little owlets；the family had sharp ears，and they all heard every word that the neighbouring Hen had spoken，and they rolled their eyes，and the Mother－Owl clapped her wings and said，
“Don't listen to it！But I suppose you heard what was said there？I heard it with my own ears，and one must hear much before one's ears fall off．There is one among the fowls who has so completely forgotten what is becoming conduct in a hen that she pulls out all her feathers，and then lets the cock see her．”
“Prenez garde aux enfants，” said the Father－Owl．“That's not fit for the children to hear．”
“I'll tell it to the neighbour owl；She's a very proper owl to associate with．”And she flew away．
“Hoo！hoo！to－whoo！”they both hooted in front of the neighbour's dovecot to the doves within．“Have you heard it？Have you heard it？Hoo！hoo！there's a hen who has pulld out all her feathers for the sake of the cock．She'll die with cold，if she's not dead already．”
“Coo！coo！Where，where？”cried the Pigeons．
“In the neighbour's poultry-yard．I've as good as seen it myself．It's hardly proper to repeat the story，but it's quite true！”
“Believe it！believe every single word of it！”cooed the Pigeons，and they cooed down into their own poultry-yard．“There's a hen，and some say that there are two of them，that have plucked out all their feathers，that they may not look like the rest，and that they may attract the cock's attention．That's a bold game，for one may catch cold and die of a fever，and they are both dead．”
“Wake up！wake up！”crowed the Cock，and he flew up on to the fence；his eyes were still very heavy with sleep，but yet he crowed．“Three hens have died of an unfortunate attachment to a cock．They have plucked out all their feathers．That's a terrible story．I won't keep it to myself；let it travel farther．”
“Let it travel farther！”piped the Bats；and the fowls clucked and the cocks crowed，“Let it go farther！let it go farther！”And so the story travelled from poultry－yard to poultry-yard，and at last came back to the place from which it had gone forth．“Five fowls，”it was told，“have plucked out all their feathers to show which of them had become thinnest out of love to the cock；and then they have pecked each other and fallen down dead，to the shame and disgrace of their families，and to the great loss of the proprietor．”
And the Hen who had lost the little loose feather，of course did not know her own story again；and as she was a very respectable Hen，she said，
“I despise those fowls；but there are many of that sort．One ought not to hush up such a thing，and I shall do what I can that the story may get into the papers，and then it will be spread over all the country，and that will serve those fowls right，and their families too．”
It was put into the newspaper：it was printed；and it's quite true——that one little feather may swell till it be-comes five fowls．
完全是真的
“那真是一件可怕的事情！”母鸡说。她讲这话的地方不是城里发生这个故事的那个区域。“那是鸡屋里的一件可怕的事情！我今夜不敢一个人睡觉了！真是幸运，我们今晚大伙儿都栖在一根栖木上！”于是她讲了一个故事，弄得别的母鸡羽毛根根竖起，而公鸡的冠却垂下来了。这完全是真的！
不过我们还是从头开始吧。事情是发生在城里另一区的鸡屋里面。太阳落下了，所有的母鸡都飞上了栖木，有一只母鸡，羽毛很白，腿很短；她总是按规定的数目下蛋。在各方面说起来，她是一只很有身份的母鸡。当她飞到栖木上去的时候，她用嘴啄了自己几下，弄得有一根小羽毛落下来了。
“事情就是这样！”她说，“我越把自己啄得厉害，我就越漂亮！”她说这活的神情是很快乐的，因为她是母鸡中一个爱逗趣的人物，虽然我刚才说过她是一只很有身份的鸡。不久她就睡着了。
周围是一片漆黑。母鸡跟母鸡站在一边，不过离她最近的那只母鸡却睡不着。她在静听——一只耳朵进，一只耳朵出；一个人要想在世界上安静地活下去，就非得如此做不可。不过她禁不住要把她所听到的事情告诉她的邻居：
“你听到过刚才的话吗？我不愿意把名字指出来。不过有一只母鸡，她为了要好看，啄掉自己的羽毛。假如我是公鸡的话，我才真要瞧不起她呢。”
在这些母鸡的上面住着一只猫头鹰和她的丈夫以及孩子。她这一家人的耳朵都很尖：邻居刚才所讲的话，他们都听见了。他们翻翻眼睛，猫头鹰妈妈就拍拍翅膀说：
“不要听那类的话！不过我想你们都听到了刚才的话吧？我是亲耳听到过的；你得听了很多才能记住。有一只母鸡完全忘记了母鸡所应当有的规矩：她甚至把她的羽毛都啄掉了，好让公鸡把她看个仔细。”
“prenez garde aux enfants，”猫头鹰爸爸说。“这不是孩子们可以听的话。”
“我还是要把这话告诉对面的猫头鹰！她是一个很正派的猫头鹰，值得来往！”于是猫头鹰妈妈就飞走了。
“呼！呼！呜——呼！”他们俩都喊起来，而喊声就被下边鸽子笼里面的鸽子听见了。
“你们听到过那样的话没有？呼！呼！有一只母鸡，她把她的羽毛都啄掉了，想讨好公鸡！她一定会冻死的——如果她现在还没有死的话。呜——呼！”
“咕——咕！在什么地方？在什么地方？”鸽子咕咕地叫着。
“在邻居的那个养鸡场里！我几乎可说是亲眼看见的。把它讲出来真不像话，不过那完全是真的！”
“真的！真的！每个字都是真的！”所有的鸽子说，同时向下边的养鸡场咕咕地叫：“有一只母鸡，也有人说是两只，她们都把所有的羽毛都啄掉，为的是要与众不同，借此引起公鸡的注意。这是一种冒险的玩意儿，因为这样她们就容易伤风，结果一定会发高热死掉，她们两位现在都死了。”
“醒来呀！醒来呀！”公鸡大叫着，同时向围墙上飞去。他的眼睛仍然带着睡意，不过他仍然在大叫。“三只母鸡因为与一只公鸡在爱情上发生不幸，全都死去了。她们把她们的羽毛啄得精光。这是一件很丑的事情。我不愿意把它关在心里；让大家都知道它吧！”
“让大家都知道它吧！”蝙蝠说。于是母鸡叫，公鸡啼。“让大家都知道它吧！让大家都知道它吧！”于是这个故事就从这个鸡屋传到那个鸡屋，最后它回到它原来所传出的那个地方去。这故事变成：“5只母鸡把她们的羽毛都啄得精光，为的是要表示出她们之中谁因为和那只公鸡失了恋而变得最消瘦。后来她们相互啄得流血，弄得5只鸡全都死掉。这使得她们的家庭蒙受羞辱，她们的主人蒙受极大的损失。”
那只落掉了一根羽毛的母鸡当然不知道这个故事就是她自己的故事。因为她是一只很有身份的母鸡，所以她就说：
“我瞧不起那些母鸡；不过像这类的贼东西有的是！我们不应该把这类事儿掩藏起来。我尽我的力量使这故事在报纸上发表，让全国都知道。那些母鸡活该倒霉！她们的家庭也活该倒霉！”
这故事终于在报纸上被刊登出来了。这完全是真的，一根小小的羽毛可以变成5只母鸡。
这篇寓言性的小故事，收在安徒生的《故事集》里。一只白母鸡在自己身上啄下了一根羽毛，消息一传出去，结果就变成：“5只母鸡把她们的羽毛都啄得精光，为的是要表示出她们中谁因为和那只公鸡失了恋而变得最消瘦。后来，她们相互啄得流血，弄得5只母鸡全部死掉。”原先落掉一根羽毛的那只白母鸡，为了表示自己有身份，认为这种现象应该公布，以“教育”大众。“这个故事终于在报纸上被刊登出来了……一根小小的羽毛可以变成5只母鸡。”当时的新闻舆论界也可能就是如此，是安徒生有感而发，写了这篇小故事。